Thornton Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Thornton Primary School Thornton Road, Thornton, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD13 3NN

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Outcome

Thornton Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Elizabeth Davison. This school is part of the Focus Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Helen Rowland, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Paul Spencer.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming school, where pupils develop trusting relationships with staff who care for them. The school has an inclusive culture, where pupils’ individual needs are well met. This helps pupils to feel happy. Pupils know that there is always a trusted adult that they can talk to.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils to achieve highly. Actions to improve aspects of the curriculum have been effective. Most pupils meet the high expectations set. Pupils develop a broad range of knowledge across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand the importance of the ‘Thornton 3 Always’. Pupils know that they need to always be kind and caring, to try their best and show respect. Most pupils follow these rules consistently. Overall, pupils listen to their teachers carefully. They are proud to earn rewards for following the ‘Thornton 3 Always’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a range of exciting activities to develop pupils’ character. For example, pupils take on leadership roles which benefit both the school and local community. These include ‘active ambassadors’, where pupils train to support other pupils to play a range of different sports and games. Pupil ‘dementia ambassadors’ enjoy singing and dancing with local residents in the local care home. Pupils value helping those in the local community. 24 and 25 June 2025

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has taken decisive action to improve the curriculum since the pandemic. The curriculum is ambitious and sequenced so that pupils build knowledge as they progress through the school. The curriculum defines important knowledge clearly so that teachers know what pupils need to remember. Pupils revisit what they have learned previously. For example, there has been close attention to improving pupils’ fluency in mathematics and recall of multiplication facts. This helps pupils to recall important mathematical knowledge when solving problems.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school checks pupils’ knowledge often. Gaps in knowledge and any weaknesses in teaching are identified to ensure that teaching supports all pupils well. Teachers appreciate the training and development opportunities provided by the school and the trust to help them to improve their teaching practice. Some areas of the school’s published outcomes in 2024 were too low. These outcomes do not fully reflect the quality of education the school provides for pupils. For example, in English lessons, there is a renewed focus on improving pupils’ writing fluency and sentence structure. While the school has taken action to address some of the gaps in older pupils’ foundational knowledge in writing and mathematics, some gaps still persist, which means that some pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school’s sequence of learning starts in the early years. Staff get to know children well. They identify any gaps in knowledge and design meaningful activities to support children to gain the knowledge that they need for future learning.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Reading is taught extremely well in the school. In the early years, children learn the foundational knowledge that they need to be able to read and write. Staff with expertise teach the phonics programme effectively. They check pupils’ knowledge often and provide effective support to help all pupils to become fluent readers.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

In recent years, the number of pupils at the school with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) has increased. The school has made adaptations to meet this changing need, including introducing a highly adapted curriculum in the resource base. The school identifies the specific needs of pupils and provides staff with strategies of how best to support pupils with SEND. Pupils with SEND benefit from the school’s wider experiences and participate in lessons alongside their peers. This helps pupils to gain confidence and achieve well.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Overall, most pupils rise to the high expectations for behaviour set by the school. They demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and show respect for each other and the staff who help them. On occasion, some pupils do not meet these high expectations. This happens when the expectations for behaviour are not consistently applied. This sometimes hinders pupils’ learning and enjoyment at social times.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school ensures that pupils are well prepared for life beyond the school. It develops pupils’ debating skills and supports them to consider the views of others. Pupils have a 24 and 25 June 2025

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secure understanding of how to stay safe in the local community and when online. For example, they learn first aid and how to stay safe around water. Pupils learn about the importance of democracy. Some pupils are members of the trust pupil parliament. They represent the views of other pupils in the school.

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Governors and trustees ask the school relevant questions to help leaders to reflect on their actions to improve the school. This helps leaders to give clarity around the decisions that they make as well as identifying areas for improvement. Trustees and governors work well to check and challenge leaders’ work appropriately.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not addressed gaps in some older pupils’ mathematical knowledge and aspects of writing. This has led to weaknesses in some pupils’ achievement. Some pupils are not as well prepared as they could be for their next stages in learning. The school should ensure that gaps in pupils’ foundational knowledge are addressed effectively.  On occasion, the school’s high expectations for pupils’ behaviour are not followed. This, sometimes, hinders pupils’ learning and their enjoyment at social times. The school should ensure that there is consistency and clarity in the expectations and management of behaviour across the school.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, 24 and 25 June 2025

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behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in January 2020.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 24 and 25 June 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 16 and 17 January 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Focus Academy Trust.  The headteacher is also the executive headteacher of another school in the trust.  The school has a resourced provision for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. All pupils attending the provision have an education, health and care plan. There are currently 13 pupils attending this provision, which is located on the site and is managed by Bradford local authority.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 24 and 25 June 2025

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 This is the first routine inspection the school has received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector held discussions with the headteacher, head of school and other school leaders.  The inspector met with members of the board of trustees and the local governing body, including the chairs. The inspector also met with the CEO and the deputy CEO of the trust.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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 The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site during lunchtime.  The inspector spoke with groups of pupils and staff. She spoke to parents and considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. The inspector also considered the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for pupils and staff.

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Inspection team

Kathryn McDonald, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 24 and 25 June 2025

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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