George Tomlinson Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The headteacher, ably assisted by governors and senior school leaders, has made significant improvements to the school since taking up her post.

Governors and the local authority were instrumental in putting in place this dynamic and effective leadership team. They provided support and challenge in equal measure because they knew that the school needed to improve rapidly. The headteacher and her team have put professional development and training at the heart of improving the quality of teaching.

Teachers are keen to develop their practice, encouraged by the rising standards they see as a result. Leaders know the school's strengths and id...entify areas for improvement appropriately. However, it is not always clear in their plans what impact their actions will have on outcomes for pupils.

Standards are rising and progress is improving. However, pupils do not always have the spoken language skills to explain their ideas in depth. This can limit the amount of progress they make, especially in key stage 2.

Behaviour is good. Pupils are courteous and respectful. They understand the importance of persevering; their resilience helps them to try their hardest in lessons.

Attendance is improving. Rates of persistent absence have decreased but remain too high. Children get off to a good start in the early years provision.

They learn well because adults provide a range of stimulating activities for them. The new curriculum that the current leaders have introduced offers pupils opportunities to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding well.

Information about this school

George Tomlinson is a larger than average-sized primary school.

The departure of the previous headteacher in summer 2015 ushered in a period of significant turbulence. The current governing body took up post in May 2016. The current headteacher started in September 2016, with other senior leaders joining the school during that academic year.

Over four out of five pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds. Two thirds of pupils speak English as an additional language, some of whom are at the very early stages of learning English. These figures are above average.

The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is nearly double the national average. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is broadly average. A far higher proportion of pupils join the school other than at the beginning of Reception than is the case nationally.

The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectation for pupils' attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6. The governing body manages a breakfast club and an after-school club for pupils at the school. The early years provision comprises a Nursery class, which two- and three-year-olds attend part-time, and three full-time Reception classes.