Tang Hall Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn well and benefit from a strong curriculum at Tang Hall Primary School.Leaders ensure that pupils follow the school's new behaviour policy.

Pupils understand and respect the traffic-light colour system. They strive to meet the high expectation of always remaining on green. There are warm and supportive relationships between pupils and staff.

Pupils are safe at the school. Pupils have a good understanding of bullying and are confident that teachers will sort out any problems that arise. The school council values working alongside school staff to achieve an anti-bullying award.

Leaders provide pupils with opportunities to build resilience, experienc...e enrichment and explore the wider world through their 'CREW' activities. Pupils value the CREW pass activities, such as making bird feeders, learning to sew on a button or supporting a charity. This helps pupils to build their confidence, extend their vocabulary and have a better understanding of the world.

Leaders help pupils to be good citizens by supporting their community. Pupils visit a care home, sing at the supermarket and organise their own charity bake sales.Pupils have many opportunities to develop leadership skills.

For example, there are library, friendship, sports and play leaders. This helps to give older pupils a greater sense of responsibility as they progress through the school.

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

Since the previous inspection, leaders have worked with passion and determination to further improve the curriculum and the behaviour of pupils.

Leaders have completely redesigned the curriculum. Leaders began by revisiting the school vision of 'proud to achieve together'. They used this to construct a curriculum that starts in the provision for two-year-olds and builds progressively to Year 6.

The quality of the curriculum is not reflected in the outcomes pupils achieved in 2022. These were significantly affected by the disruption caused by the pandemic.

Leaders know that speech, language and communication difficulties can be a barrier to pupils' learning.

Leaders have designed the curriculum to address this. Teachers ensure that vocabulary is a focus in every lesson. They introduce and recap the specific vocabulary that they want pupils to use to help them to remember important knowledge.

Teachers make links to the language that pupils have learned before. Leaders use a weekly revisit and review session to check what pupils are remembering.

In some foundation subjects, the work that teachers set pupils to complete is in some cases too limited and does not capture their curriculum coverage.

The work that pupils are asked to complete does not enable them to fully demonstrate the depth of their understanding.

In contrast, the mathematics curriculum is a strength of the school. Leaders have developed a range of materials to support teachers to implement the teaching of mathematics effectively.

The 'understanding four operations' starter to each lesson enables pupils to embed their arithmetic knowledge. Leaders check mathematics carefully and give focused feedback to staff to ensure that there is consistency in practice. Leaders use these checks to adapt and improve the mathematics curriculum.

Leaders in foundation subjects have not had the same opportunity to coach staff to the same extent. This is limiting the impact they can have on the refinement of the curriculum in foundation subjects.

Leaders provide a reading area in every classroom to encourage a love of reading.

Leaders have specifically chosen books to reflect different genres, authors and diversity. Early years teachers share significant books with parents and carers through a virtual library. This helps parents to support their children when reading at home.

Pupils use their phonic knowledge to decode new words in their reading books. Pupils who need more support to catch up with phonics receive extra phonic sessions daily.

Staff build strong links with parents.

Early years teachers welcome parents into the classroom at the start of each day to share in their child's learning. Leaders identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities quickly. Leaders put effective systems and support in place.

Some aspects of the personal development curriculum are stronger than others. For example, pupils confidently discuss equality, diversity, staying safe when online and mental health. Pupils' knowledge of fundamental British values and world religions is less secure.

The trust and local governing committee understand the strengths and areas that need developing in the school. The governors recognise the exceptional support the trust has given the school to support the leaders to make improvements.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have identified aspects of the locality that pose risks to the pupils, such as the danger associated with the nearby railway line. As a result, leaders organised visits from Network Rail to share important safety messages.

Leaders deliver annual training and do regular quizzes with staff to ensure that they are retaining safeguarding information.

Pupils report safeguarding concerns to adults in school. Records of racism, poor behaviour or alleged bullying are detailed. Leaders ensure that pupils know how to stay safe when online.

They know to keep their profile anonymous and to report and block strangers.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some subject leaders have not had enough opportunity to check the teaching of the foundation subjects. This hampers their ability to improve this aspect of the school's work and to make refinements to the curriculum.

Leaders should support subject leaders to help them to better check and develop the curriculum in their areas of responsibility. ? In some foundation subjects, the work that pupils are asked to complete does not enable them to demonstrate the depth of their understanding. Leaders should provide pupils with greater capacity to demonstrate independently what they have learned.

• Some aspects of personal development are not as well developed as others. This means that some pupils' knowledge of aspects such as British values and world religions is less secure than it should be. Leaders should ensure that they provide more opportunities for pupils to develop their understanding of these areas.