Tarporley CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Tarporley CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive and are happy at this caring and nurturing school. Relationships between adults and pupils are strong and respectful.

Pupils are proud of their school and relish the wider opportunities that it offers to them.

The school is highly ambitious for pupils to succeed, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are curious and keen learners.

They display a thirst for knowledge. Pupils become increasingly confident and articulate when expressing their thoughts and views. They achieve well.

By the time that they ...leave the school in Year 6, pupils are well prepared for the demands of the key stage 3 curriculum.

Pupils behave well. In the early years, children settle quickly into school routines.

Older pupils enjoy working and playing alongside younger pupils, acting as strong role models. Classrooms are calm and purposeful.

Pupils benefit from the wide-ranging experiences that the school provides to enrich their personal development.

They enjoy different responsibilities such as acting as members of the school parliament. A broad variety of visits, visitors and after-school activities enhance pupils' learning across the curriculum. For example, pupils spoke enthusiastically about their participation in singing workshops.

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

The school has implemented an ambitious curriculum from the beginning of the early years to Year 6. The curriculum meets the needs of pupils, including those with SEND, well. Governors have a sharp focus on supporting and challenging the school to continue to improve the quality of education that pupils receive.

The school has identified the important knowledge and vocabulary that pupils should learn across all year groups. This knowledge builds on what pupils already know in well-ordered steps. Teachers have been suitably trained.

In most subjects, they use their strong subject knowledge effectively to make sure that pupils learn the content of the curriculum well. In these subjects, teachers check that pupils have a secure understanding of what has been taught previously before introducing new learning. As a result, pupils progress successfully through these curriculums and achieve well.

In a small number of subjects, the checks that the school makes to ensure the successful delivery of the curriculums are at an earlier stage than in other subjects. This means that the school does not have a clear understanding of the impact of the curriculum on pupils' learning in these subjects. It also means that the school is not able to identify when teachers might need additional support or guidance to deliver these curriculums as intended.

At times, this means that pupils' knowledge is not as secure as it could be.

The school prioritises reading. It helps pupils to develop a love of reading from an early age.

Older pupils spoke enthusiastically about the books that they have read and enjoyed. They read with fluency and expression. Staff have been trained well to deliver the phonics programme successfully.

They make sure that, children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1, read books that include the sounds that they have already learned. Teachers swiftly identify pupils who need help to keep up with the programme. They provide further support to help these pupils to catch up quickly.

The school identifies the specific needs of pupils with SEND at the earliest opportunity. Staff make sure that these pupils receive appropriate support as they move through the school. Pupils with SEND achieve well and participate in all aspects of school life.

Pupils behave well. They rarely disturb the learning of their peers. Pupils work and play productively and safely together.

Their positive conduct contributes towards the school's calm learning environment. The school has developed clear procedures to manage pupils' attendance and punctuality. It works effectively with families to support pupils whose attendance needs to improve.

As a result, pupils attend school regularly and on time.

The school supports pupils' wider development well. Pupils learn how to develop healthy relationships, including when online.

The support for pupils' emotional well-being and mental health is very effective. Pupils develop a mature understanding of a range of important issues, such as equality and diversity. The school also ensures that pupils understand fundamental British values such as democracy.

Staff enjoy working at the school. They benefit from strong teamwork and support to fulfil their roles effectively. For example, staff are fully involved in decisions about new policies and procedures which affect their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, the checks that the school makes to assure itself that teachers are delivering the curriculum as the it intends are not as effective as in other subjects. This makes it difficult for the school to know when teachers need further guidance and support.

At times, this makes it harder for pupils to build new learning on what they already know. The school should ensure that it checks the delivery of these curriculums more carefully so that it can be fully assured that pupils are learning all that they should.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2014.