Tattershall Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, staff and parents are proud to be part of the Tattershall Primary School community.

One parent echoed the views of many when they stated: 'My child loves the school, the teachers genuinely care about the children they teach and want to make a difference.'

The school has recently undergone a period of change. New leaders have worked quickly to improve the curriculum.

They have high expectations of what pupils can achieve academically, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Most pupils achieve well.

The school has recently introduced a new behaviour policy focused on three expectations of pupils: 'we are kin...d, we are respectful, we are responsible'.

Most pupils live up to these expectations and are polite and respectful to each other. They feel safe.

The school has ensured that pupils have opportunities to develop their talents and interests.

All pupils learn to play a musical instrument. Many take part in performances. The wide range of extra-curricular clubs the school offers helps pupils to become more confident and to gain new skills.

For example, pupils in the Makaton choir club learn the signs for the lyrics of the songs they sing.

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

The school has recently introduced a new, ambitious curriculum. This curriculum maps out the key knowledge that pupils should learn across the different subject areas.

Pupils regularly revisit previous learning which helps them to remember what they have studied.

The school uses assessment and feedback in some subjects to identify gaps in pupils' learning and address misconceptions. This helps pupils to develop secure knowledge in these subjects.

In some subjects, assessment does not precisely identify gaps in pupils' knowledge. Pupils do not always receive specific guidance about how to deepen their thinking and address areas of learning in which they lack confidence.

Reading is prioritised.

Teachers help pupils to become accurate readers. The books that pupils read have been carefully matched to their reading ability and their interests. Teachers help pupils to use their reading to inspire and inform their writing.

Pupils who need extra help to become accurate readers are identified and receive the precise support they need.

The school ensures that no pupil is left behind. Pupils with SEND are well supported to learn the curriculum alongside their peers.

Staff receive appropriate training and information. This helps them to meet the needs of the pupils they work with. Pupils with SEND achieve well and are included in the life of the school.

They take part in clubs and describe their enjoyment of the trips they experience.

Children in the early years are happy and enjoy coming to school. The new early years curriculum is ambitious and identifies what children should learn and when.

However, this curriculum is not yet consistently taught well. The work children complete is not always matched to their understanding. Many children develop their independence and confidence.

However, the opportunities to independently practise the skills and knowledge they have been taught are not yet of consistently high quality. Staff do not routinely check children's understanding or address misconceptions. This means that children do not always develop the knowledge they need to be well prepared for key stage 1.

The school has recognised this, and there are clear plans in place to improve the provision.

Pupils develop positive relationships with staff. There is a warm and caring environment throughout the school.

A new approach to supporting pupils' behaviour has been introduced. A minority of pupils do not always focus on their learning as well as they should. On the occasions when this happens, staff do not yet always apply the behaviour policy consistently to help these pupils regain their focus.

Pupils benefit from an array of opportunities to broaden their horizons. They enjoy learning new sports such as pop lacrosse. They benefit from educational visits and experiences, including Tattershall Castle and Wild Pines.

The school ensures that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils discuss and debate important ideas and build their understanding of British values, as well as beliefs and cultures different to their own.

Staff at the school feel valued.

They work as a team. New leaders, including governors, have worked quickly and effectively to gain a better understanding of the school's strengths and areas for development. The school is outward-looking and consults with external agencies to develop the expertise of staff and ensure that the pupils are able to achieve their very best.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Children in the early years do not routinely benefit from work matched to their understanding. Staff do not consistently check children's understanding and address misconceptions.

As a result, children in the early years are not as well prepared for key stage 1 as they should be. The school must ensure that staff are well equipped to teach the curriculum so that children have a secure foundation of knowledge on which to build throughout the rest of their time in school. In some subjects, assessment and feedback are not always used precisely to identify and address pupils' misconceptions.

When this happens, some pupils are left with gaps in their knowledge and others do not receive the guidance they need to improve their work or deepen their understanding. The school must ensure that assessment and feedback are used consistently and purposefully to address gaps in knowledge and/or help pupils improve their work. ? A small minority of pupils do not always focus on their learning as well as they should.

Some staff do not yet consistently apply the behaviour policy. As a result, there are occasions when pupils are not helped to refocus on their learning and they do not benefit as well as they could from the good quality of education that the school provides. The school should ensure that the behaviour system is understood and implemented consistently by all staff.

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