Tetherdown Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Tetherdown Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Tetherdown is a warm and friendly school. Leaders know pupils and families well.

Parents and carers appreciate the school's strong sense of community.

Leaders and teachers are ambitious for all pupils. This is clear in the well-planned curriculum.

Leaders and staff meet the needs of all pupils well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are happy, confident and articulate. They are keen to tell visitors all about their school.

They take their learning seriously and think carefully about their work.

Pupils are... rightly proud of their school. They behave well and are kind and considerate towards each other.

They actively welcome those who are new to the school. Bullying is rare and any incidents are resolved quickly. Pupils are confident to talk to staff if they have any concerns.

This helps to ensure that pupils feel safe and are kept safe at school.

Leaders provide a range of experiences for pupils. For example, a local orchestra recently visited the school.

Pupils appreciate the range of additional activities they can join in with after school. These include, for instance, clubs for dance, music and sports, as well as 'welly-time'.

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

The curriculum matches the ambition and breadth of what is expected nationally.

Leaders have carefully considered the knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to learn and remember. This starts from the early years and covers the full range of subjects taught. The curriculum is well sequenced.

Much emphasis is given to making sure that pupils practise and build on previous learning. This helps pupils to develop the knowledge and skills they need for what will be taught later on. For example, in science, pupils in Year 2 learn about and then label the parts of a plant.

In subsequent year groups, pupils then learn more about the functions of these different parts.

In a few subjects, leaders have not identified some of the important subject-related vocabulary that pupils need to learn and remember. This means that pupils' understanding of important ideas in a subject is, at times, not deepened sufficiently.

In most subjects, leaders have provided training to support staff to develop their subject knowledge. For example, teachers appreciate the opportunity to teach alongside subject experts. Teachers provide pupils with opportunities to recall, practise and discuss their learning.

Assessment is used well to identify and address gaps in understanding.

Leaders have prioritised early reading. They have a well-established, structured approach to teaching phonics.

Staff deliver this with expertise. Children in Reception begin learning phonics from the start of their time in school. Staff monitor pupils' progression in reading regularly.

Any pupils at risk of falling behind have extra help to catch up. The books pupils read are well matched to the sounds that they know. Consequently, pupils read with growing confidence and fluency.

Leaders build on pupils' genuine love of reading by providing a rich, diverse reading curriculum.

Similarly, leaders make sure that pupils build their early mathematical knowledge effectively. In the early years, children practise counting throughout the day.

This means that, in subsequent year groups, pupils are ready to deepen their understanding of number and simple calculations.

Pupils with SEND are identified and well supported. Learning in lessons is adapted carefully so that pupils with SEND can learn alongside their peers.

More bespoke support is provided for those pupils who need it. Teachers ensure that these pupils continue to join in with all aspects of school life.

Pupils behave very well in lessons and the playground.

Pupils play cooperatively and try hard to demonstrate the school values of 'friendship and laughter'. Pupils know that learning is important. They listen carefully and think deeply in lessons.

Pupils enjoy opportunities to be responsible, such as being a school councillor or 'buddy reader'. They are keen to share their views and know that staff will value them. The curriculum has been designed to make sure that pupils learn about the importance of mental health and well-being.

For example, pupils are helped to recognise how they are feeling and what to do to feel better.

Leaders, including those responsible for governance, understand the school's strengths and weaknesses well. This enables them to prioritise areas for improvement.

For example, leaders have successfully addressed the weaknesses identified in pupils' writing in the previous inspection.

Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They feel part of a close-knit team and well supported by leaders and each other.

Leaders are considerate of staff's workload and have taken positive steps to help with this.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff receive regular and up-to-date training.

This ensures that they are clear about how to record and report any concerns that they may have. As a result, pupils and their families receive the help they need.

Pupils feel well looked after at school.

They are taught how to stay safe and what to do if they have any concerns. The curriculum has been designed to help pupils understand and respond to different risks. For example, pupils described how they keep themselves safe when online.

The governing body performs its statutory duties effectively. For example, all the required pre-employment checks on adults are carried out thoroughly.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, leaders have not identified some of the important subject-specific vocabulary that pupils need to learn.

This means that, in some instances, pupils do not fully understand important concepts in these subjects. Leaders need to identify the vocabulary to be learned in each subject so that pupils develop their understanding over time and are ready to tackle more difficult ideas later on.

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 March 2017.

Also at this postcode