Thorndown Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The school is led by an inspirational headteacher.

She is supported well by a very able senior leadership team. Together, they have secured rapid improvement in the quality of teaching and pupils' outcomes over the last two years. Teamwork is strong across the school.

Staff and the governing body have worked together to make the needed improvements in provision. Governors provide good challenge and support to other school leaders. Teaching is now good.

Across the school, teachers get on very well with pupils. They have high expectations of what pupils should achieve. Teachers make school fun.

They plan work that motivate...s and inspires pupils to do well. Occasionally, they do not provide enough challenge to the ablest pupils when they are ready to have their learning moved on. Early years provision is good.

Children make good progress in both the pre-school and Reception classes. Teachers have a good understanding of the needs of children. They plan engaging activities that help children to learn quickly.

Disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported and consequently make good progress. Pupils behave well. They are polite and courteous.

They feel safe and show good concern for the needs of others. Pupils work hard but do not always take enough care to ensure that their handwriting is neat and tidy. Outcomes for pupils are good.

As well as making rapid progress in English and mathematics, pupils develop good skills in French, music and art. In science, history and geography, pupils' work is not of such a consistently high quality. The curriculum in these subjects gives too little attention to the development of subject-specific skills.

The happy atmosphere in school reflects the way that leaders value and respect all members of the school community so that all feel part of the push for continued excellence. Parents are very positive about the school. They are complimentary about the high level of care shown by school staff and feel extremely well involved in their children's education.

Information about this school

The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website. This is a larger-than-average sized primary school with 19 classes. Children in the early years are taught in three Reception classes and in a pre-school.

The school took over management of the pre-school in September 2016. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds but the school is admitting more pupils with English as an additional language than in the past. Most of these pupils are from Eastern European backgrounds.

The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is broadly average. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is broadly average. The school met the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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