Thornton Dale CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an inadequate school Leaders and governors have failed to stem a decline in performance over time.

The weak quality of teaching, learning and assessment significantly hampers pupils' progress. Pupils are poorly prepared for key stage 3. Senior leaders have not embedded a culture of high expectations.

Adults' low ambitions stifle pupils' achievement and success, especially in reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders' plans for improvement are not supporting much needed change. Subject leaders lack the knowledge, skills and experience required to drive improvement in their areas of curriculum responsibility.

Adults' expectations of pupils' beha...viour and work vary and, at times, low-level disruption interrupts and hinders learning. In each key stage, pupils' basic knowledge and skills in mathematics, reading and writing are not developed quickly enough. Pupils' fluency, accuracy and confidence in each subject suffer.

Teachers' assessment of pupils' work over time is overgenerous and inaccurate. Across subjects, therefore, teachers plan tasks and learning which fail to match pupils' needs. Teachers in the early years and in key stage 1 do not model the process of writing effectively for pupils.

Pupils have too few opportunities to practise and apply their writing skills. The quality of teaching and learning in the early years varies. Tasks and provision do not consistently have the right degree of challenge and purpose.

An appropriate balance between adult-led and child-initiated learning has not been reached. Not all children are sufficiently well prepared for Year 1. The provision for two-year-olds is inconsistent in quality.

Some staff lack a secure grasp of the large difference in care and development needs between this group and other children. The school has the following strengths Recently, the leadership of both mathematics and special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) has strengthened. Leaders ensure that the primary sport premium funding is spent wisely.

Pupils are very friendly, happy and feel safe.

Information about this school

This is a smaller-than-average sized school catering for pupils from two to 11 years of age. Most pupils are of White British heritage.

There are currently no pupils who speak English as an additional language. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by pupil premium funding is much lower than other schools nationally. The proportion of pupils with SEND has risen sharply recently to just below national averages.

Historically much lower-than-average proportions of pupils with SEND have been supported. The proportion of pupils with SEND who have an education, health and care plan is lower than national averages. There have been significant changes in leadership and staff since the last inspection.

A deputy headteacher and a SENDCo have recently been appointed. A new chair of the governing body took up post in November 2018. There have also been several changes of teaching staff.