Thornton Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The passionate, informed and determined leadership of the headteacher successfully unites the whole school team.

There is a concerted focus on progress. This has secured significant improvements in the past two years. Senior leaders share the headteacher's vision and provide high-quality support to teachers.

As a result, the quality of teaching is continuing to improve. Governors have effective skills and a clear understanding of the school. They make a strong contribution to the vision and rigour that are driving the school forward.

The vast majority of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educationa...l needs and/or disabilities, are now making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils' conduct in classrooms and when playing on the playground is good. Instances of poor behaviour are very rare.

Effective safeguarding ensures that pupils are safe. All staff have a clear understanding of how to keep pupils safe. Pupils have a good understanding of British values and of different faiths and cultures.

The curriculum is broad, and pupils enjoy a wide range of experiences. As a result, the pupils are keen to learn. Parents are very supportive of the school.

They feel that the teachers are 'always there to talk to'. They say their children are making progress and 'get the right amount of homework'. Pupils make too many spelling and punctuation errors in their writing and teachers are not giving them enough help to spot these and where their writing could be improved.

Handwriting is not consistently of a high standard across the curriculum. Phonics is taught well and standards are now above average. Pupils enjoy reading and make good progress.

However, pupils are not always making good use of skills such as inference and deduction to read at greater depth. Leaders recognise the need to provide further training for leaders who are new to their role in order for them to contribute fully in improving the quality of teaching and pupil progress. The school does not comply with the government guidance about what schools must publish.

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Information about this school

The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about the curriculum content of mathematics; music; religious education; personal, social, health and economic education; the reasons for the approaches chosen to support disadvantaged pupils; equality objectives and governors' responsibilities on its website. The school meets the Department for Education's definition of a coasting school based on Key Stage 2 academic performance results in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

There has been a high turnover of teaching staff since the previous inspection. This is a very large school. The school does not have a Reception class.

There is one Year 1 class and one Year 2 class. At the start of Year 3 the school takes an additional four classes from a local infant school so that in key stage 2 there are five classes in each year group. The school is currently being restructured to become a junior school only with four classes in each year.

The percentage of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is just above that of most schools. The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged and who receive support from the pupil premium is well above average. Most of the pupils are of Pakistani heritage.

Other pupils come from a range of backgrounds. Most pupils speak English as an additional language, although a small number are in the early stages of learning to speak English. The school runs a breakfast club and a number of after-school clubs.