Tirlebrook Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are at the heart of this inclusive school. Leaders are determined that all pupils will reach their potential. Pupils feel safe and nurtured.

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. One parent wrote that Tirlebrook is 'a fantastic school that puts the needs of each child first'.

Pupils enjoy school and attend regularly.

Staff have an accurate view of the individual needs of pupils and their families. Strong pastoral provision is a strength of the school. This supports pupils well with their learning and personal development.

Staff have high expectations of behaviour. Pupils are polite and considerate. They behave well in lessons a...nd around the school.

They understand and follow the school rules of 'ready, respectful, responsible.' Pupils are adamant that bullying does not happen. They say if it were to happen, they have the confidence that staff would sort it out quickly.

Pupils are respectful of their peers and adults. They are proud of their school. Pupils acknowledge and understand that everyone is different.

They feel that everyone will find something they are good at. Pupils form strong and trusting relationships with adults.

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

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

All staff share this ambition. Staff value the leadership of the headteacher highly. They appreciate that teamwork is central to the ethos of the school and morale is high.

Leaders prioritise children's language development in the early years. Children develop a love of reading and learn phonics from the moment they start school. Books match the sounds children are learning.

Leaders have thought carefully about the range of texts they want to share with pupils. Strong use of assessment means teachers are clear about which sounds pupils know and need to learn next. If pupils fall behind, staff provide extra support.

However, the support given to these pupils is not consistently effective. This results in some pupils not being able to read fluently.

Pupils enjoy reading.

They understand why it is important to be able to read. Older pupils say that reading transports them to different places. Pupils enjoy listening to adults read.

Staff expose pupils to a wide range of vocabulary to support their language skills.

The mathematics curriculum is structured well. Teachers use careful questioning to deepen pupils' understanding of mathematical problems, including in the early years.

Staff ensure that accurate and consistent use of mathematical vocabulary supports pupils in knowing more and remembering more over time. Careful assessment of what pupils can and cannot do inform clear next steps. Staff make appropriate adaptations for pupils with SEND, so that they progress well through the mathematics curriculum.

Leaders have worked systematically to create an ambitious curriculum. They have identified clearly what knowledge is to be taught and when in some subjects. For example, in art and design, pupils talk confidently about their work and recall key knowledge.

However, not all subjects have the same explicit sequence of learning. Consequently, in these subjects, pupils are not able to build on their prior knowledge well enough.

Leaders have created an inclusive and caring ethos.

Staff know pupils well. Staff break learning down into manageable parts to ensure pupils with SEND experience success. Staff adapt instructions and resources effectively, so pupils build on what they already know.

Pupils behave well. They have positive attitudes to their learning. The school is a purposeful place to learn.

Some pupils have struggled to settle following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, staff use effective strategies to support these pupils to manage their behaviour as they adjust back.

Leaders prioritise pupils' wider development.

Pupils enjoy taking on roles of responsibility, such as being members of the school and eco councils. They understand equalities and fairness towards each other. They know about difference and are developing into resilient and confident individuals.

Leaders ensure that pupils have access to a wide range of activities, which supports their personal development well outside the classroom.

Governors share the ambition of leaders. They are knowledgeable about the school's work and understand their monitoring role, including safeguarding arrangements.

They ensure there is an open and challenging culture to support the school's future development.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff act in the best interests of keeping children safe.

Leaders ensure effective policies and procedures are in place. Staff are quick to act upon concerns raised. They know that their concerns will be taken seriously.

Staff have received relevant training about the various risks that pupils may face.

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations. They talk confidently about how to stay safe online.

Pupils know who to go to if they have concerns or worries. Staff complete the necessary checks on the suitability of adults to ensure they are safe to work with children.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes, staff do not provide the precise support pupils need to get better at reading.

As a result, some pupils do not read with confidence or fluency. Leaders need to ensure that all pupils are provided with effective support to enable them to become confident and fluent readers. ? The curriculum design in some subjects is not as effective as others.

Learning is not sequenced well enough. As a result, pupils do not build on what they already know or can do. Leaders need to ensure that all subjects are designed and sequenced well, so that pupils know more and remember more over time.