Tiverton School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Tiverton School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well cared for at Tiverton School.

The school welcomes pupils with smiles and warm greetings. Staff work closely with families. They know their pupils very well.

Pupils' individual needs are supported effectively, as a result.

Pupils are given a wide range of responsibilities, such as being library assistants and school council members. Older pupils read books to younger pupils.

They are taught how to create shopping lists before going on trips to the supermarket.

The school is ambitious for what pupils can achieve. Most pupils achieve very well.
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Pupils are given a wide range of experiences beyond the academic. The school prepares pupils to be as independent as possible. This helps pupils to prepare for life beyond school.

Pupils and staff demonstrate their school motto of 'Kind, Safe, Happy' to each other. This means relationships across school are positive and respectful. Staff understand that behaviour is a form of communication for pupils.

Pupils are taught what good behaviour looks like. Pupils behave very well in classrooms and across school, as a result.

Pupils' safety is prioritised.

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. Pupils are safe and happy. They know that all adults in school will help them.

Pupils are taught a wide range of ways to communicate their experiences.

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

The school has a well-sequenced curriculum. This is carefully planned to meet the wide-ranging and complex special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) of its pupils.

The curriculum covers the breadth of the national curriculum subject areas. The school clearly identifies the knowledge and skills they want pupils to know, including in the early years. In most subjects, how knowledge and skills progress over time is ambitious for most pupils.

Staff mostly plan effective activities which closely match pupils' SEND and academic needs. Assessment is used to adapt work and help pupils progress with their learning. However, staff have not yet received sufficient support to ensure that their subject knowledge is secure in all curriculum areas.

Where this happens, some pupils do not develop a deep enough understanding of the subject. Resources for pupils are used to support learning very well in most areas. However, in the early years, some areas in the outdoor environment are not resourced as effectively as they might be to deliver the school's ambitious curriculum.

Reading is a high priority across school. The school assesses all pupils' reading and pre-reading knowledge and skills. Most staff teach reading very well.

Staff plan activities to support pupils' different developmental needs. This supports their reading and phonic knowledge effectively. All classrooms have a wide range of books.

Pupils talk about their favourite stories with enthusiasm. Pupils say they enjoy reading and taking books home.

Pupils are taught how to communicate using a broad range of strategies.

This is a strength of the school. A wide variety of communication aids are used to support pupils' individual needs. Staff are well trained in this area.

Every pupil has a voice as a result. Pupils who do not use verbal language to communicate are well understood by staff and visitors. They can communicate their learning, their opinions and when they need help.

Behaviour in classrooms is very well managed. Pupils are well engaged in their learning. Staff understand the behavioural needs of each child.

Classrooms are calm as a result. At lunchtime, pupils eat and happily chat with their friends. They clear their own plates and politely ask for dessert.

Pupils are taught about good manners at the dinner table.

The school provides a wide range of interesting activities for pupils. These are carefully planned to support pupils' wider development.

Pupils take part in local sporting events. They engage with pupils from other schools. This helps pupils to build their social skills.

Pupils enjoy a range of lunchtime clubs, such as the popular online safety club.

Governors are highly supportive of the school and offer an appropriate degree of challenge. However, the school does not have an accurate view of how well all subjects are being implemented across school, but support is developing this area.

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about their children's experiences. They speak highly of the care and support provided.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has not ensured that all staff's subject-specific knowledge is secure across all subjects. As a result, a small number of pupils do not develop a deep enough understanding of these subjects. The school needs to make sure that all staff are given the required support to improve their subject knowledge in some subject areas.

• The school does not have an accurate view of how well all subjects are being implemented. Leaders should support subject leaders to develop their roles and to know how to evaluate the implementation of the curriculum in their subject area. ? The resources in some areas of the early years outdoor environment are not fully developed to effectively deliver the early years curriculum.

This slows children's progress. The school should ensure that the outdoor environment is used effectively to support children's learning.

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 September 2012.

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