Tweedmouth Community Middle School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Tweedmouth Community Middle School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Tweedmouth Community Middle School is a welcoming school. Pupils are happy and safe.

Staff care deeply about the pupils. They have high expectations for what pupils can achieve and an unwavering determination to ensure that pupils receive a high-quality education. They strive to ensure that every pupil 'can be the very best that they can be'.

The school is as equally committed to pupils' character development as it is to pupils' academic progress. The school provides a broad range of wider opportunities for pupils. These enrich pupils' experience of school.

For... example, pupils take part in a national mathematics challenge, enter competitions such as a recent robotics event, learn from authors who contribute to the Berwick Literary Festival and visit local art galleries. Pupils develop wider skills in communication and teamwork. Pupils' levels of independence and resilience are well developed.

Pupils greet adults they pass on the corridor warmly and maturely. Incidents of bullying are very rare.

During the inspection, many parents expressed their sincere thanks for the positive influence of the school on their child's development.

One parent captured the view of many when they described the school as a 'lovely school, very approachable, providing great learning opportunities'.

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

Pupils study a broad curriculum. The school has identified the important knowledge and skills that pupils should understand.

The curriculum is clearly sequenced. The school has high ambition for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The school has developed an approach to teaching that aims to help all pupils to make the progress they are capable of making.

This is known in school as '5-a-day'. Aspects of this are well embedded, such as the use of technology. This supports learning well.

Careful grouping of pupils in lessons ensures they get the level of support they need.Other aspects of 5-a-day are used less consistently. For example, in some lessons, the quality of modelling, checking understanding and using scaffolds to support pupils in their learning is more variable.

Pupils with SEND are supported very well. Teachers receive appropriate training. They have access to detailed information about pupils with SEND and their individual needs.

Pupils' needs are well met.

In most subjects, the school enters key stage 3 pupils for an academic award with a national examination board. Most pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, achieve the award.

To achieve it, pupils produce high-quality work. This is preparing pupils well for the academic demands of high school.

Pupils read for pleasure every day in school.

They enjoy reading. The support for the few pupils who have weaker reading skills, or who are at the earliest stages of reading, is inconsistent. Some staff need training on the school's phonics programme.

The school needs to check the progress of weaker readers more closely to ensure that appropriate levels of support are put in place.

The school's behaviour policy is clear and implemented consistently. Pupils value the emphasis on rewards.

They behave well in lessons. Pupils in key stage 2 are particularly enthusiastic about their learning. At social times, pupils mix well together.

Routines are well embedded, including pupils cleaning their tables after lunch. Most pupils attend regularly. The school tracks attendance carefully.

Leaders implement effective support to improve pupils' attendance, where it is needed.

Much work has been done to develop pupils' confidence. Most pupils participate in the extra-curricular opportunities provided by the school.

These include a range of sports, drama, music and academic clubs. The school has designed a curriculum to develop pupils' speaking skills through 'Talk Time', so pupils feel more assured when they express themselves. Pupils are articulate.

They understand how to keep themselves safe online. Pupils know about healthy relationships. They are encouraged to play an active role in the school and local community.

Pupils tend to the school's flowerbeds, support the upkeep of community gardens, contribute to the 'Tweed 1000' tapestry and are members of the school council.

Leaders, including governors, are effective. They have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and areas to develop.

Sometimes, some leaders do not check the school's work as consistently as they could. Leaders are not consistently aware of the impact of their work. A programme for subject leaders has been reintroduced to provide them with ongoing professional development and support.

Staff enjoy working at the school. They say that leaders are supportive. They value the opportunities such as 'well-being meetings' that bring the staff together.

In addition, they value the ways that leaders have helped them with their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The approach to supporting weaker readers is inconsistent.

Pupils who are at the earliest stages of reading or who require support, do not develop their ability to read as quickly as they could. The school should ensure that there is greater consistency in the ways it supports those pupils who have difficulty with reading or who are at the early stages of learning to read. ? In some lessons, elements of the school's 5-a-day approach to teaching are used inconsistently.

This means that pupils do not secure their understanding or progress through the curriculum as well as they could. The school should ensure pupils embed their knowledge and make the progress of which they are capable. ? There is some variation in the ways that leaders quality assure the school's work.

As a result, the impact of some of the school's improvement initiatives is unclear. The school should ensure school improvement initiatives are checked systematically and effectively.

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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2019.