Tadley primary school making good progress

A PRIMARY school in Tadley has made good progress, Ofsted inspectors found on an interim inspection last month, following a ‘requires improvement’ Ofsted grade given at a full inspection earlier this year.

The 393-pupil Tadley Community Primary School, The Green, received the grade three marking after Ofsted inspectors graded all aspects of the school as requiring improvement, from the quality of teaching, to the achievement of pupils.

This followed an Ofsted inspection seven years ago, when it was given an overall outstanding marking (grade one) and subsequent interim inspection three years later in 2010, at which inspectors found the outstanding performance had been maintained.

After the most recent full inspection and a restructuring of the school’s governing body, an action plan had been put in place to enable governors to monitor key areas for improvement more effectively.

The recent interim report said that staff had worked with “determination and commitment to tackle the improvements that needed to be made.”

Other improvements put in place included teacher training, enabling them to provide greater challenge for pupils, particularly in writing.

The school’s marking policy was also rewritten.

A new reading record provided clear guidance for parents about how they could support their child’s reading, and workshops have been planned for parents at which they can see how to help most effectively.

The school’s behaviour policy had also been reviewed, resulting in a more consistent approach to rewarding good behaviour and addressing poor behaviour.

Refurbishment and an extension was made to the school’s playground for Key Stage 1 children, funded by the PTA, while an additional member of the senior staff had been placed on duty in the Key Stage 2 playground at break times.

“As a result, recorded incidents of poor behaviour at break times have been more than halved in a half-term,” the report said.