Thorn Grove Primary School

Overview

Thorn Grove Primary School has “taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.” The report describes a “warm and welcoming” environment where pupils are “happy and excited” to learn, demonstrating resilience and respect for others. Leaders ensure the school continues to provide a “high-quality education that prepares them well for future success.”

Strengths

• Pupils engage with an “ambitious curriculum” enriched by “interesting extra-curricular experiences” and develop a “good understanding of the subjects that they study.”
• Teachers are “knowledgeable about the subjects they teach,” explaining concepts clearly and making “effective adaptations to the curriculum, particularly for pupils with SEND.”
• Reading has a “high profile,” with phonics taught “consistently well” from the early years, ensuring children become “confident, fluent readers.”
• The school fosters a positive culture where pupils are “respectful of other people’s cultures and lifestyles” and feel “safe and valued.”
• Governors provide “highly effective support and challenge to leaders” and act strategically in the best interests of pupils.

Areas to improve

• The school must raise expectations for the quality of pupils’ written work, as writing is “too variable” and “sometimes lacks depth and detail.”
• Efforts to secure regular attendance need strengthening, as a small group of pupils remains “persistently absent,” missing important learning opportunities.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”