Tweedmouth West Primary School

Overview

Tweedmouth West First School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at its previous inspection. The report describes a school with a strong sense of pride, where pupils achieve well and feel happy and safe. While the curriculum has been comprehensively reviewed and is bearing fruit, there are specific inconsistencies in how learning is assessed and built upon.

Strengths

• Pupils’ behaviour is described as "excellent," supported by high expectations and well-established classroom routines that allow concentration without distraction.
• Reading is central to the curriculum, with staff consistently delivering phonics and quickly identifying pupils at risk of falling behind to provide necessary support.
• The school places a strong emphasis on developing oracy and vocabulary, enabling pupils to "disagree respectfully" and confidently explain their mathematical reasoning.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive precise support plans and therapeutic interventions, enabling them to learn alongside classmates.
• Governors provide "practical support and appropriate challenge to leaders," while staff value strategies introduced to reduce workload and appreciate approachable leadership.

Areas to improve

• The school must ensure that checks on what pupils know and can remember are effective enough, as current inconsistencies mean learning activities sometimes do not match pupils’ starting points.
• Approaches to assessment should be used consistently across the curriculum to support pupils in building a "secure body of knowledge" over time.

Safeguarding

The report states that "the arrangements for safeguarding are effective."