Tattingstone Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, located in Ipswich, Suffolk, was inspected on June 11 and 12, 2019. The overall effectiveness of the school was rated as good, with the effectiveness of leadership and management, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, personal development, behaviour and welfare, outcomes for pupils, and early years provision all receiving a good rating. However, the school had previously been rated outstanding, indicating a decline in some areas.
The headteacher has provided strong leadership, effectively navigating a period of staffing instability. She has established a culture of high expectations for both pupils and staff, ensuring that the quality of education remains good. The leadership team accurately assesses the school’s strengths and weaknesses and has set appropriate priorities for improvement. Staff morale is high, with teachers feeling valued and supported, and parents express strong support for the school.
Teaching quality is generally good and improving, leading to most pupils making good progress throughout their time at the school. The governors have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and provide effective support and challenge to the leadership team. The school offers a broad and balanced curriculum, complemented by a range of extracurricular activities that enhance pupils’ experiences.
Pupils demonstrate positive behaviour and respect for one another, contributing to a welcoming school environment. They attend school regularly and are well supported in their personal development. The leadership of early years is effective, ensuring that children start their education positively. Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and disabilities receive good support, making strong progress.
Despite the effective use of the pupil premium grant, the impact of various initiatives is not reviewed closely enough, which limits the ability to evaluate their effectiveness. Additionally, some learning activities and questioning techniques do not consistently challenge all pupils, particularly in foundation subjects. A small number of pupils are not currently meeting the high expectations set by leaders, especially in mathematics.
To improve further, the school needs to enhance the planning for the allocation of the pupil premium grant by establishing clear and measurable outcomes. Additionally, teaching, learning, and assessment should be further improved by ensuring that all teachers plan activities that consistently challenge pupils and effectively question larger groups to assess their understanding. The school must also focus on improving the progress of the small number of pupils who are not currently meeting expectations.
The inspection highlighted that while the overall quality of teaching is good, there are areas for improvement, particularly in ensuring that learning activities are tailored to pupils' starting points and provide appropriate challenges. The school’s commitment to safeguarding is strong, with effective procedures in place to protect pupils.
In summary, Tattingstone Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a good school with effective leadership and management, quality teaching, and positive outcomes for pupils. However, there are areas for improvement that need to be addressed to maintain and enhance the quality of education provided. The school is well-positioned to build on its strengths and address the areas identified for improvement.
