Ofsted Urges Urgent Changes at Thatcham School

Ofsted has told Parsons Down Junior School in Thatcham to urgently improve.

Too many pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, struggle with reading, spelling and constructing sentences effectively.

"Over the last three years, pupils' attainment at the end of Year 6, including for disadvantaged pupils, has been significantly below the national average in reading, writing and mathematics," says the government inspector Laura James in the report published this week (November 9).

The report says pupils do not retain important learning. They often find it difficult to build on prior knowledge because new learning is sometimes introduced before pupils have fully secured the knowledge needed to access it. That leaves gaps that stop them engaging and reaching intended outcomes.

"Recent improvements are supporting pupils to begin to address these gaps in their foundational learning.

"However, these are in their infancy and too many pupils have significant gaps in their knowledge.

"As a result, pupils are not well prepared for their next stage in education."

On the plus side, inspectors note pupils know staff care about their wellbeing.

"They feel a strong sense of belonging and enjoy spending time with their friends," says the report.

"Playtimes and lunchtimes are positive and engaging, providing opportunities for pupils to interact well with one another.

"Pupils are happy, feel safe and show kindness and consideration towards one another. As a result, incidents of bullying are rare."

The report says behaviour is typically calm and orderly, with clear routines and expectations.

"Pupils are interested in the curriculum and enjoy the subjects they learn in class.

"They enjoy the assemblies that make fundamental British values interesting, and they understand that others may have different views and beliefs to their own," says the report.

School leaders know what needs to improve and have started work to strengthen support and teaching. This is beginning to make a difference, but the inspector says significant improvement is still required.

The report adds that curriculum and teaching, inclusion, leadership and personal development need attention.

"Occasionally, staff place greater emphasis on pupils finishing tasks than on ensuring that pupils gain the essential knowledge set out in the curriculum," it says.

"At times, checks on pupils' learning do not identify gaps in understanding. In some cases, staff do not provide pupils with sufficient explanations to address misunderstanding."

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and the areas that require further improvement and recognise that significant work remains.

Niki Hinman, Local Democracy Reporter