Tardebigge CofE First School

Tardebigge CofE First School is judged as needing attention overall, and leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements. The school is a small, inclusive first school with a tangible family feel, and pupils behave marvellously, attendance is strong and improving, and persistent absence is very low. Safeguarding standards are met. Personal development and early years provision are strengths: the early years curriculum is purposeful, phonics is a clear priority, children become skilled and confident readers, and pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, visits and wellbeing support. Parents and carers speak highly of the school, and pupils feel safe and happy.

Strengths

• Pupils behave marvellously, are calm, orderly and polite, and show positive attitudes to learning
• Attendance overall is above or in line with national averages and persistent absence is very low
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture of safeguarding
• Personal development is coherent and well-considered, offering pupils a broad range of wider opportunities
• The early years curriculum is thought-through, purposeful and prepares children well for Year 1
• Phonics is a clear priority and early reading is taught well, helping children become skilled, confident readers
• Leaders build effective partnerships with parents and carers so children settle quickly
• Staff sensitively support pupils' social and emotional development and mental health needs
• Pupils learn about tolerance, respect and fundamental British values and understand online safety
• Leaders prioritise professional learning and work effectively with external experts to strengthen teaching
• Governors prioritise staff wellbeing and workload and help set a clear vision
• Staff are proud to work at the school and parents would unanimously recommend it to another parent

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils, including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, have gaps in knowledge and skills that do not close quickly enough, especially in writing
• Many pupils have gaps in handwriting and spelling skills
• Curriculum delivery is inconsistent across classrooms because of variability in teachers' expertise
• Some lesson explanations lack precision and key concepts are not broken down or reinforced effectively
• Assessment for learning is not consistently embedded across the school
• Adaptations for pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and vulnerable pupils are variable and do not always meet their needs
• Leaders' monitoring and evaluation is not precise enough in key areas, including how well pupils with SEND progress
• Pupils with SEND sometimes have targets that are not updated in a timely fashion and are not reviewed with sufficient rigour
• Leaders' decisions and actions have not led to swift enough improvements in inclusion and teaching
• Oversight of additional funding needs to be sharper

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Tardebigge CofE First School attended 95.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.4% of pupils at Tardebigge CofE First School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Tardebigge CofE First School had 19.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 13.8% of pupils at Tardebigge CofE First School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Tardebigge CofE First School received £6,549 and spent £6,908 for each of its 138 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £3,000 (-£20 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Bromsgrove · Worcestershire local authority: places and applications

What is Tardebigge CofE First School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Tardebigge CofE First School is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Tardebigge CofE First School last inspected by Ofsted?

Tardebigge CofE First School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Tardebigge CofE First School have?

Tardebigge CofE First School has 138 pupils on roll.

What age range does Tardebigge CofE First School cover?

Tardebigge CofE First School for pupils aged 5 to 9.

Where is Tardebigge CofE First School?

Tardebigge CofE First School is at Church Lane, Tardebigge, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B60 3AH.