Tilstock CofE Primary and Nursery

Strengths

• Personal development and wellbeing programme is comprehensive, well sequenced and woven through the curriculum.
• Pupils demonstrate kindness, empathy, tolerance and a secure understanding of fundamental British values.
• A wide range of trips, visitors, clubs and leadership roles broadens pupils' horizons and builds confidence.
• Strong pastoral support helps pupils manage wellbeing and build resilience, including careful preparation for transition to secondary school.
• All pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, are supported to access the full range of opportunities.
• Safeguarding standards are met, and pupils say they feel safe and value staff check-ins.
• Behaviour is calm and orderly; low-level disruption is rare and bullying is rare, with pupils confident staff will respond promptly.
• Attendance is broadly in line with national figures and shows a steady upward trend, with persistent absence reduced for many pupils.
• Children in the early years experience a calm, nurturing environment with strong routines, positive relationships and a prioritised phonics programme.
• Early reading is taught well through a structured phonics programme, and the Year 4 multiplication tables check is now above the national average.
• Inclusion is at the heart of leaders' work; staff know pupils as individuals and identify and address barriers promptly.
• Leaders, governors and the trust work in close, effective partnership with a clear vision and a secure understanding of strengths and priorities.
• Staff value the positive, collaborative culture, and parents express very positive views about the care their children receive.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum and teaching require attention: staff do not consistently support pupils to develop accuracy in foundational knowledge, including writing, spelling and letter formation.
• Gaps in pupils' foundational knowledge are not routinely identified or addressed.
• Some learning activities limit what pupils can do, leading to unnecessary repetition or missed opportunities to extend learning.
• Pupils are not consistently able to apply skills and knowledge to deepen their understanding across the curriculum.
• Teachers do not consistently use assessment information precisely to build on what pupils already know or to address errors in handwriting and spelling.
• Not all opportunities to extend children's language, vocabulary and knowledge in the early years are maximised.
• A small number of pupils still attend less regularly than they should.
• Published outcomes in subjects are below the national average, and outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics combined remain below national figures.
• Disadvantaged pupils' outcomes are a significant concern, with a large disadvantage gap in combined reading, writing and mathematics.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools