Thatcham Park CofE Primary

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Strong leadership has ensured that standards in education have risen considerably at Thatcham Park. Most pupils are achieving well throughout the school. There is a palpable sense of community threaded through all aspects of life, with the school's core values integral to the family atmosphere.

Governance is strong. Governors are adept at monitoring the effectiveness of leaders' actions. They have successfully strengthened their structure and membership to better support and challenge school leaders.

The curriculum provides good breadth and coverage. Activities engage pupils' interest and fuel their enthusiasm for learning. Teaching is ty...pically good throughout the school.

The support provided by teaching assistants helps pupils deepen their knowledge and understanding. Pupils' creative flair is evident in art-related learning. Pupils' personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding.

Staff provide excellent support for vulnerable families. The overall attendance of pupils is very high. Safeguarding is effective.

Through their actions, leaders have created a vigilant culture that protects pupils from harm. Pupils learn how to look after themselves well. A range of additional learning experiences around safety equip pupils with the knowledge to keep themselves safe.

The early years setting is good. Children achieve well and develop successfully their emerging skills. Behaviour in the setting is exemplary.

Some disadvantaged pupils, including those who are most able, do not achieve as highly as other pupils nationally. Although this difference is diminishing, more needs to be achieved to ensure that these pupils make rapid progress from their starting points. Sometimes, learning in subjects other than English and mathematics is not challenging enough.

As a result, some pupils, including those who are most able, do not achieve at the higher standards.

Information about this school

Thatcham Park CofE Primary is larger than the average-sized primary school. Most pupils are of White British heritage.

The proportion who speak English as an additional language is below the national average. The proportion of pupils supported by pupil premium is below the national average. The proportion of pupils with SEND is below average, as is the proportion who have an education, health and care plan.

The school funds and provides its own breakfast club for disadvantaged pupils which is overseen by the governing body. The school received a monitoring inspection visit in March 2018. Senior leaders and governors were found to be taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the last section 5 inspection.