Towcester Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. The headteacher, senior leaders and governors have worked effectively together to drive continual improvement since the last inspection.

Governors ensure that resources are used effectively to ensure that pupils make good progress and achieve well. Effective deployment of the pupil premium and primary sports funding ensures that most pupils reach their potential. Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school.

They feel safe in school and enjoy the wide range of activities that are planned for them. Attendance has improved and is now above national averages. The curriculum offers a wide range of opportunities for pupils to develop t...heir literacy and numeracy skills.

The pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is one of the main strengths of the school. Most pupils make good progress in their learning and recent results show that standards are rapidly improving and now reflect those seen nationally and in some cases are above national averages. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and talk enthusiastically about their lessons.

Parents and carers are extremely supportive and have full confidence in the school to keep their children safe. They welcome the regular informal meetings and use the informative website regularly. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Teachers' comments in pupils' books are not always sufficiently clear to help pupils improve their work.

Pupils are not always helped quickly enough when they are not sure what to do next. Achievement in writing for all groups of pupils is not as strong as it is in reading and mathematics because there are not enough opportunities for pupils to write at length.

Information about this school

Towcester Church of England Primary School is an average-sized primary school.

Most pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds or who are learning English as an additional language is below average. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is below average but the proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above the national average.

The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after, is above the national average. A pre-school shares the same school site but this is not managed by the school's governing body and is subject to a separate inspection. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics.