The Thomas Adams School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 13 September 2023

Thomas Adams is a warm, friendly and vibrant school. This is evident in the positive relationships that exist between staff and pupils. The school sets high expectations for what it wants pupils to achieve and works hard to help nurture individual talents and interests. Many pupils enjoy coming to school and behave well. In lessons, pupils listen attentively to their teachers and engage purposefully in tasks that are set for them. At social times, pupils play together sensibly or chat politely to visitors. Pupils feel safe around school and are confident that teachers will take decisive action to deal with any issues, should they occur. Students who attend the school's sixth form act as positive role models for those in younger years. Pupils study a wide range of subjects across the curriculum. In many subjects, pupils make good progress in their learning and achieve well. Alongside this, the school offers an extensive range of extra-curricular activities. Many pupils participate in sport, music and drama clubs. Parents and carers are highly positive about the school and the support it provides. As one parent commented in response to Ofsted's survey, 'This is an excellent school that encourages children to learn and be confident.'

What the school should improve

• Some teachers do not systemically check that pupils are secure in their learning before moving on to new content. This can lead to pupils developing misconceptions or gaps in knowledge that are not being picked up and addressed swiftly. The school should strengthen and share existing good practice so that all teachers check learning effectively.
• On some occasions, teachers do not take account of the needs of all pupils when setting tasks. Where this happens, pupils, including those with SEND and those who speak English as an additional language, struggle to access their learning and complete work to the best of their ability. The school should ensure that teachers successfully adapt tasks, when appropriate, to meet the needs of all pupils.
• In some areas of school life, leaders' high expectations are not fully realised. There are sometimes inconsistencies in what is expected of pupils regarding both their work and behaviour. The school should ensure that all staff understand and implement school policies and actions consistently well so that each pupil can achieve their full potential.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)