Theydon Bois Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 4 October 2022

At Theydon Bois Primary pupils value the environment they learn and play in. Pupils say they benefit from access to special facilities, such as their woodland areas and swimming pool. This attitude of appreciation extends to how pupils feel about the staff and pupils in their school. Pupils are encouraged to work together with partners and in teams. They care about each other. This results in behaviour that is calm and respectful, and playtimes that are happy and enjoyable. Incidents of poor conduct, including bullying, are highly unusual. Pupils know that adults look after them and quickly sort out any problems that arise. The ambitious curriculum that pupils access supports them to learn knowledge that is broad and interesting. In addition, learning experiences for pupils extend well beyond the academic. Pupils gain relevant skills from the wide range of engaging opportunities available. These include caring for the school's racing pigeons, attending clubs and meeting expert visitors. For example, pupils in key stage 2 learned about techniques used in the Stone Age from a visiting 'caveman'. Pupils are taught how to stay healthy, both physically and mentally. They say the opportunity to use their abilities in outdoor areas helps them connect with nature and practise mindfulness.

What the school should improve

• The thinking in a few areas of the curriculum is being developed and considered. The plans in these subjects are not sufficiently clear for all teachers to know what knowledge matters most. Leaders should ensure that plans detail the most important progressive knowledge that pupils need to be most successful. This will ensure that pupils are fluent to recall all the key concepts in every subject, in preparation for their future learning.
• Those with responsibility for governance have not ensured that the checking of leaders' actions is consistently effective. This means that some practices in the school are not as impactful as possible. Governors, including trustees, need to ensure that they access training that will support them to hold leaders to account for all agreed policies as well as important development priorities, such as curriculum changes.

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