Thomas Jolyffe Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 30 June 2026

Most pupils are happy and enjoy school. They say that everyone is welcome at Thomas Jolyffe. Pupils learn to understand and respect differences. They talk confidently about different religions and have fun taking part in celebrations from different cultures, such as Christmas and Chinese New Year. Pupils know whom to speak to when they need support, and they trust adults to listen to them. They appreciate the many clubs and activities that are on offer to develop their interests. Pupils are proud to take on roles such as school councillor, where they can help make decisions to improve their school. Children get off to a good start in the early years. They benefit from caring relationships with staff and settle quickly. However, too many pupils do not achieve the standards they should in writing and mathematics by the time they leave Year 6. This means that some pupils do not have the knowledge and skills they need to be ready for secondary school. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils have mixed experiences. Sometimes, they receive the help they need to be successful, but sometimes they do not. Leaders are starting to make improvements, but there is still work to do. Most pupils talk positively about their learning and are keen to come to school. In lessons, most pupils listen carefully and try their best. However, some pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should. This impacts on how well they achieve across the curriculum. Sometimes pupils lose concentration and become distracted in lessons. This is because their work is either too difficult or too easy. Staff do not have consistent expectations of pupils’ behaviour. They do not have a shared understanding of how to manage incidents of poor behaviour, including bullying. As a result, some pupils do not receive the support they need to behave well.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should develop staff's expertise in using assessment to identify what pupils know and can do and adapt teaching and activities to match pupils' needs more closely.
• Leaders should ensure that gaps in pupils' foundational knowledge in writing and mathematics are addressed swiftly and consistently so that all pupils secure the skills they need to achieve well by the end of Year 6.
• Leaders should strengthen their oversight of strategies to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities to ensure that these pupils are making the progress they should, including oversight of the use and impact of alternative provision.
• Leaders and governors should ensure that pupil premium funding is used effectively to improve disadvantaged pupils' achievement in writing and mathematics and secure their regular attendance at school.
• Leaders should ensure that there is a consistent approach to managing pupils' behaviour, including any bullying incidents, and that they support staff in implementing this approach.
• Leaders should make more timely and precise checks on how well the curriculum is being implemented so that weaknesses are identified and addressed quickly and effectively.

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