Gislingham Ofsted

Inspectors were particularly impressed by the behaviour and attitudes of pupils. Some of the wonderful comments by the inspectors include:

• Pupils at this school thrive and achieve well. They make strong progress during their time at the school.

• It is a very happy and inclusive school.

• The school has high expectations for what they can achieve; many pupils achieve a high standard academically by the time they leave.

• Their academic learning is supported by lots of other activities, such as learning the guitar and acting in Shakespeare’s plays at a local theatre.

• Behaviour is excellent.

• Pupils genuinely value each and every member of their community. They celebrate successes with great enthusiasm. 

• Pupils are motivated to work hard and keep going, even when the task is difficult.

• Vocabulary is a core theme in all lessons. Adults in the early years expertly weave new words and those they have covered in teaching into children’s play.

This is a very positive report for the school. Well done to Mr Benstock and the staff team for demonstrating how good the school is.

Building an Inclusive SEND Strategy for The Tilian Partnership

At The Tilian Partnership, we believe in the power of collaboration to create a robust and effective SEND strategy for our Trust. Our vision and values centre around inclusivity, high-quality education, and empowering every individual to reach their full potential.

 Key Points:

• Collaborative Approach:
  SENDCos within our partnership have joined forces to develop a comprehensive SEND strategy. We understand the importance of working together to enhance inclusion and support for all our children. By pooling our expertise and resources, we aim to create a strategy that reflects the unique strengths and needs of each school while maintaining a cohesive approach to SEND provision.

• Leadership:
  In January, we enlisted the expertise of Rebecca Gonyora, Deputy Regional SEND Lead for NASEN, to lead this important project. With over 15 years of experience in education, including roles as a SENCO and Deputy Head teacher, Rebecca brings a wealth of knowledge in SEND, inclusive teaching practises, and school improvement.

• Process of Review:
  Rebecca has guided us through a thorough review process, ensuring that our strategy is grounded in the daily realities of our schools. By fostering a shared understanding and language around SEND, we have developed a clear and agreed-upon process for identification and support. This collaborative effort has led to the creation of the Tilian Universal Offer for inclusion, emphasising that every teacher is a teacher of SEND.

• Consistent Principles:
  Our strategy focuses on sharing best practises and building consistent principles that can be tailored to meet the unique needs of each school within our Trust. We leverage expert guidance to support and challenge our approach, ensuring that we continuously improve and adapt to provide the best possible support for all our children.

Wilby Church of England Primary School joined us on 1st December

Joining Tilian and becoming part of a tight-knit network has meant that support is never far away, whether that be from other like-minded schools or the Trust’s central school Improvement services.

The dedicated School Improvement team, who have a wealth of experience, have worked directly with and supported the headteacher and staff, providing high-quality and individualised training and support.                                                                                                                                                           

The Trust models excellence, so that we are supported to challenge good current practice and aspire for outstanding provision.

A common misconception about becoming a Multi-Academy Trust member is the fear that you will lose autonomy over your school. This is certainly not our experience of joining Tilian. While the Trust offer operational guidance and advice, we will still maintain the integrity and independence of our school—we feel that our unique identity is highly valued and encouraged.

Against a rapidly changing educational background, where bespoke and sustained support is increasingly difficult to procure, it’s such a relief to feel that we are no longer alone. Being part of Tilian we now feel protected and strengthened and even more excited for the future. 

Roisin Wiseman, Headteacher

Orford Church of England Primary School joined us on 1st December

We welcome the staff, pupils and families of Orford to Tilian. Orford is an amazing school, offering so much to its children as recognised in its recent inspection by Ofsted.

Following a third unsuccessful collaboration in 10 years, the governors of Orford CEVA Primary were keen to remain as a stand-alone primary longer term, retaining our unique character, but with the support of something “bigger” i.e. a MAT.

Our parents are very proud of what Orford has to offer its pupils and value the bespoke curriculum in particular. Tilian offered us all of the benefits of being in a MAT (collaboration, support, CPD, partnerships, shared resources etc.) whilst allowing us to continue delivering all that we do. Tilian have expressed no ambition to become large and corporate, which the governors were keen to avoid.

Tilian’s Christian ethos aligned with ours but - more importantly - it’s values of autonomy, integrity and partnership fulfilled the above wish. Upon meeting the CEO and the wider team, their positive and supportive approach to school improvement meant the choice was unanimous. Tilian offered useful and impactful up-front advice, support and shared practice before joining which aided the whole school’s improvement, and reinforced our thinking that this was the correct choice for us. As a new head leading a school with an impending OFSTED inspection, knowing that one of the team was at the end of the phone with reassurance, practical advice and solutions which can be easily implemented in a small school was invaluable.

Gemma Cannon - Headteacher