The Welbourn Church of England Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve leadership and management, including in the early years provision, to secure the necessary improvements in the quality of teaching, particularly in mathematics, and in pupils’ achievement, especially for the middle-attaining pupils, by ensuring that:
  • subject leaders receive the necessary training and time to develop their leadership
  • skills and to monitor the quality of teaching effectively leaders at all levels, including governors, embed those strategies that they have already put into place to ensure that teachers’ assessment of pupils’ achievement is accurate
  • there are increased opportunities both within mathematics lessons and the wider curriculum for pupils to develop their mathematical skills, particularly their problem-solving and reasoning skills.
• Improve teaching in all areas of the school, including in the early years provision, particularly in mathematics, by ensuring that all teachers:
  • use assessment information effectively when planning pupils’ future learning
  • consistently set activities that provide sufficient support and challenge for all pupils, particularly the middle-attaining pupils, to enable them to make at least the progress that they should
  • quickly clarify any misconceptions that pupils may demonstrate in their learning, so that pupils become secure in their knowledge, skills and understanding.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Senior leaders and governors have not taken sufficient action to maintain the quality of teaching or the high level of pupils’ achievement that inspectors identified at the last inspection. There has been a decline in pupils’ achievement, particularly for middle-attaining pupils across a range of subjects, and for all pupils in mathematics. This is because not all teachers set work that is sufficiently challenging to ensure that all pupils are secure in their learning.
• Until recently, senior leaders’ oversight of the progress that pupils make has lacked precision. Consequently, senior leaders and governors have had an inaccurate view of pupils’ achievement, particularly in mathematics.
• Subject leaders have not contributed sufficiently to maintaining, and improving upon, the quality of teaching across the school. This is because they have not received sufficient time or training to fulfil their responsibilities effectively.
• The thematic curriculum is effective in enabling all pupils to study the full range of subjects. However, it provides pupils with limited opportunities to develop their mathematical problem-solving and reasoning skills across all subjects. Pupils in all year groups are not sufficiently secure in their application of these mathematical skills.
• Until recently, subject leaders’ checks on the quality of teaching have not been sufficient to ensure that teachers’ classroom practice secures good progress in pupils’ learning.
• The executive headteacher has a precise understanding of the school’s weaknesses. He has taken decisive action to resolve them. For example, he has raised the expectations regarding the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement. The staff have welcomed the actions that the executive headteacher has taken. They feel reinvigorated by the forthright leadership that he provides.
• The systems by which senior leaders manage teachers’ performance are now robust. Teachers work closely with senior leaders to evaluate their classroom practice. Where they identify weaknesses, teachers receive effective training and support. Those teachers who met with the inspector said that they appreciate the increased rigour with which leaders manage their performance, and the increased opportunities for training that have come about as a result.
• The executive headteacher regularly visits lessons to check on the quality of teaching. He is quick to challenge classroom practice that does not meet his expectations, or that does not secure good progress for pupils. He is also quick to recognise where practice is stronger, or where teachers improve the quality of their teaching because of the support they receive. Teachers respond well to the executive headteacher’s positive, yet challenging, approach to improving the quality of teaching.
• Senior leaders use the additional government funding for disadvantaged pupils well, to support them in their learning. They ensure that these pupils receive the support that they require to attend well, engage with their learning and make the progress that they should. Senior leaders regularly review this support, and take the appropriate steps where they identify such support as not having the necessary impact. As a result, pupils eligible for this additional government funding attend school regularly, engage well with their learning, and are beginning to make the progress that they should.
• Senior leaders use additional government funding available to support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively, to train the adults who work with these pupils. The adults receive dedicated time to meet with each other to share best practice, and to receive training to develop their skills further. As a result, the adults work effectively with those pupils that they support.
• Senior leaders use the physical education (PE) and sport premium effectively to provide teachers with appropriate training, and to increase the range of sporting clubs available to the pupils. As a result, there is now greater pupil engagement in sport. The inspector met many pupils who spoke enthusiastically about the skipping club. Many pupils were engrossed in skipping during their social times.
• There is a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities to reinforce pupils’ learning and to secure their understanding of life in modern Britain. Pupils visit museums and places of religious worship, and have watched theatre productions. These opportunities help pupils to develop their understanding of different beliefs and cultures.
• Pupils receive effective opportunities to secure their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and their understanding of fundamental British values. Within their personal, social, health and economic education, pupils study topics that help them to develop their understanding of modern British society. They are also able to take on responsibility roles, particularly through their membership of the many school committees, including the eco committee.
• The school engages well with local schools and the local authority, particularly more recently, to improve the quality of the school’s provision. For example, the school has engaged with external advisers, including a local teaching alliance, to ensure that teachers’ assessment of pupils’ achievement is accurate. The executive headteacher has also secured further funding from the local authority to ensure that teachers receive increased training opportunities. This external support has enabled leaders to develop a secure understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development and to access effective support to secure the necessary improvement.

Governance of the school

• Until recently, the governing body has not been sufficiently accurate in its evaluation of the quality of the education the school provides. Governors have failed to agree in their evaluation of what aspects of the school need to improve. They have not provided sufficient challenge to senior leaders.
• The governing body is now united in its approach to supporting the school and challenging the senior leaders. Governors possess the drive, ambition and determination to implement the necessary improvements to the school’s provision.
• Governors receive precise information about the quality of the school’s provision from the executive headteacher. They undertake regular visits to the school to check on the accuracy of this information. During these visits, governors ask searching questions of staff about the quality of teaching, pupils’ achievement and safeguarding.
• Collectively, members of the governing body possess a strong set of skills to provide appropriate support and challenge. To develop these skills further, governors have recently decided to commission an external review of governance. This is testament to the governing body’s commitment to improving outcomes for pupils.
• Governors understand their responsibilities in relation to keeping pupils safe.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders who have responsibility for safeguarding have created a culture of vigilance at the school. They work closely with staff and parents to ensure that pupils are safe, and that all members of the school community continuously consider the pupils’ welfare. Leaders work closely with local agencies to ensure that pupils receive the support that they require. They also work with local agencies to ensure that pupils receive appropriate and effective education about how to be safe.
• Staff have received comprehensive safeguarding training. They have a secure understanding of the different types of abuse, the signs to look for, and the actions to take where they have a concern about a pupil. They have also received training on how to recognise the signs of radicalisation and extremism. All staff recognise their responsibility to keep pupils safe.
• Those pupils who the inspector met said that they feel safe at the school. They said they have someone they can go to if they have a concern. They are confident that staff would listen to them, and help them to resolve their concern. All parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, agreed that their child is safe and happy at the school, and that staff look after them well.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching is not consistently good across the whole school. Consequently, not all pupils, particularly the middle-attaining pupils, make as much progress as they should across a range of subjects, but principally in mathematics.
• In some lessons, teachers do not use their understanding of pupils’ prior learning to plan sufficiently challenging work for pupils to complete. On these occasions, pupils do not tackle work that enables them to develop their understanding fully.
• Not all teachers ask questions that help pupils to deepen their learning. When this occurs, pupils are not able to become secure in their knowledge and understanding.
• On occasions, teachers do not clarify quickly enough pupils’ misconceptions about the topics that they are studying or the skills that they are developing. Teachers do not provide pupils with sufficient guidance, either verbally or in writing, to ensure that they learn from the mistakes that they make. Consequently, pupils sometimes repeat their mistakes, which prevent them from becoming secure in their understanding.
• Where learning is more effective, teachers set work that meets the individual needs of their pupils. They ask effective questions to measure pupils’ understanding, and provide clarification where they identify pupils’ misconceptions. They work closely with pupils to ensure that they engage well with their work, and deepen their understanding of the topic that they are studying. In an English lesson, a group of Year 5 pupils considered how the author of ‘Dear Olly’ used language to create an image in the reader’s mind. The teacher’s well-considered questions enabled pupils to engage well with the text and with the author’s use of language.
• Pupils have strong relationships with their teachers, and with each other. They engage well with their learning, even on those occasions where the activities the teachers set them are not challenging enough.
• Teachers use all adults in the classroom effectively to support the pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Their support helps these pupils to engage well with their learning.
• Teachers plan activities for the most able pupils that have sufficient levels of challenge and meet these pupils’ needs. Consequently, the most able pupils make better progress than pupils from other starting points, particularly in key stage 2.
• Pupils receive regular opportunities to read. Teachers carefully assess pupils’ understanding of the books that they have read. The pupils who read to the inspector did so fluently, and demonstrated a secure understanding of the text. They said that they develop a love of reading through their ‘read and relax’ sessions.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils possess excellent attitudes to their learning. They understand the importance of attending school, and demonstrate an eagerness to learn.
• Pupils are aware of different types of bullying, including cyber bullying, physical bullying and name-calling. They understand how such behaviour is not acceptable.
• Pupils take advantage of wide-ranging opportunities to learn how to be safe. Pupils are aware of the need to be safe when online. They also learn about being safe when near roads, and when in the local community.
• Leaders are keen to hear the views of all pupils. They hold regular, whole-school ‘Big Conversations’, during which pupils discuss the school’s provision. These opportunities allow pupils to become involved in the running of the school, and encourage pupils to listen to each other and to respect each other’s views.
• Leaders encourage pupils to take on roles of responsibility within the school. Pupils can take part in the school council. Older pupils act as reading partners for younger pupils.
• All pupils share the school’s strong ethos of caring for each other. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 said that teachers encourage them to support and care for younger pupils.
• Pupils have a secure understanding of the need to respect all people, including those who are different to them. However, not all pupils have a secure understanding of the full range of choices that people in society can make that create these differences, particularly in relation to sexual orientation.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Overall attendance, and the attendance of different pupil groups, is above the national average for all pupils. The proportion of pupils who are regularly absent from the school has been below average for some time, and continues to reduce further. This is due to the encouragement that all pupils receive to attend school regularly. All pupils who the inspector met said that they enjoy coming to school.
• Pupils who the inspector met said that, on the very rare occasions that it takes place, teachers deal with bullying effectively. The parents who expressed an opinion agreed that bullying is rare. The school records confirm this to be the case. Leaders are not complacent in this, however. They remain highly vigilant of possible incidents of bullying, and of the different types of bullying, including homophobic, transgender and anti-disability bullying.
• Pupils behave very well, both in lessons and during their social time. The school’s behaviour records show that incidents of poor behaviour are extremely rare. All parents who expressed a view said that the staff manage pupils’ behaviour well.
• Because pupils behave extremely well and care greatly for each other, incidents of pupils being excluded from the school are extremely rare.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• In 2016, pupils in key stage 2 made less progress than they should have from their different starting points. This was particularly the case in mathematics, where too few pupils achieved the expected standard.
• While improving, the proportion of current pupils who are making the progress that they should in mathematics from their different starting points remains too low in several year groups, including Year 6. This is because pupils do not receive sufficient opportunities to apply their mathematical skills to real-life problems.
• Middle-attaining pupils in key stages 1 and 2 do not make sufficient progress in their learning across a range of subjects, including in mathematics and English. This is because not all teachers provide these pupils with work that has the appropriate levels of support and challenge.
• Achievement of current Year 2 and Year 6 pupils in reading and writing is better than that seen previously. However, too few pupils in these year groups are making rapid progress in these subjects.
• Across the full range of subjects, the most able pupils make better progress than other pupils in the school, particularly in key stage 2. This is because these pupils receive work that more suitably meets their needs, and provides greater challenge.
• Increased proportions of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are now making the progress they should. This is because teachers set them tasks that meet their individual needs, and ensure that other adults in the classroom provide these pupils with effective support.
• The difference between the achievement of the school’s disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally is now beginning to close across the full range of subjects, particularly in key stage 2. This is due to the close support that these pupils receive through the school’s use of additional government funding. There were too few of the most able disadvantaged pupils in the school in key stages 1 and 2 in 2016 to comment on the progress that they made. The same applies to the most able disadvantaged pupils currently at the school.
• All pupils in Year 1 achieved the national standard in phonics in 2016. This is the second year running that achievement in phonics has been above average.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• The leadership of the early years provision requires improvement. Until recently, leaders have not had a sharp enough understanding of the progress children make from their different starting points. This is because their systems to check on children’s progress have not been precise enough.
• Teachers do not always plan activities that have sufficient challenge to ensure that children make rapid-enough progress from their different starting points. This is particularly the case in mathematics, reading and writing.
• The proportion of children who reached a good level of development in 2016 was above the national average. As a result, they were well prepared for Year 1. However, too few children currently in the early years provision are making rapid enough progress in their learning from their broadly average starting points.
• Leaders work closely with the nurseries that children have previously attended before joining the school’s early years provision in the Reception Year. This helps leaders to have a precise understanding of the needs of each child. Leaders do not use this information well enough to ensure that children make rapid enough progress in their learning.
• Leaders ensure that there is strong communication with children’s parents. Parents are able to attend the provision regularly to find out what their children are learning. Leaders also maintain regular contact with parents through the home-school communication book.
• Children behave well in the early years provision. They have strong relationships with the adults in the provision, and with each other.
• Children receive effective opportunities to build upon their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and to learn how to be safe. Children have learned how to be safe online, and how to be safe when crossing the road.
• All staff within the early years provision receive regular safeguarding training. They understand the actions they must take when they have a concern about a child.
• Recently, leaders have changed the environment within the early years classroom and outside area, to ensure that children are able to engage well with the activities that the teachers set them. Because of this, children now engage more readily with different activities that enable them to secure their knowledge, understanding and skills.
• There are too few disadvantaged children in the early years provision to comment on their achievement.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 120542 Lincolnshire 10003241 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 86 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Alison Jackson Vicky Cook 01400 272798 www.welbournprimary.co.uk enquiries@welbourn.lincs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 19 to 20 January 2012

Information about this school

• The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about pupils’ attainment, the curriculum and the school’s use of the PE and sport premium.
• Welbourn Church of England Primary School is much smaller than the average size primary school.
• There are no pupils at the school who are from minority ethnic groups.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average. However, the proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities with an education, health and care plan is above average.
• At the time of the inspection, the headteacher was absent on maternity leave. The governors have appointed a headteacher from a local primary school to act as executive headteacher in her absence. The executive headteacher took up this role in January 2017.
• The size of the pupil cohort is too small for the government floor standards to be applied to the school. The floor standards are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics at key stage 2.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed teaching and learning in all classes in the school. He undertook these visits to lessons with the executive headteacher. He looked at pupils’ books and spoke with pupils during these visits.
• The inspector heard pupils read.
• The inspector met with the executive headteacher, senior and subject leaders, the early years leaders, members of staff and five governors, including the chair of the governing body. The inspector also spoke with a representative of the local authority.
• The inspector met with pupils, formally and informally, from across all year groups.
• The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour upon their arrival at the school in the morning, and during break and lunchtime.
• The inspector reviewed a range of documentation relating to the school’s provision, including those concerning: the school’s own self-evaluation; the school’s plans to improve its provision; pupils’ attainment and progress; pupils’ attendance and behaviour; the school’s use of additional government funding; staff training; the quality of teaching; external evaluations of the school’s provision; governance and safeguarding. The inspector checked the school’s single central register and the school’s systems for recruiting staff.
• The inspector took into account the 32 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, as well as the 28 responses to the free text service. The inspector also spoke with parents at the beginning of the school day, and considered the opinions of those parents who wrote to him or asked to speak with him.

Inspection team

Simon Hollingsworth, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector