Wellesbourne Community Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve teaching, learning and assessment by:
  • ensuring that activities in writing and reading are closely matched to the needs of the most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils
  • extending pupils’ skills and progress in writing, including providing more opportunities for pupils to write at length.
• Improve leadership and management by sustaining and developing action to improve attendance and reduce levels of persistent absence.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher and her deputy have created culture of mutual respect and high expectation. Their passion for improvement is shared by governors and staff. The improvements made since the previous inspection have raised the quality of teaching and outcomes to good.
• Leaders have established thorough systems to ensure that the quality of teaching continues to improve. Teachers have challenging targets for development. They praise the level of professional development they receive to extend their skills and knowledge. Staff training in the teaching of phonics and mathematics, and in promoting pupils’ good behaviour, has had a positive impact in improving outcomes for pupils in these areas.
• The work of the phase leaders, who were newly established at the time of the previous inspection, is now embedded. Phase leaders and subject leaders have a firm knowledge of their age groups and subject areas. They effectively monitor the quality of teaching and progress in their areas of expertise and have clear plans for further development. They therefore contribute positively to the improvement in the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils.
• Leaders ensure that staff are well supported and that they share the school’s aims. Staff morale is high. The 38 responses to the online staff questionnaire indicated that all respondents were proud to work at the school and had a clear understanding of its goals.
• Pupils study a broad range of subjects. The curriculum is lively and exciting, including regular music lessons. This enhances pupils’ interest and engagement in their learning. Pupils’ learning is further enriched through after-school activities such as reading club, gardening and puzzle club.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. This is shown by pupils’ positive attitudes and respect for one another. Pupils learn about significant figures from various cultures. Events such as the annual ‘The World in Wellesbourne’ day celebrate the different cultures within the school, promoting understanding and respect.
• Leaders make effective use of pupil premium funding to promote progress for this group. The provision of additional teaching staff, teaching resources and funding for educational visits has helped to ensure that over time differences in outcomes between this group and other pupils nationally are diminishing.
• Leaders use the primary sports funding to support pupils’ enjoyment and achievement in physical education. Pupils benefit from the skills of a sports coach, the provision of more resources to promote physical development, and from a broader range of extra-curricular sports clubs. Pupils also enjoy participating in local sporting competitions. These measures improve pupils’ physical skills and enjoyment of exercise.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress, as the funding is used well to ensure that support is in place to meet their needs. Leaders monitor the progress of individual pupils closely to ensure that support is effective. Leaders acknowledge that systems in place to track and monitor the progress of this group do not give a sufficiently clear summary of progress to share with the governing body and to help inform future planning. They are taking steps to address this issue.
• The local authority has provided effective support to the school in bringing about improvement. Local authority representatives have brokered support from other schools and monitored the school’s journey of improvement. Their reduction of support in recent months reflects the local authority’s confidence in the school’s leadership to bring about and sustain improvements.
• Parents speak positively about the school. Almost all parents who spoke with inspectors or responded to Parent View, or got in touch by text, reported that their children were happy and safe at the school, and made good progress.

Governance of the school

• The governing body provides effective challenge and support to school leaders. Governors have a good knowledge of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Governors can talk knowledgeably about how well different groups of pupils are doing in school. They ask searching questions about pupils’ progress and the extent to which additional funds make a difference to pupils’ learning.
• Governors are enthusiastic and committed to promoting further improvement. They have a good knowledge of the quality of teaching and the procedures for awarding pay increases.
• Governors have a clear understanding of their statutory duties. They pay a high level of attention to ensuring that the school keeps pupils safe. For example, they have recently introduced effective systems to more closely monitor pupils’ use of the internet.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The strong, caring ethos within the school plays a significant part in establishing a culture where the safety of every pupil is valued. Pupils are confident that they can talk to staff if they have worries or concerns. Staff are well trained and vigilant in identifying concerns and following the agreed procedures.
• Leaders ensure that there is a proactive approach to protecting pupils’ welfare and safety. Half-termly screening meetings, where the welfare of all pupils is discussed, help to ensure that staff are alert to any indicators of concern.
• Leaders follow up any queries or incidents promptly and thoroughly, including contacting parents to discuss concerns where needed, so that pupils are secure. Leaders maintain close links with agencies and make good use of specialist advice whenever necessary.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Improvements to the leadership of teaching and effective training have led to improvements in the quality of teaching. Observations of learning, scrutiny of pupils’ books and the school’s assessment information show that the quality of teaching is now good.
• Staff provide interesting and well-resourced activities which engage pupils’ learning effectively. For example, inspectors observed Year 3 pupils enthusiastically discussing a story relating to Christmas events. They engaged well in recording the sequence of events using either printed sentences or copies of the book to help.
• Staff have high expectations for pupils’ good behaviour and positive attitudes to learning. They effectively encourage pupils to focus well on their activities to make good progress. For example, pupils in Year 6 focused well on a task to order decimals, due to staff’s clear expectations and skilful management of behaviour.
• Staff training in the teaching of phonics has led to improvements in this aspect of learning. Pupils develop a love of reading and use their knowledge of phonics to help them to read unfamiliar words.
• Staff’s subject knowledge and skills in teaching mathematics have improved following training. Staff effectively develop pupils’ mathematical skills and deepen their understanding. Staff question pupils well to encourage them to think and explain their answers. For example, Year 1 pupils were encouraged to think why they did not need to count the block of ten when making teen numbers by adding tens and units.
• Writing skills are generally well taught. Pupils have a variety of opportunities to write for different purposes. They have fewer chances to apply their skills through writing extended pieces. School leaders have identified the teaching of writing as an area for further development.
• Teaching is generally well matched to pupils’ skill levels and understanding. At times, teaching is less effective in challenging the most able pupils in reading and writing. For example, on occasion the most able pupils are tasked with producing more of the same type of writing, or with remembering more information rather than extending and deepening their skills.
• The school’s marking and feedback policy is consistently well implemented. This has a positive impact on pupils’ learning.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• The school ethos of care and mutual respect is fundamental to pupils’ personal development. From the time pupils join the school, this approach fosters their sense of security and their moral and social development. For example, Nursery children taking turns to have the chocolate in the class advent calendar are helped to understand that they should be pleased for the child who has got the chocolate for that day, and to be sure that they will have their turn.
• Pupils display positive attitudes to learning and engage well in their activities. Teaching helps them to understand how to develop their skills as a successful learner. For example, pupils in Year 2 showed confidence in explaining how they could overcome the problem if they were stuck on their task.
• Pupils develop a good understanding of British values. They learn about democracy, and report that it is important ‘because it’s what most people want’.
• Pupils show a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe, including when online. They say that bullying happens rarely, and when it does they are confident that they can talk to staff, who will address the problem.
• Pupils say that they feel very safe in school. They say there are plenty of teachers in the playground who they can approach, commenting ‘I feel like I’m standing with an army.’

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils are polite and well behaved around school and in lessons. On rare occasions, some restlessness and distraction occur where learning is not matched well enough to their needs.
• Pupils move calmly around the school building and show respect for school rules. They take pride in their work, which is usually well presented.
• Pupils say that they enjoy school. Since the previous inspection, the school has taken robust action to raise the levels of attendance and reduce the number of pupils who are persistently absent. For example, the school has given incentives and prizes for good attendance. The school has also employed a member of staff for one day per week to help to work with families to address the issue. Although showing some signs of improvement, attendance is still below the national average.
• Attendance and rates of persistent absence are, in part, affected by a small number of pupils who have particular medical needs which prevent them from attending school regularly. The school works very closely with parents and other agencies to support families to ensure that pupils attend school.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• From starting points that are often below those typical for their age, pupils make good progress to attain standards at the end of key stage 2 that are close to national figures in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Pupils’ progress in phonics has improved as a result of better teaching. Attainment in the Year 1 phonics check has shown a year-on-year increase and in 2016 was in line with the national average.
• The 2016 results show that pupils’ progress was in line with national figures and strongest in mathematics. Evidence from pupils’ books, school information and observations of teaching show that current pupils are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics and across a range of subjects such as science and geography.
• Current pupils are making particularly good progress in reading in key stage 1. Evidence from reading tests shows that since September 2016 many pupils have made rapid progress.
• The most able pupils make good progress in mathematics. However, their progress is not as strong in writing and reading. In 2016 no pupils attained greater depth in writing.
• Disadvantaged pupils make good progress overall, although this varies in some year groups. Over time, the differences between disadvantaged pupils and others nationally are diminishing. This is due to effective identification and support of pupils who may be lagging behind and good use of pupil premium funding to provide staff and resources to meet pupils’ needs.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress from their varied starting points, including a number of pupils who have complex needs. Pupils are identified early and effective support put in place to support their progress.
• Pupils’ average standards of attainment and their good level of personal development and behaviour mean that they are well prepared for the transfer to secondary school.

Early years provision Good

• Children enter the early years with skill levels that are below those typical for their age, particularly their communication and language skills. They make good progress during their time in Nursery and Reception classes. Most attain a good level of development by the end of Reception and are well prepared for Year 1.
• Staff provide an inviting and stimulating environment both indoors and outdoors. This contributes to children’s good progress. They engage excitedly in the broad range of resources available, such as the well-equipped post room.
• Staff establish very positive, caring relationships with children. This helps children to feel safe and secure and promotes their confidence and self-esteem effectively.
• Children’s learning is developed well as staff provide activities that are related closely to children’s interests and needs. Nursery children listened attentively as staff explained the purpose of the advent calendar and were encouraged to recognise the number on the door.
• Children respond well to a game where they take turns to work out what is ‘one more’ and ‘one less’ than their number. Staff question children well to develop their understanding of how many more items they will need to collect to finish a game.
• Children behave extremely well. Reception class children listened attentively to instructions during a phonics session. They confidently followed the routines, identified letter sounds and wrote simple words using their whiteboards. They showed good progress in developing their phonic knowledge.
• The early years is well led. The leader has a good understanding of the effectiveness of the provision and plans for further improvement. Children’s progress is closely monitored and support put in place to ensure that individuals and groups of children do not lag behind. This includes children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged.
• A positive partnership with parents helps to promote children’s good progress. Parents are well informed about their children’s progress. They are invited to ‘stay and play’ sessions to familiarise them and the children with the school. Workshops are provided to help parents in developing their children’s learning at home.
• Robust procedures are in place to ensure that children are kept safe and that all statutory requirements are met.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 133329 Liverpool 10019815 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 369 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Carl Gilbertson Marjorie Mallon 0151 226 9765 www.wellesbourneschool.co.uk/ wellesbourne-ao@wellesbourne.liverpool.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 2–3 November 2014

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• This is a larger than average primary school.
• The large majority of pupils are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils eligible for the pupil premium is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average. The proportion of pupils who have statements of special educational needs, or education, health and care plans, is below the national average.
• In 2015, the school met the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.
• The school operates a breakfast club.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed learning throughout the school. Two observations were carried out jointly with senior leaders. In addition, inspectors scrutinised pupils’ workbooks and listened to some pupils read.
• Meetings were held with pupils, the chair of the governing body and two other governors, the headteacher and other senior leaders. The inspectors also held a meeting with a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors looked at a range of information produced by the school, including information on pupils’ progress and attainment, behaviour and attendance, procedures for safeguarding and the school’s own evaluation of its work. They considered reports to the governing body, minutes of their meetings and the school’s plans for further improvement.
• Inspectors considered the 29 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and from the 27 parents who expressed their views via text message to Ofsted.
• Inspectors also took account of the 38 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire. There were no responses to the online pupil questionnaire to consider.

Inspection team

Elaine White, lead inspector Pritiben Patel Nick Capron

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector