Wildridings Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve progress in mathematics for all groups of pupils so that a higher proportion reach the expected standard, and the most able pupils consistently reach the higher standard, by the end of Year 6.
• Improve teaching throughout the school so that it is consistently effective by ensuring that:
  • teachers demonstrate high expectations of what pupils can achieve, particularly the most able
  • mathematics teaching strengthens pupils’ calculation skills and develops their problem-solving and reasoning
  • teachers develop a sharper focus on the objectives they set in lessons, particularly in science and the wider curriculum
  • the school’s feedback policy is applied more rigorously so pupils know what they need to do to improve
  • the teaching of grammar, punctuation and spelling results in greater accuracy in pupils’ writing
  • teaching strengthens pupils’ skills and understanding in subjects other than English and mathematics.
• Improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities by ensuring that:
  • teachers have a good understanding of the different starting points for each pupil and provide suitable teaching and learning activities
  • teaching assistants provide tailored support for these pupils
  • their attendance improves to match that of their peers.
• Increase the effectiveness of leadership, including governance, by:
  • ensuring that a culture of monitoring and evaluation is deeply embedded throughout the school
  • strengthening the skills of subject leaders to improve the quality of teaching and the curriculum
  • sharply evaluating the impact of leaders’ improvement actions on pupils’ progress to identify what is most effective
  • ensuring that governors are sufficiently well informed to carry out robust checks, particularly in relation to safeguarding, and challenge and support leaders. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium funding should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of the leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• The headteacher has wasted no time in getting to grips with the challenges he faced following his appointment 18 months ago. His leadership has resulted in pupils being safe and well cared for and an improvement in the quality of education. The new systems that have been introduced are beginning to have a positive effect, but there is a lack of rigour in their evaluation and, as a result, not all teaching is good.
• Improvement plans do not have clear enough milestones to enable leaders to accurately measure the impact of their work to improve the school. This means that targets for pupils and teachers lack precision and do not always communicate high enough expectations.
• Leaders are developing their systems for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning but monitoring is not done systematically so areas of weaker teaching remain.
• Middle leaders are highly committed to making the required improvements and are eager for the school to succeed. They recognise the support and training opportunities that have been made available to them, but these leaders are not yet having a significant impact on their areas of responsibility.
• Leaders have a clear and ambitious vision for the way that pupil premium funding is spent and understand the requirements for its use. Actions arising from leaders’ plans have enabled some disadvantaged pupils to make rapid progress but this is not consistent across the school. The gap between the outcomes of disadvantaged pupils and others nationally remains too large and is not diminishing quickly enough.
• The school provides opportunities for pupils to learn about the range of subjects in the national curriculum. Frequently, however, activities are too simple and do not allow pupils to deepen their knowledge and understanding. There are some exciting enrichment activities within the curriculum. For example, ‘dinosaur day’ and the use of Victorian artefacts in history serve to enhance pupils’ learning.
• The planning of the curriculum is not clear enough to show parents what is being taught. Leaders have not ensured that learning builds from one year to the next so that pupils develop their knowledge and skills effectively.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development permeate many aspects of the school’s work. The ‘Wildridings Values’ are understood by pupils and they can talk about how they use these to be positive members of the school’s community. Personal, social, health and economic lessons and assemblies enrich and extend the curriculum and prepare pupils for the next stage of their education.
• Leaders have used the primary physical education PE and sport premium to improve the quality of PE teaching through the use of professional sport coaches and investment in new PE resources. For example, external coaches have boosted the use of the school’s swimming pool. However, the evaluation of the overall impact of this funding is very limited. Leaders do not have a clear view of the increase in pupils’ attainment and skills in PE.
• Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the improvements in the school since the headteacher started at Wildridings. They recognise the positive steps that have been taken, feel listened to and are appreciative that any concerns they raise are quickly resolved.

Governance of the school

• The governing body has been restructured and governors now have a clearer understanding of the school’s performance.
• Governors show a high level of commitment to the school and visit regularly. Their visits result in clear reports that accurately identify areas for improvement. They make useful and succinct recommendations. However, this only began to happen relatively recently and governors are not yet following up on measuring the impact of school leaders’ actions.
• An audit of governors’ skills and knowledge has been undertaken and strengths and weaknesses have been identified. The governing body possesses the required skills to be effective but requires further training and development to carry out all its responsibilities confidently and competently.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Pupils are safe in school because leaders have taken decisive action after the local authority identified weaknesses in safeguarding. Appropriate and thorough checks on the suitability of staff, volunteers and visitors are now carried out.
• The school has strategies in place to support vulnerable pupils and their families. Pupils’ well-being is monitored and, where needed, personalised support is put in place. Appropriate nurture provision is provided to vulnerable younger pupils at the beginning of key stage 1, when needed.
• Leaders ensure that the school works well with parents and families to support vulnerable pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities. This aspect of the school’s work is a strength. As one parent explained: ‘After a change in family circumstances, the school was a great help in giving support to our children, with the changes happening in their lives.’
• Pupils know how to keep themselves safe. They can speak about improvements to the school’s site security and why this was important. E-safety is taught regularly so that pupils are confident in explaining how to keep themselves safe online and how the school’s internet filters do just that.
• The school keeps accurate records related to safeguarding and all procedures meet requirements. However, the way that some files are organised does not help leaders to quickly access information. Improvements are needed to ensure that record-keeping is more robust and systematic.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching varies across the school. Consequently, all pupils do not make good progress. Over time, pupils do not reach the standards expected for their age, particularly disadvantaged pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities.
• Teachers’ use of assessment information is not accurate enough. This results in some work being too hard or too easy for pupils. Lessons are not always planned taking into account the different needs and starting points of pupils. Too often, pupils are given the same tasks to complete regardless of their ability.
• The teaching of mathematics in Years 5 and 6 is carefully planned and activities allow pupils to deepen their knowledge and understanding. In other year groups, this is not the case. This results in pupils not learning the basic calculation skills they need to apply when completing mathematical reasoning and problem-solving activities.
• Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are too low. Work in books is not presented to a high enough standard and teachers do not insist on accurate handwriting, punctuation and spelling.
• Teachers’ subject knowledge is not good enough in science and the wider curriculum to allow them to identify and address pupils’ misconceptions. This results in pupils not always being given feedback that helps them to deepen their learning. Some learning tasks set by teachers do not enable pupils to learn what was intended because teachers have not designed them carefully enough.
• The school’s recent focus on the teaching of reading is beginning to have an impact. The recently revamped library provides a bright and welcoming space for pupils to choose a book from the good range of texts.
• The teaching of phonics is a strength of the school. Teachers and teaching assistants are effective in helping pupils to reach the expected standard. Parents and carers receive useful information about the way that phonics is taught and how they can help their children learn.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• The school’s values are used effectively to support pupils’ understanding of what is expected of them at school and in the wider community. The weekly celebration assembly is linked to these values and helps pupils to recognise their achievements.
• Pupils feel safe in school and take good care of themselves and each other. They are appreciative of the efforts of staff in looking after them.
• Lunchtime activities promote physical activity and all pupils are keen to participate.
• Pupils report that bullying is rare but when it happens the school takes effective action to stop it. Pupils know how to report any worries or concerns they have and trust adults to help them.
• The school works effectively with individual families who need additional help to enable their children to be successful at school. This includes good links with outside agencies.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• The overall attendance of pupils is lower than the national average and has not improved over time. The attendance of vulnerable groups of pupils is stubbornly low, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. The school has begun to address these high rates of absence but improvement can only be seen in a few individual cases.
• The new behaviour system has had a positive impact on pupils’ behaviour. Exclusions this year have reduced to zero from a level that was significantly above the national average.
• Pupils behave well in lessons and are keen to learn. They work well with partners, showing respect and taking turns to listen to each other.
• Teachers are consistent in their use of systems to manage behaviour throughout the school. An easy to understand system of rewards and sanctions is used effectively. As a result, pupils are clear about how to behave.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• The headteacher, senior leaders, governors and the local authority know that pupils’ outcomes are not good enough.
• Pupils’ outcomes at the end of key stage 2 improved last year, following a period of decline. However, they remain below the level of pupils nationally. This is particularly true for mathematics, where pupils’ progress was weakest.
• The proportion of pupils reaching greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics, in 2017, was lower than the national average, despite improvements from the school’s 2016 key stage 2 outcomes.
• Pupils currently in Year 6 are making more rapid progress as a result of improvements in teaching. However, this stronger picture is not consistent across all year groups as progress is too variable.
• Disadvantaged pupils’ progress is too variable across the school. The school’s assessment information shows that too few disadvantaged pupils are making the swift progress that is required in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities do not reach the standards of other pupils nationally. The progress of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities in Years 3 and 4 is too slow to make up for a lack of progress in the past.
• In 2017, pupils’ outcomes in the phonics screening check were in line with the national average. Outcomes in phonics have improved over the last three years. The teaching of phonics is effective because staff are well trained and carefully match learning to pupils’ needs.
• The work in books shows that pupils’ understanding of grammar and punctuation is not strong enough for them to write accurately. The quality of presentation and handwriting is too varied across the school.
• Pupils are adequately prepared for life in modern Britain because the school’s work to promote spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is effective.

Early years provision Good

• Outcomes for children in early years are improving and are in line with national expectations. Current children make good progress in all aspects of their learning.
• Leaders have an accurate view of the strengths and areas for development for early years. They have taken effective action to improve the quality of teaching and learning.
• Teachers use assessment information to plan learning so that children with low starting points catch up with other children. This is particularly true for children’s communication and language skills, which adults ensure are well supported from the start.
• Children enjoy learning. They say that school is fun and their parents agree. This is because teachers plan interesting activities that children are keen to participate in.
• Children are keen to write because teachers plan engaging and imaginative tasks. Children’s letter formation improves rapidly and their use of phonics develops quickly. These early skills encourage and help children to write for a range of purposes in adult- and child-initiated activities. They take pride in their writing.
• Children behave well. They are eager and motivated learners and show perseverance and determination. They help each other. For example, one child helped another zip up her coat without prompting from an adult.
• Safeguarding is effective and statutory requirements are met. The children learn in a safe and secure environment as a result of the changes to the way that early years is organised.
• Children know how to keep themselves safe but are prepared to take controlled risks when they are building and climbing. This contributes to their good physical development.
• Staff work with groups of children and individuals to deliver teaching that matches their ability levels. However, leaders recognise that more can be done to train staff to make more of the opportunities for learning that arise in child-initiated play.
• The close links between parents and staff mean that parents feel fully involved in their children’s first steps at school. They are universal in their praise of the school’s staff and appreciate the care, support and guidance that their children receive. Transition into school is carefully planned. One parent summed up the views of many when she said, ‘The school went above and beyond when my daughter started.’

School details

Unique reference number Local authority 109941 Bracknell Forest Inspection number 10045469 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 417 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Sarah Hey Simon Cope Telephone number 01344 425483 Website Email address www.wildridingsprimary.co.uk secretary@wildridingsprimary.co.uk Date of previous inspection 12–13 September 2012

Information about this school

• The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about the curriculum for each year group on its website.
• The current headteacher joined the school in September 2016.
• The school commissioned an external review of governance and pupil premium in 2017.
• This is a larger than average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is in line with the national average.
• The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives pupil premium is higher than the national average.
• The school’s community is diverse and has a significant number of pupils from a range of minority ethnic backgrounds. The proportion of minority ethnic pupils is higher than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is in line with the national average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress at the end of key stage 2.
• The school runs a breakfast club and after-school club on the premises.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes. The majority of these observations were carried out jointly with members of the senior leadership team.
• During visits to lessons, inspectors spoke with pupils and looked at their work to find out how well they are learning.
• Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ books in the full range of subjects to evaluate pupils’ progress in English, mathematics and across the wider curriculum. Inspectors listened to some pupils read and talked with them about their reading.
• Inspectors had meetings with small groups of pupils and also talked informally with many other pupils around the school. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, on the playground and as they moved about school.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher and other members of the senior and middle leadership teams. In addition, inspectors met with representatives of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.
• A range of documentation was scrutinised, including: leaders’ evaluation of the school’s performance; school improvement plans; and documents relating to pupils’ behaviour and the quality of teaching and learning. Inspectors also reviewed minutes of meetings of the governing body.
• Inspectors met with parents and took into account 52 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 27 free-text comments. They considered 27 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and 58 responses to the pupil questionnaire.

Inspection team

James Freeston, lead inspector Steph Fawdry Graham Marshall

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector