Wheatfield Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve pupils’ outcomes even more by:
  • developing in pupils the skills and attitudes they need to tackle more-challenging tasks.
• Strengthen the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by:
  • ensuring that all teachers use information about what pupils already know, understand and can do to plan learning
  • providing pupils with more-challenging tasks, particularly for the most able
  • making sure that teaching assistants are well deployed to extend pupils’ learning.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The executive headteacher has successfully managed every aspect of the school’s development. She knows the school extremely well and thoroughly understands its strengths and weaknesses. One parent, impressed by her awareness of everything that happens in the school, described her as being ‘all over it’.
• Leaders have high expectations of all staff and pupils. The leadership of both assistant headteachers makes a significant contribution to the good progress pupils achieve. The number of middle leaders is increasing as the school grows. Middle leaders receive good support and are becoming increasingly effective.
• Parents hold the school in high regard. They value the fact that teachers make sure they know how their children are getting on. The school works closely with parents and takes their views and concerns seriously. For example, leaders acted quickly to address some uncertainties parents had about bullying and behaviour management.
• Leaders regularly check the quality of teaching and learning to identify strengths and areas for development. Staff receive good training and have the opportunity to learn from teachers in a range of other schools. Staff are very positive about the support and leadership they receive. Consequently, teaching, learning and assessment are good.
• Leaders, including the governing body, are determined that all pupils will do as well as they can. Pupil premium funding is spent effectively. Funding for pupils who have special educational needs is also well used. Any gaps in pupils’ learning are accurately identified and effective actions taken to address them. As a result, disadvantaged pupils make as much progress as their classmates and, in some cases, more than their peers. Pupils who have special educational needs are making good progress.
• Leaders make good use of the additional physical education and sports funding premium. As a result of specialist teaching and additional resources, pupils are increasing their skill in and enjoyment of sports and developing positive attitudes to a healthy lifestyle.
• The academy trust provides leaders and governors with effective support and challenge. They understand the school’s strengths and weaknesses and have supported a range of improvements, including some work to develop the early years.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced and parents appreciate the opportunities they have to understand more about what the children are learning. Pupils enjoy the range of activities and trips on offer. They talk enthusiastically about activities as diverse as pancake-making to visiting Windsor Castle. The curriculum provides pupils with good opportunities to learn British values and for social, moral, cultural and spiritual development. The school’s values are embedded in the life of the school. Consequently, pupils are effectively prepared for life in modern Britain.

Governance of the school

• Governance is strong. Governors use a range of information to check effectively that the school is doing well. They ensure that pupil premium funding is spent effectively. Governors set challenging targets and successfully manage the performance of staff. As a result, they hold leaders to account robustly.
• The governing body has a clear plan for the school. Together with senior leaders, governors are working effectively to ensure that the good work of the school is maintained and developed as the school grows. The clear decisions, such as the appointment of the home-school liaison worker, show that the governing body is thinking ahead to benefit the pupils.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Leaders are vigilant in their efforts to keep pupils safe. Systems are rigorous and well maintained. The governing body checks this aspect of the school’s work effectively. Leaders work well with other agencies to tackle any concerns they have about a pupil’s well-being. The school provides thorough induction and training for all staff, governors and volunteers. Consequently, all adults have up-to-date knowledge and understand what to do to keep pupils safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Parents are very happy with the education their children receive. They appreciate the information teachers provide as it helps them know how well their children are getting on.
• Teachers plan lessons carefully so that pupils learn new skills and have regular opportunities to practise them. As a result, pupils make good progress in their learning.
• Teachers have good subject knowledge and understand how to communicate it confidently. In some lessons, teachers use the information they have about what pupils can do to anticipate the difficulties they might have. This allows the pupils to feel successful and avoid misconceptions. As a result, pupils make very good progress.
• Pupils make rapid progress when faced with challenging activities that stretch their ability. For example, in one lesson pupils had to plan how to rescue a whale trapped on a beach. This activity allowed pupils to develop the skills and confidence they need to successfully tackle more difficult tasks. In these lessons, pupils make very good progress.
• When teaching assistants have well-defined roles and the training they need, they make a significant contribution to pupils’ learning. For example, a teaching assistant with additional training to provide social and emotional support to pupils has played a major role in the rapid progress achieved by some pupils who have special educational needs. However, teaching assistants are not always well used by teachers to support learning.
• Pupils enjoy their lessons and say that learning is fun. Some pupils would like more-challenging activities and more help to understand difficult work.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are polite to each other, staff and visitors to the school. Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves healthy and safe. This is the result of regular lessons, activities and discussions that are well planned and delivered.
• The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is strong. Pupils benefit from effective activities that help them to be reflective. They are learning to be responsible for their own actions.
• Pupils enjoy their time at school. They are enthusiastic learners who respond well to the guidance provided by teachers. In some lessons, pupils are so engaged that their learning reaches new heights. Where teaching is not as strong, pupils lack the skills and attitudes they need to make a significant contribution to their own learning.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils behave well in class and do everything that is asked of them. They listen carefully and work hard in lessons. Attitudes to learning are good and these contribute to the good progress they make.
• Pupils conduct themselves well around the school.
• Pupils feel safe at school and are confident that staff take good care of them. Pupils know that adults will always listen to them and take their concerns seriously. Consequently, bullying, name-calling and unkindness are rare.
• There is effective support for pupils who find it more difficult to manage their behaviour. Leaders have reviewed their approach to behaviour management and, as a result, incidents of poor behaviour have reduced.
• Pupils attend well. The headteacher is rightly committed to high attendance for all pupils and works effectively to reduce absences. As a result, attendance is higher than the national average.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• All pupils, including the most able, make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics as a result of the good teaching they receive. Teachers know where pupils are in their learning and provide carefully planned activities. Consequently, pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education.
• The proportion of pupils who achieve a good level of development at the end of the Reception is consistently above the national average and has increased each year.
• Phonics is well taught. The proportion of pupils who achieve the expected standard in phonics is in line with the national average and improving. Pupils read and write across the curriculum and this gives them the chance to practise and hone their skills. This is leading to very secure skills.
• The good support for disadvantaged pupils means that they achieve as well or better than others from similar starting points nationally. The school’s high expectations for these pupils can be seen in the targeted activities they receive. These activities successfully address any gaps in learning. As a result, many of these pupils make rapid progress.
• Pupils who have special educational needs make good progress from their starting points. The effective support they receive, expertly led by the SENCo, is leading to increasing rates of progress. As a result, pupils are making rapid progress and catching up with their peers.
• While some pupils make rapid progress, this is not yet typical because activities do not contain sufficient challenge, particularly for the most able pupils.

Early years provision Outstanding

• Children make excellent progress in the early years. They enter the school with levels of achievement that are broadly typical for their age. However, they make strong progress and start Year 1 with levels that are well above national averages.
• Teaching is outstanding in the early years. Leaders use accurate assessment to identify gaps in learning. Strong subject knowledge enables teachers to anticipate the difficulties children may have. As a result, children get just what they need and this leads to rapid progress in all areas of learning.
• Disadvantaged pupils in the early years make progress that is equal to or better than their classmates. Highly effective strategies are used to enable children to catch up.
• Carefully planned activities engage children’s interest and stretch their ability. Teachers make sure that children securely learn the skills that they need and practise them regularly. As a result, children are wrapped up in their learning and make excellent progress, particularly the most able.
• Children are highly engaged in their learning. They have the skills they need to tackle difficult tasks and are prepared to make mistakes. Their excellent attitudes to learning make a significant contribution to the great progress they achieve.
• Relationships with parents are extremely effective. Parents are well informed about the progress of their children and value their contribution to ongoing assessment. Parents appreciate the time spent to ensure that their children start school successfully. Home visits and visits to the school enable the start of school to be successful for all children.

School details

Unique reference number 139900 Local authority Wokingham Inspection number 10032495 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Academy free school Age range of pupils 4 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 90 Appropriate authority The academy trust Chair Mike Stockle Headteacher Bev Homer Telephone number 01189 896 950 Website www.wheatfieldschool.org Email address info@wheatfieldschool.org Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.
• Wheatfield Primary School is a new academy free school sponsored by the GLF Schools academy trust. It opened in September 2014. The school is increasing in size by a class each year and is smaller than average. There are currently pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2.
• Governors and senior leaders are responsible for the leadership and management of this school and the partner school, Windmill Primary School.
• GLF Schools provide the school with support and challenge.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector took into account 66 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, 13 responses to the pupil questionnaire and 11 responses to the staff questionnaire.
• A range of documents were considered, including records of pupils’ attendance, behaviour and safety and the school’s information about pupil achievement.
• The inspector observed teaching and learning in 12 lessons and parts of lessons, 11 of which were carried out jointly with senior leaders. The inspector scrutinised work in pupils’ books.
• Meetings were held with senior leaders, staff, pupils and three members of the governing body. The inspector met with two representatives of the academy trust, one of whom was the Chief Executive Officer.

Inspection team

Phil Minns, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector