Wembrook Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve outcomes for pupils by:
  • ensuring that more pupils at the end of key stage 1 attain levels in line with age-related expectations and at greater depth
  • accelerating the progress of disadvantaged pupils so they are able to catch up with other pupils.
• Improve teaching and learning across the school by ensuring that:
  • pupils have more opportunities to use reasoning skills to deepen their knowledge, skills and understanding in mathematics
  • teachers challenge pupils, especially the most able, so that they make stronger progress
  • pupils consistently apply their grammar, punctuation and spelling skills across all areas of the curriculum.
• Improve leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • checks carried out on teaching focus on the progress of different groups of pupils
  • targets set with teachers clearly focus on the school’s priorities for improvement
  • leaders use pupil premium funding to improve outcomes for all disadvantaged pupils
  • governors have a clear understanding of their role in holding leaders to account for the effectiveness of their actions, particularly for the use and impact of the pupil premium funding. External reviews of the school’s use of the pupil premium and of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how these aspects of leadership and management can be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Leaders have been too slow to respond to the declining picture of attainment at the end of key stage 1. They have also not been successful in securing a consistently good standard of teaching across the school. As a result, pupils’ progress and attainment are too variable across subjects and key stages.
• Leaders use a wide range of strategies to check on the work and impact of teachers, such as lesson observations and scrutinising pupils’ work. However, these strategies do not focus sharply on the progress made by specific groups, such as the disadvantaged and the most able. Consequently, leaders have not identified that the progress and attainment of these groups are areas for improvement.
• Leaders do not use targets in teachers’ performance management as robustly as they might to hold teachers to account for the progress that pupils make. Teachers’ targets do not always relate explicitly to the school’s priorities for improvement, for example raising attainment at the end of key stage 1 or improving progress for disadvantaged pupils.
• Leaders have not ensured that the pupil premium funding is used effectively to improve outcomes for all disadvantaged pupils. They have evaluated the impact of this funding for pupils in Year 6 in 2017 but they have not yet effectively carried out an evaluation of the impact that the use of these funds has had in other year groups. As a result, there has not been a sufficiently sharp and well-defined approach to identifying what will have the greatest impact on helping these pupils catch up with others nationally.
• The funding for primary school physical education (PE) is used appropriately. It is used effectively to develop the teaching skills of staff as well as to motivate and encourage pupils to develop their skills in keeping fit and active. Pupils participate in a wide range of sports and say that they value the PE and after-school sports clubs the school offers. These activities nurture pupils’ interests and develop their skills well.
• The curriculum is increasingly broad and balanced. Adults plan activities around themes, which are carefully chosen to engage the interests of the pupils. For example, in the Year 2 lessons pupils were excited to go outside and find a giant’s footprint embedded in the school field. During this session they eagerly talked about what the giant might look like, sound like or be wearing. They were motivated and excited to read different stories involving giants. As a result, in these sessions they learned and developed their reading skills well.
• Leaders ensure that additional visits and visitors to school further enrich the curriculum. Teachers develop religious education and pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively as part of the school’s topic-based approach. Assemblies and lessons enable pupils to learn about other cultures, tolerance and fundamental British values.
• The leader of special educational needs has evidence that some well-targeted actions, such as the pastoral support for vulnerable pupils, are effective in meeting pupils’ emotional needs. However, considerable variability in the quality of teaching and learning across the school means that support for these pupils’ academic needs is not yet secure. As a result, these pupils make uneven progress across the school and over time.
• The parents and carers who spoke to inspectors were very positive about the school. Most of those who completed the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, would recommend the school.
• Support offered to the school by the local authority has been limited.

Governance of the school

• Governors do not provide enough challenge to school leaders. They have not, for example, challenged how the school uses the pupil premium funding to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. As a result, the less than effective use of the designated funding means that these pupils do not reach their full potential.
• Governors are clear about the emotional and academic challenges faced by pupils and know what the school does well to support pupils and their families. Although governors are supportive and make productive visits to the school to find things out for themselves, they have an overgenerous view of the school’s performance.
• They check that systems to manage staff performance are properly implemented but do not ensure that targets focus on key areas for school improvement.
• Governors are knowledgeable about the safeguarding arrangements in school and make regular checks to ensure that this aspect of the school’s work is effective and well managed.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Records of recruitment and vetting checks fully meet requirements.
• Staff training is regular and staff are vigilant in spotting, recording and reporting any concerns. Where needed, referrals are made to the local authority and followed up with appropriate reports.
• The school’s family support worker provides support and advice to parents and their children. The family support worker uses their expertise to good effect to ensure that there is a nurturing environment in school.
• The overwhelming majority of parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, indicated that their children feel safe in school and are well looked after.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teaching is not yet consistently good across the school. Therefore, not enough pupils are making the progress they are capable of. This is because pupils, particularly the most able, are given work that does not sufficiently challenge them or meet their learning needs. For these pupils, work is too easy and slows their learning so they do not make the progress they should.
• While pupils have some opportunities to apply their writing skills, pupils do not have enough opportunities to practise their grammar, punctuation and spelling in longer pieces of written work in all subjects. Consequently, pupils are not making the progress that they could in writing.
• Teaching in mathematics is stronger across Years 5 and 6 and there is evidence that pupils are increasingly applying their skills and knowledge to problem-solving using reasoning. Consequently, pupils make good progress in mathematics at the end of Year 6. However, this is not yet consistent across other year groups, where there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to use these mathematical skills.
• Most effective learning occurs when teachers use their subject knowledge effectively. They use creative and interesting approaches to bring learning to life and keep pupils interested and motivated.
• The effective teaching of phonics in the early years and key stage 1 has ensured that pupils can build words accurately and read unfamiliar texts. However, there is still some way to go to ensure that pupils do as well as they can in reading by the end of Year 2.
• Teaching assistants provide useful support to pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities, to allow them to learn well alongside their classmates. They are clear about their roles in lessons, and inspectors saw many instances when they provided effective support for individuals or groups of pupils.
• Teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well and have good relationships with them. There is a happy atmosphere in class and, as a result, pupils have positive attitudes to learning.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Relationships between adults and pupils are positive and supportive. School staff provide good pastoral care for pupils. They are quick to identify pupils’ emotional and health needs and to provide additional help for them when they need it.
• Pupils feel safe in school and say that bullying is rare. They say that if they have concerns, adults will listen and sort out any problems they have. Pupils are knowledgeable about online safety and know that they must not share personal information on the internet.
• Pupils are self-confident, friendly and caring individuals who show consideration for others. They talked about their work with pride and have strong attitudes to learning. Their attention only wanders when teachers do not provide tasks that are sufficiently clear or engaging for them.
• The school’s breakfast and after-school clubs provide pupils with a safe and positive start and end to the school day. Pupils enjoy the choice of healthy food on offer and take full opportunity of the sports activities provided.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are polite and courteous and conduct themselves well when moving around the school building or at playtimes.
• Leaders and staff work successfully to set clear expectations for pupils’ behaviour throughout the school. As a result, the school has a calm, purposeful but relaxed atmosphere in which pupils thrive and are happy.
• Pupils enjoy their learning. They listen well during lessons and settle quickly to their learning. They are willing to share their ideas with each other.
• Pupils’ attendance is average. Pupils attend regularly and arrive at school on time and ready to learn.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Outcomes require improvement. This is because progress is too variable and not enough pupils, particularly the disadvantaged and the most able pupils, make consistently good progress from their different starting points. Evidence gathered during the inspection from scrutiny of pupils’ work, the school’s assessment information and observations in lessons shows that pupils are not making the progress of which they are capable.
• Following the last inspection, attainment at the end of key stage 1 declined and is now below average. Because tasks are not sufficiently demanding or challenging, not enough pupils at the end of Year 2 are achieving the expected or higher standards in mathematics, reading or writing.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 reaching the expected levels for their age in reading and writing is below other pupils nationally. It is above in mathematics. The proportion of the most able disadvantaged pupils performing at the higher levels at the end of Year 6 is below the national picture in reading, writing and mathematics.
• School assessment information shows that, during the last academic year, the attainment of disadvantaged pupils across all year groups and subjects was below that of other pupils in the school. This is because leaders do not monitor carefully enough the progress these pupils are making and steps are not taken to help them catch up. As a result, these pupils do not generally make the progress that they are capable of. However, work in disadvantaged pupils’ books shows some signs of current improvement in their progress, though this is not consistent across all year groups.
• Teaching is stronger in Year 6 and as a result, pupils make average progress in reading and writing and above-average progress in mathematics during their final year in key stage 2.
• The proportion of pupils achieving the expected and the higher standard at the end of Year 6 in 2017 was similar to the national picture in reading, writing and mathematics. The results for the national key stage 2 tests in 2017 indicate that the reading, writing and mathematics combined attainment is in line with the national benchmark. This is an improvement on the previous year and indicates that pupils are adequately prepared for the next stage of their education.
• The outcomes for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are similarly varied. Some pupils make good progress from their starting points. However, as with the disadvantaged pupils, this progress varies, depending on the quality of the support they receive.
• In 2017 Year 1 pupils achieved above the national average in the phonics screening check. This is because the teaching of phonics has improved and teachers give pupils opportunities to practise their skills regularly.

Early years provision Good

• The majority of children start the school with skills and knowledge slightly below those typical for their age. As the result of effective teaching that is well matched to children’s interests and abilities, children make good progress. By the time they leave Reception, an increasing majority are well prepared for their move to Year 1.
• The early years leader is knowledgeable and makes sure that teachers use assessment information to gauge accurately children’s starting points. She also provides good training and coaching for her team, who learn from each other’s practice in order to improve their own.
• The teaching of phonics is a strength in the early years provision. Staff accurately model sounds for children and this helps improve children’s early reading and writing development.
• The inside and outdoor learning environment and the curriculum are stimulating for children. They are provided with a very wide range of activities to choose from. Staff reinforce important skills in speaking, listening, reading, writing and mathematics frequently throughout each day.
• Relationships between adults and children are strong and supportive. Children behave well and feel safe when they are learning in early years because all staff have a good awareness of the children’s social and emotional needs. This helps to provide a nurturing and calm environment where children feel valued.
• Leaders make effective use of the extra funding for disadvantaged children and children who have SEN and/or disabilities. They provide specific interventions designed to support key skills such as speech and language development.
• There are effective links with parents and as a result, children settle quickly into the early years and grow in confidence and independence.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 130889 Warwickshire 10037889 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 704 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Dr John Evans Simon Pearson 02476 382961 www.wembrook.warwickshire.sch.uk admin2629@we-learn.com Date of previous inspection 24–25 October 2012

Information about this school

• Wembrook Primary School meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.
• Wembrook Primary is a larger-than-average primary school.
• The school runs a breakfast club and an after-school club.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above the national average for primary schools. The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below average.
• The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below that found nationally.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in all classes across the school and visited the school’s after-school club. Some lessons were jointly observed with the headteacher, the head of school and the deputy headteacher.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read and talked to them about their reading experiences.
• Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, other senior leaders, middle leaders and members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.
• The lead inspector spoke with a local authority representative.
• Inspectors looked at a wide range of documentation, including the school’s review of its performance, records of pupils’ progress and attainment, attendance records, incident logs and safeguarding procedures.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour and conduct in lessons and at break and lunchtimes.
• Inspectors scrutinised past and current work of pupils of different abilities in all year groups.
• Inspectors took into account the 47 responses to a survey of staff, the 220 responses from a survey of pupils’ views and the 117 responses from parents to Ofsted’s questionnaire, Parent View. Inspectors also spoke with parents at the start and end of the school day to seek their opinions of the school’s work and care for their children.
• Throughout the two days of the inspection, inspectors spoke with pupils, both formally and informally, about their learning, safety and well-being.

Inspection team

Kerry Rochester, lead inspector Gill Turner Jeremy Bird Ed Masterson Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector