Setting

Mr Ian Bullock Headteacher St Wilfrid’s CofE Primary School Main Street Calverton Nottingham NG14 6FG

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Short inspection of St Wilfrid’s CofE Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 17 November 2015, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in May 2012.

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Short inspection of St Wilfrid’s CofE Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You communicate a clear vision and are committed to continued improvement, in order to build on the school’s success. You are strongly supported by senior leaders and governors. Staff are proud to work at the school and, as a result, there is an excellent team spirit and morale is high. You believe that all pupils, irrespective of background or other circumstances, should achieve well during their time at St Wilfrid’s. Consequently, in all year groups, disadvantaged pupils are provided with good levels of support to enable them to make progress that is similar to, or better than their classmates. This clearly reflects the school’s ethos of ‘realising potential in a climate of opportunity and support’.

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Short inspection of St Wilfrid’s CofE Primary School

Without exception, teachers create a positive climate for learning. Relationships between adults and pupils are good. Over time, the consistently good quality of teaching has resulted in good progress and achievement. Pupils enjoy well-planned and interesting lessons. In Year 5, pupils were researching historical facts about Sutton Hoo, using tablets and recording key facts. In Year 4, understanding classification using liquorice allsorts captured pupils’ attention. In the early years, children were enthusiastically counting special gems and exploring capacity with Ofsted

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Short inspection of St Wilfrid’s CofE Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk bottles, buckets and watering cans. As a result, pupils are enthusiastic and confident learners.

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Short inspection of St Wilfrid’s CofE Primary School

At the last inspection, inspectors commended the school for providing a caring environment where pupils enjoy learning, make good progress from the start, attend regularly and behave well. The school has maintained these positive aspects. Inspectors identified the following areas for improvement: accelerate pupils’ progress, especially in writing, through providing systematic opportunities for pupils to apply their literacy skills across the curriculum and through improving teachers’ marking, and improve the provision in the early years through developing the outdoor area and involving parents more fully in their children’s learning.

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Short inspection of St Wilfrid’s CofE Primary School

The school has tackled these areas successfully. Pupils enjoy good opportunities to write across the curriculum and were keen to share examples with me from topic work in history, geography and science. Pupils’ work is marked regularly to an exceptionally high standard. Marking is used extremely well to set extra challenges, to correct errors and to provide opportunities for pupils to reflect on and consolidate their learning. You have created a safe and well-resourced outdoor area in the early years. The use of high-quality learning journals is effective because it helps parents and staff to keep a log of children’s achievements, both at school and at home.

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Short inspection of St Wilfrid’s CofE Primary School

You and your team have high aspirations for pupils, and strive continually to improve the school. More work is needed in a few areas, and leaders, governors and staff have the capacity to make improvements successfully.

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Short inspection of St Wilfrid’s CofE Primary School

The information about the curriculum, pupil premium and PE and sport premium funding on the new school website does not meet the current requirements set by the government. This needs to be addressed swiftly, so that parents have access to the correct information.

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Short inspection of St Wilfrid’s CofE Primary School

You place the highest priority on keeping pupils safe. Leaders and governors have ensured that current safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and records are of high quality. Safeguarding and behaviour policies are updated regularly, shared with all staff and meet all current requirements. Parents expressed confidence in the school to follow up any concerns. The school is not complacent in any way and is aware of risks that pupils may face in the future and is well prepared to deal with these.

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Short inspection of St Wilfrid’s CofE Primary School

Pupils have a good understanding of the different forms that bullying can take and know whom to talk to should they have any concerns. Pupils are adamant that bullying does not exist at St Wilfrid’s. The school is a harmonious community where pupils are often able to resolve disagreements themselves. Pupils are taught effectively about how to keep themselves safe when they are using the internet and know the immediate actions to take if they view anything that causes them concern.

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Inspection findings

 Leaders and governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and of areas that need further development. The school’s self-evaluation is accurate. Consequently, your plans for improvement are appropriate and focus on the correct actions.

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Inspection findings

 The governing body is well led. Governors are committed, ambitious and contribute well to the success of the school. They are well informed about all aspects of the school’s work and are not afraid to ask searching questions to hold you to account for pupils’ performance.

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Inspection findings

 In 2015, more than half of the pupils in Year 6 gained the higher Level 5 in the reading assessment at the end of Key Stage 2. This is above the national average. Many older pupils are avid readers who read widely and can talk enthusiastically about books they have read.

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Inspection findings

 Pupils told me that they enjoy mathematics. They reach good standards in mathematics at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2. Pupils use their calculations skills well in solving mathematical problems and investigations based on real-life situations.

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Inspection findings

 The English leader is passionate and dedicated. She has successfully led on a number of initiatives since the previous inspection to accelerate pupils’ progress in writing. However, the performance of boys at the end of Key Stage 2 is consistently below that of girls at the higher Level 5 in writing. You have rightly identified this as a key area for improvement and are taking appropriate action. For example, you are reviewing the range of stimuli used for writing to ensure that boys are highly motivated. In Year 6, one boy explained to me why he was captivated by the writing task based on the text Kensuke’s Kingdom, saying ‘it is a rollercoaster of emotion’.

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Inspection findings

 Good leadership and management of the early years provision ensure that children make good progress. Provision for children’s personal, social and emotional development is strong and, as a result, children settle quickly, gain confidence and develop independence. Teaching assistants are deployed well to have maximum impact on children’s learning. The early years leader recognises that writing and early literacy skills could be extended further by capitalising on children’s interest in the outdoors.

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Inspection findings

 Pupils are proud of their school. They are smart in their uniforms and take care of their property. For example, pupils’ workbooks are consistently neat and well organised. Relationships between pupils are strong. This is confirmed by the school’s records, which show only a few reported incidents of misbehaviour.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding is well developed. This is reflected in their positive attitudes to learning and the respect and care they show to each other. Despite pupils’ limited first-hand experiences of other cultures and diversity within their school community, they develop a mature appreciation of these from trips, visits and assemblies. In this way, and through clear values, you ensure that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Inspection findings

 Pupils achieve well in the performing arts because they have many opportunities to be creative in drama, dance and music. Almost one quarter of pupils are learning to play a musical instrument and there is an impressive school choir. Pupils in Year 5 were excited to tell me about their work with the National Theatre and their current Shakespeare performance of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’.

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Inspection findings

 I spoke with many parents at the end of the school day. All of those with whom I spoke were extremely positive about their children’s experiences. You have the overwhelming backing and support of parents for your clear vision and uncompromising leadership, which has ensured a good quality of education for pupils over time.

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Next steps for the school:

Leaders and governors should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school:

 the school website meets current government requirements  the progress of boys accelerates in writing so that they attain similar standards to the girls at the end of Key Stage 2  there are more opportunities for children in the early years to develop their early writing and literacy skills outdoors.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, I met with you, representatives of the governing body, and the English subject leader. We visited all classes together to observe teaching and learning. I observed pupils’ behaviour around the school, at break times, and during lessons. I spoke with two groups of pupils. I met a number of parents informally at the end of the school day and considered the views of 50 parents posted on Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. I considered a range of documents, including safeguarding records and policies.

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