Wyberton Primary School

Wyberton Primary School 5 Saundergate Lane, Wyberton, Boston, Lincolnshire PE21 7BZ

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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This is an outstanding school

 The executive headteacher models leadership qualities of the highest calibre. Her ambition for Wyberton Primary School to be a centre of excellence has meant that the school has improved continually and markedly since the last inspection.  The effectiveness of the head of school and assistant headteacher ensures that, even in the absence of the executive headteacher, the school’s excellent leadership, its values and its outstanding teaching continue.  The school environment is extremely attractive and displays the very high quality of work that the pupils produce, as well as reflecting the school’s values of care and respect for others.  The staff consistently have the highest expectations for every pupil. The teachers and teaching assistants work together in harmony to share their skills. They ensure that the pupils blossom and excel.  The quality of teaching is outstanding throughout the school. The teachers have deep subject

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This is an outstanding school

knowledge and question the pupils skilfully.  The teachers assess the pupils’ progress with accuracy and set new work that is matched precisely to the pupils’ needs.  The curriculum that the pupils receive is particularly rich and interesting in most, though not all, respects. As a result, the pupils are hungry to learn as much as possible. The teachers continually challenge the pupils to achieve more, which they do.  The pupils make significantly more progress than others do nationally. All groups, including disadvantaged pupils, make rapid progress across the curriculum.  The pupils leave Wyberton Primary very well prepared for secondary school, with levels of attainment that are much higher than those of most other pupils of the same age.  The pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They pay very close attention to the teachers and work their very hard. They behave impeccably around the school, helping each other and wearing their uniforms

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This is an outstanding school

proudly.  The children get off to an excellent start from their arrival in the early years. There, caring and skilled staff help them to settle in and to catch up quickly.  The governing body is highly effective in all areas, with particularly thorough monitoring of the quality of the school’s provision, and its impact on pupils.  The safeguarding of pupils is exceptional.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Enrich pupils’ experiences by giving them greater access to classical culture and, in particular, to classical literature.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

 The executive headteacher is an extremely skilled, knowledgeable and driven school leader, who models the very highest expectations and aspiration to all members of staff. She has created a school culture of excellence, where every pupil can thrive and achieve their potential. She ensures that her team are united in their purpose and their priorities, as well working in highly consistent ways. She also supports a number of other schools to improve their leadership and effectiveness.  The executive headteacher works closely with the head of school and the assistant headteacher. All three are highly effective and, together, they ensure that the school’s values of care, honesty, respect, and a commitment to learn are upheld continually. All members of staff, and the pupils, understand the need to work hard, to aspire highly and to be caring, thoughtful individuals.  A wide range of opportunities is used to maximise learning. For example, inspectors saw pupils diligently

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

practising both their mathematics and reading at the school’s breakfast club. Pupils were very happy that the club gives them an opportunity to improve their skills and they were helping each other continually to learn.  The school’s excellent website displays the many skills and talents of pupils. For example, there are photographs and details of the school’s recent ‘spelling bee’ and Maths Mania challenges and news of a pupil in Year 4 who has won first prize for his artwork in a recent road-safety competition.  The subject leaders make a substantial contribution to the school’s success. The subject leaders are highly effective and talk with great confidence and enthusiasm about their work. As well as hosting staff meetings, they regularly examine the pupils’ work and observe learning in different classes. This ensures that the teaching is of the highest quality and that the pupils’ progress is rapid. They produce accurate,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

detailed reports for senior leaders and governors so that no groups of pupils fall behind in their learning.  The staff are highly motivated. Those who responded to Ofsted’s questionnaire were unanimously positive. The staff who were present at the last inspection all state that the school has improved considerably since then. They say also that leaders give them excellent training to develop their skills further. The leaders’ work to manage the performance of the teachers is ongoing and very effective.  The school’s curriculum is highly rich and exciting, as well as having both substantial breadth and good balance. Topics begin, or end, with a ‘Wow’ event, such as the visit of a Roman soldier to the school, who enthused pupils about history by teaching them about his army and how to march together with shields around the playground. Because of such interesting activities, the pupils enjoy their lessons very much

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

and have a thirst to learn more. The curriculum is highly enriched, with a very wide range and great number of extra-curricular opportunities and clubs that the pupils enjoy.  A particular strength of the curriculum is its emphasis on developing high levels of skills in business and enterprise in the pupils. For example, during ‘careers week’, the pupils meet with adults, such as vets, editors and photographers, who tell them about the work that they do and the skills that the pupils will need to develop in order to follow such careers.  Inspectors noted that the pupils in Year 6 had composed letters of application for roles such as a forensic analyst. The letters were of excellent quality. Other pupils undertake, for instance, a ‘Dragon’s Den’ day to pitch ideas for a business loan from the senior leadership team.  As a result of these frequent opportunities, pupils’ aspirations are high. They develop great self-

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

confidence, working enthusiastically together in highly innovative ways, by, for example, keeping bees in the school grounds in order to harvest honey and to sell it.  Although the pupils receive a rich cultural experience, their exposure to classical culture and, in particular, classical literature, is not as extensive as it could be.  Leaders have dealt fully with all the areas for improvement identified at the last inspection. This has included making sure that the teachers give the pupils many opportunities to apply their reading skills, writing skills and mental mathematics to real-life situations. For example, pupils in Year 2 have been calculating how much profit they are making from selling the rock pets they have recently painted.  The leaders have ensured that they use the primary physical education (PE) and sports funding extremely effectively. As a result, the pupils’ participation in sporting activities is very high. The pupils take part in a

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

great number of sporting competitions throughout the year.  The leaders also spend the pupil premium wisely, so that disadvantaged pupils receive highly personalised and effective support to improve. As a result, gaps between those pupils’ attainment and that of other pupils in the school are narrowing convincingly.  The leaders ensure that the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. For example, the staff invite pupils’ parents from many different countries into school and use them to teach other pupils about the contrasting cultures.  The governance of the school – The governors are exceptionally effective. Despite the very high levels of progress made by the pupils, and the excellent standards of teaching at the school, there is no complacency whatsoever. The governors rigorously challenge all of the leaders to refine further all areas of the school’s provision.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

– They hold leaders to account at the first sign of any group of pupils whose progress is not as fast as it needs to be. – Although they are supportive of the staff, they check for themselves that the pupils are making the gains they should, by examining the pupils’ work across the curriculum. Many of their extensive and continual monitoring activities are available for parents on the school website. – Although the governors perform their strategic role with great skill, they continue to improve their own skills through training.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The work of the leaders to ensure that all children are protected from harm is exemplary.  The leaders ensure that all members of staff are thoroughly trained, including in areas of recent national concern, such as radicalisation. The staff are very knowledgeable about the different forms of abuse, and the warning signs that indicate that a child may be at risk of being harmed. They have a clear

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

understanding of their role to report any concern they have and know that they must do so immediately.  Risk assessments are completed effectively at all points, and the school ensures that new staff undergo thorough checks before being recruited.  The leaders are unafraid to make brisk referrals to external agencies, including social care, whenever this is needed. Records that the inspectors examined show excellent work with both families and external agencies, such as educational psychology. Leaders ensure that they work with parents to keep pupils safe. For example, the school website gives extensive further advice for parents on how to protect their children when the children are using the internet.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

 The teachers’ approach to their work is based on the regular research that staff undertake to find the best methods of effective learning for pupils. For example, the assistant headteacher has completed a research project on spelling that has been published nationally. She also helps teachers in other schools to adopt these approaches and to improve their own teaching.  The teachers ensure that their classrooms are filled with things that will promote curiosity about the world and help the pupils to learn, as well as with stunning examples of the pupils’ work. The teachers display the work with great care and in a way that truly values the things that the pupils have done.  The staff also promote fundamental British values well. For example, the school entrance has an exceptionally effective piece of artwork showing the hands of different pupils around the world with the title ‘unity’.  The teachers ensure that the pupils have a very good understanding of British values. The pupils with

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

whom the inspectors met described how they valued the chances to take part in the many democratic opportunities that the staff give, such as the debating society, and why everyone should obey the law. They were very clear also that everyone should respect others whose cultures and beliefs are different from their own and why ‘diversity is such a good thing’.  The teachers’ extremely good subject knowledge and their ability to explain things clearly mean that the pupils listen attentively and feel secure. Although the teachers move the pupils on briskly, they do not rush them. Instead, they allow them plenty of opportunities to practise and to apply what they know. This builds the pupils’ confidence further. As a result, the pupils are highly industrious, completing large amounts of work across the curriculum with great pride.  The teachers introduce pupils to complex ideas and to correct vocabulary, as soon as they are ready for

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

it. For example, the inspectors saw the teachers asking Year 2 pupils about texture, form and shade during an art lesson. The teachers’ questioning during lessons not only probes the pupils’ thinking, but also requires the pupils to explain the reasons for their own answers. This helps to ensure that the pupils reflect deeply.  The teachers have an excellent understanding of what all pupils can and cannot do. Their assessments of the pupils, fully checked for accuracy, allow them to plan precise learning to meet the pupils’ different needs.  The teachers give the pupils very clear advice on how well they are doing and how they can improve their work. The pupils appreciate the advice that they are given and they say that it helps them greatly.  The teachers give the most able pupils work that consistently challenges them and makes them think deeply. As a result, these pupils make excellent progress.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

 The teaching assistants are highly skilled and enhance the effectiveness of the teaching considerably. While giving support to, for example, those pupils who need to catch up, or to pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, the teaching assistants ensure that they do not give excessive help, but allow the pupils to become increasingly independent.  The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds that they make) is excellent. As a result, considerably higher proportions of pupils than those found nationally consistently pass the phonics screening check in Year 1. This includes a high proportion of disadvantaged pupils.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote the pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. As a result, the pupils are both reflective and resilient. They do not mind making some mistakes during their work, because this helps them to understand what they need to learn next.  The pupils also welcome work where they need keep trying before they succeed. For example, the inspectors met pupils who explained to them how the task that they had been set that morning was really ‘tricky’ and took them a good deal of time to work out. Nevertheless, they persisted and were very proud of themselves for achieving the correct answer.  The pupils have a very good understanding of the need to eat healthily and to get plenty of exercise. They have an extensive knowledge of how to keep themselves safe, including when online.  The pupils that the inspectors met said that they felt very safe in school. They insisted that there is

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Personal development and welfare

almost no bullying at Wyberton and very little name-calling. This was, they explained, because they get on so well together. One pupil explained to inspectors that, if these things ever happen, the staff deal with it instantly, yet sensitively, so that everyone is friends again.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. The pupils’ attitudes to learning in lessons are exemplary and, as a result, they learn quickly.  The staff constantly model respect, mature communication and fruitful cooperation, and the pupils absorb this.  The pupils do not need continual management by adults, but are self-disciplined. Classrooms are harmonious learning environments, where all of the pupils listen with great attention and work together purposefully, in all tasks. The inspectors saw no disengagement from learning by the pupils at any point during the inspection.  Outside of the classrooms, the pupils’ behaviour continues to be impeccable. The pupils are extremely friendly and help each other at all times. They are very proud to attend Wyberton.  The pupils thoroughly enjoy coming to their school to learn. As a result, attendance has been consistently above the national average for the past three years. It continues to be so this year.

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Behaviour

 The leaders work closely with any families whose children’s attendance is less regular than others. As a result, no pupils are currently persistently absent from school.

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

 Children enter the Nursery class with levels of development that are considerably lower than those typically found in children of the same age. Nevertheless, they make rapid progress.  By the time that they enter the Reception class, their skills are much closer to those found typically.  By the time that the children leave the early years, a much higher proportion than the national average achieve a good level of development.  The pupils make substantial progress in English and mathematics over time. Last year all of the pupils in Year 6 made at least the progress expected of them and a much higher proportion than average made more than this. Over half of pupils made more than the progress expected of them in mathematics, more than six in 10 in writing and three quarters in reading.  Information supplied by the school and confirmed by a scrutiny of pupils’ books shows that progress continues to be rapid in all year groups.

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

 The most able pupils make excellent progress. Across the school, more than four in five of these pupils are making more than the progress expected of them.  The staff support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities extremely well. As a result, these pupils make greater progress than might be expected from their starting points.  Disadvantaged pupils make particularly rapid progress from their starting points. The pupils’ work shows that, in key stage 1, their progress is as good as, and in most cases a little greater than, that of other pupils in the school. Published information shows that this has been the case for the past three years in key stage 2. The school has recently received a prestigious award from the Department for Education for having one of the highest rates of progress and attainment for disadvantaged pupils since 2011.  The pupils’ substantial progress is not limited to English and mathematics, but is prevalent across the

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

curriculum. Inspectors viewed an extensive selection of pupils’ work from different year groups during the inspection, covering many subjects. It showed convincingly that the pupils make great gains in their skills, knowledge and understanding. For example, in Year 2, the pupils develop a wide understanding of Judaism when studying religious education. In science, pupils in Year 4 learn quickly to devise investigations for themselves and to draw accurate conclusions from their work.  Because of the consistently brisk progress, the pupils attain highly in all key stages.  Pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 1 has been improving over the last five years and high proportions of pupils are working at, or above, the expectations for their age. Results from this current year shows that considerably larger proportions of pupils have once again reached at least the standards expected for their age, compared to the national averages.

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

 Because of their consistently high achievement in both key stages 1 and 2, the pupils leave Wyberton extremely well prepared for secondary education.

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Early years provision is outstanding

 In 2015, the governing body opened the Nursery class with the aim of increasing the skills of the children and their readiness to begin learning upon their arrival in the Reception Year. This strategy has been highly successful.  The children get off to an excellent start from the moment they begin in the Nursery, where skilled staff plan excellent activities for the children to ensure that they make gains in all areas rapidly.  The leader of the early years is quick to establish effective relationships with parents. She uses information that they give to her about what their children can and cannot do, in order to assess the children’s levels of development from entry.  She is also keen to discover children’s interests, in order that she can adapt the classroom to include these things, which makes the children keen to attend.  Positive relations continue through the early years, with many parents using the school’s system to

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Early years provision is outstanding

upload to the staff both photographs and details of what their children have learned at home. The staff then share and celebrate these things with the children in the classroom.  The leader of the early years ensures that the curriculum is adapted highly effectively to help children catch up quickly, where they need to.  Many children enter the school with low levels of skills in communication, reading and writing. As a result, the staff speak with the children as much as possible, modelling the language of learning, encouraging the children to discuss things and to set challenges for them. As a result, the children’s skills in communicating quickly improve.  The children then become better readers and writers, because they can, for example, explain what they are trying to write, or can discuss the content of the book they are reading.  The staff also ensure that the early years environment is full of dazzling items of display that will

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Early years provision is outstanding

stimulate the children to talk, such as life-sized images of pirates. In addition, the staff label equipment with questions for the children, for instance, ‘how long will it take you to climb through the climbing frame?’  The staff have the highest expectations for each child and they use as many opportunities as they can for learning across the curriculum. For example, they, regularly, give the children instructions in French as well as English, and give children the opportunities to visit a local farm to understand how food is grown, and then to grow vegetables for themselves at school. The children have also hatched and reared their own chickens, which roam happily around the outdoor area and wait to be fed by the children each day.  As well as providing frequently changing resources and things to inspire the children’s interest, the staff give the children many choices, so that the children can learn to make decisions, as well as providing

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Early years provision is outstanding

steady routines to build the children’s confidence. As a result, the children quickly feel very safe in the early years.  The staff also show the children why it is important to behave safely at school, including, for example, about the dangers of water.  The staff meet daily to record the progress that the children have made and to adapt their teaching.  The friendly approach of all of the staff, the exciting curriculum, and the rich, stimulating environment enthuse the children to learn. The children are very well behaved, cooperative and extremely caring towards each other.  The most able children are given more challenging activities to do, such as counting in larger numbers.  The children in the Nursery join the Reception children for phonics teaching as soon as they are ready.  As a result of consistently excellent teaching, the children make sustained and substantial progress. They are very well prepared for Year 1 by the time that they leave the early years. This includes those children

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Early years provision is outstanding

who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who are disadvantaged are well supported to make quick gains from starting points that are often particularly low.

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School details

Unique reference number 120681 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 10010913

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Foundation Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 228 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Susan Brackenbury Headteacher Helen Richardson (Executive Headteacher) Sarah Paul (Head of School) Telephone number 01205 364797 Website www.wybertonprimary.org.uk Email address enquiries@wyberton.lincs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 14–15 July 2011

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Information about this school

 This is a slightly smaller than average size primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium funding is slightly below average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals or who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is well below average. Most pupils are of a White British background.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is slightly higher than average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum requirements for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  The school’s website meets the requirements on the publication of specified information.  The school is part of a federation with one other school, St Thomas’s CofE Primary School. The executive

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Information about this school

headteacher is in charge of both schools. The head of school takes over responsibility for Wyberton during the executive headteacher’s absence.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed learning in all key stages of the school and in all classes. They also looked at small-group sessions and examples of additional support for the pupils. Some of the observations took place accompanied by the executive headteacher. In total, 16 lessons, or parts of lessons, were observed. The inspectors also scrutinised many examples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors held meetings with the senior leaders and managers, subject leaders, representatives of the governing body, and pupils. They analysed 12 responses on Parent View, looked at the free-text comments submitted by those parents, spoke with parents at the beginning of the day, and took account of the 51 responses to the most recent survey carried out by the school. The inspectors also considered one piece of correspondence sent to them and met with a parent during the day.  The inspectors looked at a wide range of documentation, including the school’s development plan and

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Information about this inspection

self-evaluation, policies and records related to safeguarding, records of pupils’ behaviour, the school’s information about pupils’ outcomes and attendance, and records of meetings of the governing body.  The inspectors also checked the school’s website and ensured that it meets the requirements on the publication of specified information.  Ofsted inspected a private nursery at Wyberton, which is run by the governing body, separately until recently. It is now part of the main school and was therefore included in this inspection. A breakfast club, also managed by the governing body, was also included in the inspection.

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Inspection team

Roary Pownall, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Linda Lyn-Cook Ofsted Inspector Kevin McHenry Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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Inspection team

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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