South Wingfield Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mrs Fiona O’Hara Headteacher South Wingfield Primary School Church Lane South Wingfield Alfreton Derbyshire DE55 7NJ

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Short inspection of South Wingfield Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 8 March 2017, 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 April 2013.

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Short inspection of South Wingfield Primary School

You and the governing body have maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You have successfully led the school through a turbulent time regarding staff absence and recruitment. Despite these challenges, you have ensured that standards in reading, writing and mathematics have remained high. You are well supported by the senior teacher, who has recently taken on the responsibility of subject leader for English. In a short space of time, she has taken decisive steps to check that the quality of guided reading throughout the school remains good. The enthusiastic governing body supports you well in order to maintain a continued focus on improving the quality of education for all pupils.

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Short inspection of South Wingfield Primary School

The pupils I spoke with said that they are happy, enjoy school and feel safe. They are particularly knowledgeable regarding keeping themselves safe online. They enjoy the extra-curricular activities, educational visits and residential trips that you provide.

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Short inspection of South Wingfield Primary School

Since the last inspection, the school has developed a comprehensive tracking and assessment system. This enables teachers to see clearly which pupils are making good progress and to identify quickly those pupils who require extra support in order to catch up. In 2016, pupils at the end of key stage 2 made good progress from their various starting points in writing and mathematics. There was slightly less progress made in reading. However, you have already begun to address this with current pupils. The proportion of pupils who achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 was above the national average. Similarly, at the end of key stage 1, the proportion of pupils who achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics was above the national average. There was a decline in the results of the Year 1 phonics check last year. However, you quickly identified the reasons for this, and have worked this year to ensure that

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Short inspection of South Wingfield Primary School

those pupils who need extra support in phonics have received it. Standards in the early years have remained high. A higher proportion of children have achieved a good level of development compared with national averages for the last three years.

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Short inspection of South Wingfield Primary School

At the previous inspection, inspectors asked leaders to ensure that teachers used the school’s marking policy consistently. Upon examining pupils’ books, in a wide range of subjects, it is evident that this has been achieved successfully. Inspectors also asked the school to ensure that teaching was sharply focused on what pupils are expected to learn. The ‘Success Criteria Of Today’ system operated by teachers has successfully addressed this issue. Pupils can confidently explain the task they have been asked to complete and are clear about what they need to do next in order to improve.

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Short inspection of South Wingfield Primary School

Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. A recent visit to a Sikh temple in Derby has helped to deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding of other faiths and cultures that are different from their own. Pupils have a good concept of British values, in particular democracy, as a result of the school’s elected pupil parliament.

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Short inspection of South Wingfield Primary School

You have ensured that pupils receive a broad and balanced curriculum. Evidence in pupils’ topic books indicates that foundation subjects such as geography, history and science are taught well. There are also opportunities for pupils to develop their art and music skills both during the day and at after-school clubs.

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Short inspection of South Wingfield Primary School

You have ensured pupils’ safety by moving the school office downstairs, so that staff can now see visitors before they are allowed into the building. You have introduced a robust system for recording any initial concerns that staff may have regarding pupils’ welfare.

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Short inspection of South Wingfield Primary School

You make timely referrals to outside agencies should any pupils and their families require extra support. Records are detailed and contain an appropriate level of information.

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Short inspection of South Wingfield Primary School

Rigorous checks are made on adults before they start working or volunteering at the school. The single central record is well maintained and meets all statutory requirements. Staff and governors have received safeguarding training, therefore ensuring that a strong safeguarding ethos exists within the school. Pupils told me that bullying used to occur but it is now extremely rare. They are confident that adults are on hand to quickly defuse any issues, and that these incidents are dealt with fairly. Records kept by the school show that incidents of poor behaviour are declining and there have been no racist or homophobic incidents in recent years.

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Short inspection of South Wingfield Primary School

There is a good range of advice for parents regarding keeping children safe online, on the school’s website.

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Inspection findings

 You and other members of staff have created a caring, nurturing ethos where ‘happy, successful children’ thrive. You know pupils and their families very well and are knowledgeable regarding pupils’ abilities and any extra support they are receiving.  Your plans for school and subject improvement are detailed and well written. They contain concise actions, milestones and monitoring opportunities so that governors can hold leaders fully to account for their actions.  You have received strong support from the local authority. This has enabled you to be confident with judgements regarding pupils’ assessment information, the quality of teaching and your self-evaluation of the school’s strengths and future areas for development.  Performance management procedures for teachers are rigorous. They are set challenging targets by you regarding pupils’ progress and relevant areas from the school improvement plan. Governors, to ensure fairness and transparency,

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Inspection findings

monitor the process closely.  Teachers undertake termly moderation of pupils’ work in writing and mathematics with other schools. This ensures that the judgements teachers make regarding pupil assessments are accurate and reliable.  There is a busy, purposeful atmosphere in classrooms. Pupils work well together and are keen to learn. For examples, in the Years 5 and 6 class, pupils were working in pairs to redraft an informal letter into a formal letter, while in the Years 3 and 4 class, pupils were working together to solve fractions of whole numbers. Pupils were equally engaged in the Years 1 and 2 class, where they were planning a fantasy story. Some pupils were dressed as knights and princesses to help with vocabulary and character description.  Teaching assistants are deployed effectively and are a strength of the school. They provide good support for different groups of pupils by developing their

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Inspection findings

knowledge and understanding in a range of subjects.  Children in the early years make good progress in the well-resourced and stimulating indoor and outdoor areas. The teacher makes regular and accurate assessments to ensure that the next steps in children’s learning are planned for carefully.  The achievement of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is tracked and monitored carefully to ensure that the support they are receiving is enabling them to make good progress.  Pupils do not have enough opportunities to practise spelling, punctuation and grammar skills, in extended writing, across the curriculum.  Pupils were instrumental in deciding the blue, yellow and red behaviour card system. They told me that this system works well and that they enjoy the challenge of being ‘green all week’. Pupils are rewarded with ‘SWIPS’ (the ‘South Wingfield Independent Payment System’) for showing good behaviour and

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Inspection findings

attitudes in school. The SWIPS can be saved and then spent on prizes at the ‘SWIP Shop’ every half term.  Pupils enjoy the responsibility of being members of the pupils’ parliament, class ambassadors, class monitors, house captains, librarians and peer buddies who help to organise games for other pupils at break- and lunchtimes.  Attendance has remained above national figures for the last three years. Current information provided by the school would indicate that this trend is set to continue during 2016/17.  The majority of parents are supportive of the school and its work. They told me that their children feel happy and safe in school and that they are making good progress. One parent told me that her daughter was ‘coming on in leaps and bounds!’.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that pupils have increased opportunities to practise spelling, punctuation and grammar skills in extended writing, in a wide range of subjects.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Derbyshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, I held meetings with you with regard to your responsibilities as headteacher, safeguarding, mathematics and special educational needs and the senior teacher responsible for English. I also had a meeting with governors, including the chair of the governing body and a representative from the local authority. I visited all four classrooms with you. I examined samples of pupils’ work and talked to pupils about their learning. I spoke with pupils informally during lessons, and formally during an interview. I observed pupils’ behaviour around the school, at the start of the school day and during lessons. I met with parents at the beginning of the school day and I took account of 16 responses to the Ofsted free- text service, 22 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey and five responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. There were two responses to the pupil survey. I examined a range of documents, including safeguarding records and policies, the single

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Information about the inspection

central record, behaviour policies, the latest achievement information for the school, the school’s self-evaluation summary and improvement plan, records of meetings of the governing body, and information relating to pupils’ attendance and behaviour.

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