Wordsworth Primary and Nursery School

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

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Mr Rick Page Headteacher Wordsworth Primary School Victor Street Shirley Southampton Hampshire SO15 5LH

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Short inspection of Wordsworth Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 20 September 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 your predecessor school was judged to be good in November 2011.

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Short inspection of Wordsworth Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Leaders and governors have effectively managed the change from being an infant school to becoming a primary school. Throughout this period of expansion, the school has focused on improving outcomes for pupils. A good example of this is the effective work of the governing body to ensure that the right staff were appointed to guide the growth of the school.

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Short inspection of Wordsworth Primary School

The school gives a well-rounded education that ensures pupils thrive. The broad range of interesting activities enables all-round development for pupils. The support for pupils’ well-being is very strong. This is valued and appreciated by pupils and parents alike. Parents praise the caring nature of the school and many comment on how their child has benefited from the school’s support. Pupils enjoy school and are making good progress from their starting points.

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Short inspection of Wordsworth Primary School

You are rightly proud of the strength in your leadership team. Together, you have maintained the good areas identified by the last inspection. You have also taken effective action to further improve the quality of teaching.

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Short inspection of Wordsworth Primary School

The leadership team works well together to ensure that teaching remains good. Leaders have a deep understanding of the current strengths and weaknesses in teaching. This knowledge is based on thorough analysis of a good range of information. It is now important that your plans for improvement are closely monitored by your governors. This should ensure that everyone stays focused and that your plans deliver the better outcomes for pupils they promise. You are correct to focus on the teaching of mathematics and the progress of the most able pupils.

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Short inspection of Wordsworth Primary School

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school and pupils feel safe. Almost all parents say that their children are safe and happy at school. The majority of parents are full of praise for the school, summed up by one parent who said that this is the best school in the area. Staff are extremely caring and all see the safety and well-being of pupils as priorities.

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Short inspection of Wordsworth Primary School

Systems and policies for safeguarding are clear and well managed. The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and records are detailed and of high quality. The training and induction of staff are very thorough. As a result, staff are knowledgeable and up to date. A good example of this thorough approach is the class safeguarding file recently introduced for staff. Leaders are aware of local issues and ensure that these inform the school’s work to keep pupils safe. Governors have a good understanding of safeguarding and carry out a number of activities to monitor the effectiveness of procedures in the school.

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Short inspection of Wordsworth Primary School

The overwhelming majority of pupils and parents would recommend the school to a friend. They value the care and support provided by staff. A small number of parents felt that the school did not deal effectively with poor behaviour and bullying. Staff report that poor behaviour is tackled swiftly and appropriately. Pupils feel safe in the school and say that staff look after them well. They said that teachers are good at dealing with bad behaviour. Pupils have confidence in the staff to deal with any issues or concerns that they may have.

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Short inspection of Wordsworth Primary School

The curriculum is used well to keep pupils safe. As a result, pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. Parents are kept well informed about this work. Many parents said they value the information they receive about keeping children safe on the internet.

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Inspection findings

 At the start of the inspection, we agreed to look in particular at the following aspects of the school’s work: – the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements – how well leaders have continued to improve the quality of teaching – how effectively leaders are ensuring that disadvantaged pupils do as well as other pupils in the school – how thoroughly governors ensure that the school fulfils its statutory duties.

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Inspection findings

 Pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics from lower-than- average starting points. By the time they leave the school, they achieve standards that are at least in line with national averages. The achievement of the most able pupils is improving. However, these pupils could achieve more. Leaders are rightly focused on improving the teaching that these pupils receive to enable more of them to reach the higher standards of achievement.  Gaps between the performance of disadvantaged pupils and other pupils in the school have narrowed significantly and continue to do so. The support for pupils who need extra help is very effective. For example, each class has detailed information to ensure that teachers focus on the children who need them most. As a result, all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, are making at least expected progress. Leaders are now rightly focused on ensuring that the most

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Inspection findings

able pupils in the school, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, make the rapid progress they need to reach the higher standards.  Governors have used funding wisely to ensure that disadvantaged pupils are well supported and make good progress. The school is well assisted by the trust in this work. For example, the trust carried out a thorough review of the provision for disadvantaged pupils. The clear recommendations that arose are closely monitored by the trust.  Leaders meticulously analyse information about pupils’ learning to develop strategies to improve the quality of teaching in the school. Current work on mathematics is well thought-through. Leaders have a strong understanding of the school’s performance. Teachers have a good understanding of the school’s current priorities. However, governors do not monitor this work closely enough. Consequently, they cannot hold leaders tightly to account so that pupils make the

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Inspection findings

rapid progress that they need.  Governors are ambitious for the pupils in the school. They have taken targeted action to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and to tackle poor attendance. Governors acted swiftly to address gaps in the information available on the website and this now meets requirements. Governors’ monitoring is not as strong in all areas of the school.  Leaders have a range of effective strategies to tackle poor attendance. As a result, rates of persistent absence have improved. However, the overall attendance of pupils remains lower than the national average. This hinders the learning of some pupils.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 governors closely monitor the impact of actions to improve outcomes for pupils, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and the most able  rates of attendance, in particular those for pupils from vulnerable groups, match or exceed national averages for primary schools.

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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 Southampton. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During this inspection I met with you and other leaders to discuss a range of issues including the quality of teaching, safeguarding and pupils’ progress. I also met with members of the governing body and a representative from the multi-academy trust. With members of the leadership team, I visited classrooms and looked at pupils’ work. I spoke to parents at the start of the day. I observed the behaviour of pupils and spoke to them about the school. I reviewed school documentation, including the school’s policies and procedures for safeguarding. I took account of 60 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 40 written comments. I also considered 37 responses to the pupil survey, 35 responses to the staff survey and a phone call from a parent.

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