Wayfield Primary School

Wayfield Primary School Wayfield Road, Chatham, Kent ME5 0HH

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Following the previous inspection of the predecessor school, the Primary First Trust swiftly addressed the school’s underperformance.  The headteacher and senior leaders have set high expectations of pupils and have taken effective action to improve standards across the school significantly.  Governors have a very good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They provide an effective balance of support and challenge for school leaders.  The headteacher and senior leaders have established a range of successful strategies to improve the quality of teaching and learning, including the innovative use of technology.  Teaching, learning and assessment across the school are now good. As a result, most pupils make strong progress from their starting points in reading, writing and mathematics.  Leaders have developed a rich and varied curriculum that enables pupils to develop key skills in a wide range of subjects. However,

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

pupils are not being given enough opportunities to write for different purposes across the curriculum.  A minority of pupils, however, are not making the progress of which they are capable, including the most able.  The early years provision is outstanding. Teaching across the setting is of a consistently high standard. Children have very positive attitudes to their learning and they make very strong progress from their starting points.  Leaders have established a thriving learning community. Pupils are remarkably friendly and welcoming and they have extremely positive attitudes to learning.  Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. Throughout the school day, pupils’ conduct is of a very high standard. Well-established routines mean that there is no disruption to learning.  Leaders have taken effective action to improve pupils’ attendance and to reduce significantly the number of pupils who are persistently absent.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Safeguarding is effective because leaders have established a culture throughout the school where pupils’ welfare is paramount.  The school’s curriculum and values ensure that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and their understanding of fundamental British values are well supported.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve pupil outcomes by: – ensuring that the most able pupils are sufficiently challenged in their learning so that increasing proportions attain higher standards – ensuring that pupils are given regular opportunities to write for different purposes across the curriculum.  Ensure that all teaching matches the best in the school so that all pupils make the best possible progress.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Following the inspection of the predecessor school, leaders from the Primary First Trust swiftly addressed the school’s underperformance and the serious safety concerns that had been raised. The trust took effective steps to strengthen leadership and management across the school, including governance.  The Primary First Trust quickly ensured that robust systems were put in place to monitor the effectiveness of the school’s work. This includes regular, accurate reviews of the school, providing clear, sharply focused recommendations for improvement.  The headteacher and senior leaders have a very accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and the priorities for improvement. They are ambitious for their pupils and have set high expectations of what pupils can achieve.  The headteacher has been innovative in his approach to developing teaching and learning, and the curriculum. He has developed a carefully considered approach to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

teaching and learning using technology to enable ‘flip learning’ and to enhance pupils’ experiences across the curriculum. This has become an integral part of the school’s curriculum.  Alongside developments in the use of technology, leaders have also implemented a range of successful teaching and learning strategies. For example, leaders have developed an effective consistent approach to assessment, and the teaching of mathematics. Coupled with carefully targeted training and professional development for staff, this has significantly improved the quality of teaching and learning across the school.  Leaders have developed an interesting curriculum that incorporates a wide range of rich and varied learning experiences. For example, pupils are taught to play a musical instrument, such as the recorder and the ukulele, having the opportunity to perform in music festivals. Additional enrichment opportunities are also offered through an

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

extended school day. For instance, Year 3 pupils took part in the ‘Dinosnores’ sleepover to enhance their learning through their dinosaur topic.  Leaders make effective use of additional funding to ensure that pupils who are disadvantaged, and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are provided with the additional support that they need for their learning. Leaders closely monitor the progress of these pupils to ensure that the right support is in place. While most pupils are making strong progress from their starting points, a small number of these pupils are not yet making the progress of which they are capable.  Leaders carefully target their spending of the school’s physical education (PE) and sports premium funding. Pupils experience an hour of PE every day, participating in a wide range of sports, for example dance and boxing. This has been successful in improving pupils’ fitness, well-being, participation in and enjoyment of sports.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Through the school’s curriculum and extensive enrichment opportunities, pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and their understanding of fundamental British values are very well supported. Pupils talk with confidence about the opportunities they have to vote democratically through the school council, helping to make decisions about improvements to the school. They also understand the importance of respect. They said that respect means ‘treating others the way you would like to be treated’, and that you must ‘give respect to earn respect’.  Many parents commented on the improvements they have seen throughout the school since it joined the Primary First Trust. One parent reflected the views of many when they said that ‘the school has consistently improved over the last three years and is totally unrecognisable from the school my child started in’. Another parent noted specific improvements when they shared the following: ‘The children’s behaviour inside

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

school has improved rapidly and my children are thriving at such an adventurous, innovative and loving school’.

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Governance of the school

 Since the school joined the Primary First Trust, a new board of governors has been established. Governors share leaders’ vision for the school and their high expectations of pupils. The trust ensures that governors receive appropriate training and support to enable them to fulfil their roles effectively.  Governors undertake a wide range of monitoring activities to check on the school’s work. They scrutinise assessment information provided by school leaders and undertake monitoring visits to the school, during which they speak to pupils, parents and staff. Consequently, governors have a very good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.  Governors rigorously challenge leaders on the impact of their work. They carefully explore the impact of additional funding on outcomes for pupils, including those who are disadvantaged. Furthermore, they check on the effectiveness of new initiatives on

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Governance of the school

the quality of teaching and learning and outcomes for pupils.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders have established robust policies and procedures for safeguarding pupils in the school. Governors ensure that these procedures are routinely and thoroughly checked during their monitoring visits to ensure that they remain effective.  Leaders provide all staff with detailed safeguarding and child protection training. As a result, staff have a good understanding of the school’s recording and reporting procedures and their responsibilities to ensure that pupils’ welfare remains paramount.  Leaders ensure that thorough pre-employment checks are undertaken on all staff and volunteers working in the school. The records of these checks are detailed and well organised.  Pupils say that they feel safe in school and when online. They have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe and they know what to do if they are worried.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Leaders have developed an innovative approach to teaching and learning throughout the school. All pupils have individual access to a tablet to support their learning, both at home and throughout the school day. Teachers plan activities for pupils through ‘flip-learning’, enabling pupils to practise and explore their understanding of concepts prior to their daily lessons. These are completed each day, either as homework or during early-morning supported learning sessions. As a result, pupils are ready to tackle their learning with more confidence during their lessons. Pupils refer to their ‘flip-learning’ during lessons to help them explain and deepen their understanding. Pupils say that working in this way ‘really helps’ their learning.  During lessons teachers make effective use of questioning to assess pupils’ learning and to identify any gaps in their knowledge and understanding. For instance, teachers

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

focus precisely on pupils’ application of grammar, punctuation and spelling, supporting pupils to correct and improve their writing. Furthermore, teachers extend pupils’ understanding through carefully targeted questioning, including questions that challenge pupils to reason and explain their thinking more deeply.  Teachers model learning effectively, giving pupils useful examples to refer to when they are tackling their work. In addition, teachers regularly model the use of varied and interesting vocabulary to enrich the content of pupils’ writing. Pupils use this language with increasing confidence in their writing.  The teaching of phonics is strong. Teachers plan activities that challenge pupils and engage them fully in their learning. Teachers use assessment and questioning skilfully to move learning on.  Leaders have developed a consistent, successful approach to teaching mathematics across school. Most teaching makes effective use of practical activities using concrete

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

apparatus and visual representations to develop pupils’ understanding of mathematical concepts. Teachers provide pupils with a wide variety of opportunities to use and apply their skills to reason, problem-solve and investigate mathematical concepts.  Teaching assistants provide effective support for pupils, including those with SEND. They provide sharply focused feedback to address pupils’ misconceptions and to support them in editing and improving their work.  At times, learning is not sufficiently demanding enough for the most able pupils. Tasks do not provide opportunities for pupils to write at length in other subject areas. Leaders have recently introduced ‘stretch and challenge’ sessions after school to provide opportunities for the most able pupils to work at a greater depth in their learning.  Most teaching across the wider curriculum is good. For example, teachers’ strong subject knowledge in PE means that the teaching of physical skills is precise and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

sharply focused. Pupils are given the opportunity to record their sporting performances on their tablets and then evaluate their own and the performances of others. As a result, pupils’ PE skills are becoming more refined and are developing well. At times, however, in subjects such as history and geography, pupils are not given regular enough opportunities to write at length for different purposes. Consequently, pupils do not sufficiently deepen their learning in these subjects.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. Leaders have established a thriving learning community where pupils’ physical, social, emotional and mental health are effectively promoted and well supported. Pupils are exceptionally friendly, welcoming and happy.  Pupils are overwhelmingly positive about their school. They say that their school is ‘amazing’ and that they enjoy coming to school. Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning and they take great pride in their work, which is neatly presented.  Pupils develop effective learning behaviours. Consequently, they become confident self-assured learners. They work hard and show resilience when faced with a challenge. They develop the capacity to learn from their mistakes, becoming keen learners who want to find out more.  Pupils work very well collaboratively. They listen respectfully to each other’s ideas and

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Personal development and welfare

are confident to share their own understanding. For instance, during a mathematics lesson, one child responded to his friend’s answer by saying: ‘I respect your answer, but I challenge it’, before going on to share his own explanation for solving the problem.  Pupils feel safe in school and confidently say that school is ‘bully-free’. They say that their teachers help them if they have any worries and that they are taught how to keep themselves safe. As a result, they are very confident in their regular use of technology because they know how to keep themselves safe when online.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Leaders have taken effective action to significantly improve the behaviour of pupils. They have established high expectations regarding pupils’ behaviour and have introduced clear rewards and sanctions. As a result, over time, the number of behaviour incidents have significantly reduced. The rare incidents that do occur are dealt with well and are rigorously monitored.  Pupils’ behaviour and conduct is of a high standard and is self-regulated, both in lessons and around the school. Routines are very well embedded. Pupils make the transition between lessons and activities with confidence, and with no disruption to their learning.  Leaders have developed a robust approach to tackling pupils’ attendance. They have introduced enticing incentives for pupils and an effective balance of support and challenge for families. This, coupled with improved attitudes to learning and good

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Behaviour

teaching, has resulted in a substantial and sustained improvement in pupils’ attendance. Furthermore, the number of pupils who are persistently absent has significantly reduced.  Lunchtimes and breaktimes are an enjoyable experience. Pupils are well supervised by trained staff and relationships at all levels are extremely positive. Pupils participate in a wide range of activities, for example table tennis and trampolining, taking turns and sharing equipment kindly and sensibly.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 As a result of improvements in teaching and learning in recent years, outcomes for pupils have significantly improved.  The progress that pupils made in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 improved in 2018. Furthermore, the proportion of pupils who attained the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined improved in 2018 so that it was in line with other pupils nationally.  The proportion of pupils who attained the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 1 has been broadly in line with the national averages for the last two years.  Most pupils currently in the school are making strong progress from their starting points in reading, writing and mathematics. There are, however, a small number of pupils who are not currently making the progress of which they are capable, including the most able pupils and some disadvantaged pupils. Leaders’ and teachers’ effective

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Outcomes for pupils Good

use of assessment ensures that these pupils are quickly identified and given the targeted support that they need. For example, in recent weeks, the most able pupils have started to make greater progress after ‘stretch and challenge’ sessions were introduced.  The proportion of pupils who attained the expected standard in English grammar, punctuation and spelling (EGPS) at the end of key stage 2 remained below the national average in 2018. However, the school’s emphasis on addressing these key skills means that current pupils are applying their knowledge of grammar, punctuation and spelling with increasing precision in their writing. Furthermore, pupils make use of high-quality vocabulary in their writing, enabling them to make good progress from their starting points.  As a result of strong teaching in phonics, younger pupils secure a good understanding of letters and the sounds they make. They are confident to use and apply this

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Outcomes for pupils Good

knowledge in their reading and writing. For the last two years, the proportion of pupils who attained the expected standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 was broadly in line with the national averages.  Across the school, most pupils are making very good progress in mathematics. Pupils become increasingly confident to articulate their understanding, explaining their reasoning using mathematical language. Over time, pupils work with increasingly bigger numbers, fractions and decimals and with more complex calculations. Pupils apply this understanding to solve problems and reason with confidence.  Overall, pupils make good progress from their starting points across the wider curriculum. For example, in PE, pupils develop and refine their skills well. Furthermore, pupils make strong progress in music, demonstrating proficiency in playing the recorder and the ukulele. However, some pupils are not making the progress of which they are

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Outcomes for pupils Good

capable in subjects such as history and geography.

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Early years provision Outstanding

 Leadership of the early years is extremely effective. The early years leader is highly focused and is uncompromising in her drive to provide the best possible provision and outcomes for the children in her care.  Provision across the early years classes is meticulously planned, assessed, evaluated and reviewed in order to maintain the highest standards. As a result, the provision is highly stimulating, providing rich, varied and imaginative experiences for the children.  Teaching is of a consistently high standard. Teachers plan a wide range of activities that promote children’s independence and support the development of key skills. Children engage with these activities well. They demonstrate imagination, curiosity and concentration, playing and learning together harmoniously.  Teachers support learning and question children very well, responding rapidly and appropriately to the children’s needs. For example, in the Nursery, an adult supported

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Early years provision Outstanding

the children to count out scoops of sand as they filled their bucket to make a sandcastle. Adults also focus on exposing children to a wide variety of vocabulary, which is having a positive impact on children’s speech and language development.  Teachers have established positive, nurturing relationships with the children and have developed clear rules and routines. They make effective use of praise and encouragement to promote positive behaviour, praising children for their teamwork and for ‘being a good friend’, and thanking them when they are helpful. They also allow children to take on roles of responsibility, for instance acting as the ‘book monitor’, which children take very seriously.  Consequently, children are independent, happy learners. They interact positively with one another and share resources appropriately. Children are supportive of one another, are kind and respectful, having formed firm friendships with their peers. All of this

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Early years provision Outstanding

contributes to a very calm purposeful, happy learning environment.  As a result of outstanding teaching, children make very strong progress from their low starting points across all the Nursery and Reception classes. At the end of Reception Year, the proportions of children who achieved a good level of development for the last two years were above the national averages.  At the end of Reception Year, children are extremely well prepared academically, emotionally and socially for their move into Year 1 and beyond.

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Email address office@wayfield.medway.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Formerly a part of the Griffin Trust, the school became a part of the Primary First Trust in September 2016, following the predecessor school’s inspection that judged the school to be inadequate.  The school is governed by a local governing body (LGB). School leaders and the LGB are held accountable by the Primary First Trust Board.  The school is similar in size to the average-sized primary school.  The early years setting incorporates a Nursery of two classes for two- to four-year-old children, and a Reception class for four- and five-year-old children.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is broadly in line with the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is significantly above the national average.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in all year groups and classes, across a range of subjects. Some sessions were observed jointly with school leaders. Inspectors looked at the quality of pupils’ work during lessons and through a focused scrutiny of work in books.  Inspectors held meetings with the trust’s executive team, the headteacher and other school leaders and staff. They also met with members of the governing body and the school’s designated safeguarding leads.  A wide range of documentation was reviewed, including information on pupils’ attainment and progress, attendance and behaviour. Information about governance, including the minutes of the governing body’s meetings, was examined. The school’s self-evaluation summary, school development plan and supporting evidence were scrutinised, together with information on the school’s website.  The 37 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, including 21 free-text

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Information about this inspection

comments, were considered. Inspectors also met with parents at the beginning of the school day.  Inspectors considered the views of 28 staff who completed Ofsted’s confidential online survey.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and talked with pupils in lessons and around the school to gather their views. They also met formally with a group of pupils and took account of the views of the one child who responded to Ofsted’s online pupil survey.  Pupils’ behaviour was observed in lessons, around the school and during breaktime and lunchtime.  Inspectors scrutinised the school’s safeguarding records and the single central record of recruitment checks on adults working with pupils.

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Inspection team

Leah Goulding, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrew Hogarth 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

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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 .

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Inspection team

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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.gov.uk/ofsted

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