Welton Primary School

Welton Primary School Radstock Road, Midsomer Norton, Radstock, Somerset BA3 2AG

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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 Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Welton Primary School is a happy and welcoming school. The headteacher has established a shared whole-school ethos of care, inclusivity and respect that permeates all the school does.  The Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership Trust (MNSP) provides effective challenge and support to school leaders, including appropriate training to improve teaching.  The early years leader ensures that children settle quickly and know class routines. No time is wasted before ensuring that children make a good start in their learning. There is a clear focus on giving children the basic skills they need to be ready for Year 1.  Outcomes are improving throughout the school. However, too few pupils reach the higher standard in mathematics by the end of key stage 2.  Pupils work enthusiastically in mathematics and develop good problem-solving skills. On occasion, pupils do not set out their work or explain their thinking as clearly as they could.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The quality of teaching across the school is good. Teachers’ secure subject knowledge, alongside consistent approaches to teaching and learning, ensures that current pupils make good progress from their starting points.  Pupils feel safe at the school. They are taught well how to keep themselves safe in different situations.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. They are friendly and respectful. They are courteous to each other, adults and visitors.  Teaching and learning for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well organised. Additional funding is used effectively to ensure that these pupils make good progress from their starting points.  Staff are proud to work at the school and are grateful for the many training and development opportunities that are open to them. Staff morale is high.  The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is a strength of the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

school. As a result, pupils have a good understanding of British values.  Leaders hold a wealth of information about the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress. However, their evaluations are not sufficiently sharp to identify fully where further improvements could take place.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further develop the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, by: – ensuring that teachers apply consistently strategies to improve pupils’ outcomes in mathematics, particularly for the most able – helping pupils develop their reasoning skills and clarity of explanations in mathematics.  Improve the quality of leadership and management by ensuring that leaders summarise key information about pupils’ progress more concisely and refine identified actions in order to secure further improvement.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Since the school opened as an academy, the trust has played a pivotal role in improving the school. The headteacher is dedicated to the school and has high expectations of what pupils can and should achieve. He and the deputy headteacher make a strong team. They have a thorough understanding of the quality of teaching across the school.  Parents and carers who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire Parent View are very supportive of the school. One parent, reflecting the views of others, wrote: ‘I honestly can’t praise this school enough.’ Another parent stated: ‘This school really is a gem!’ The overwhelming majority of parents who responded to Parent View and all those who spoke to inspectors would recommend this school to others.  Leaders ensure that support for disadvantaged pupils is carefully planned and takes account of pupils’ individual barriers to learning. They consider pupils’ social, emotional

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

and academic needs sensitively. Well-tailored support, including new approaches to outdoor play and learning, builds up pupils’ confidence and perseverance. This enables most disadvantaged pupils to make good progress.  Senior leaders visit classes frequently to make checks on the quality of teaching and learning. However, they do not evaluate the series of observations well enough to identify whether all advice has been put into practice. Similarly, although pupils are making good progress, leaders have not identified sharply where progress could be even better.  Subject leaders in mathematics and English are effective in their roles. They are knowledgeable about their subjects and have developed good teaching across the school. They regularly check on the quality of pupils’ work and give useful information to teachers on how to improve their practice.  The curriculum is broad and balanced. There are many opportunities for pupils to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

develop their reading, writing and mathematics skills in other subjects. Leaders ensure that the curriculum provides pupils with a wide range of opportunities to increase their experiences beyond their local community. Pupils benefit from a carefully planned programme of visitors to inspire and encourage them to think about possible future careers.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well supported through carefully planned assemblies, lesson and events. Pupils learn to respect each other and celebrate differences, through a wide range of activities that teach them about people in the wider world. Pupils understand the ‘Welton values’ and fundamental British values, which are successfully woven into the curriculum. These teach pupils how to apply principles such as respect and equality in their everyday lives. This prepares pupils well for both the next stage of their education and for happy and successful

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

development outside the school.  The leader responsible for pupils with SEND has a good understanding of the needs of the pupils. Senior leaders carefully use assessment information to ensure that appropriate support is swiftly put in place. Pupils with SEND make good progress from their starting points. Leaders seek additional support tenaciously from external agencies when required.  Leaders use the primary school physical education and sport premium effectively to improve teachers’ skills and provide specialist teaching.  Staff feel valued by leaders and state that they recognise the work leaders do in ensuring that the school continues to improve. School staff share good practice with other colleagues in the trust and benefit from joint training events. Teachers value these opportunities and say that they are helping them improve their practice.

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Governance of the school

 The trust and the local governing body have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They are ambitious. Their shared vision for the school ensures that there is a collective approach to build on the considerable improvements already made. The trust oversees the school effectively, holding senior leaders to account well.  Governors fulfil their legal duties effectively. For example, they ensure that the additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is used well and they check that the school’s procedures for safeguarding pupils are rigorous.  Governors and trustees are kept well informed about the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes through reports from senior leaders. External advisers are used to validate senior leaders’ analysis of the school’s performance.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Keeping pupils safe is always a priority for leaders and teachers. Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe in the school. All staff and all parents who responded to Ofsted’s surveys echoed this opinion.  Senior leaders ensure that checks on new staff are carried out diligently and record- keeping is systematic and rigorous. Staff are given good-quality training and so they are knowledgeable about their responsibilities. They are alert to any concerns about pupils’ welfare and follow these up promptly. The designated safeguarding leader makes sure that referrals to external agencies are carried out swiftly. Senior leaders work closely with parents and other professionals, so pupils are kept safe.  Staff use their skills and expertise in safeguarding to good effect. Leaders are determined in ensuring that the needs of children and families are catered for.

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Safeguarding

Everybody takes responsibility for the welfare of children.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good. It is typically characterised by adults’ strong subject knowledge and clear expectations. Teachers plan activities that develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding well.  Teachers know their pupils well. In all year groups, there are strong relationships and high levels of respect. These contribute towards pupils’ positive attitudes to their learning.  The teaching of writing is effective and much improved. The well-planned curriculum develops pupils’ technical writing skills and allows them to practise their writing for different purposes. For example, pupils in Year 2 prepared questions to pose in a letter to a local artist.  The teaching of mathematics is improving. Teachers make better use of assessment to identify and address gaps in pupils’ prior learning. Pupils’ understanding of number has rapidly improved due to the introduction of ‘arithmetic Fridays’. Pupils can now carry

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

out a range of calculations with greater confidence and accuracy. While there are opportunities for pupils to use reasoning, they do not always explain their thinking clearly enough. As a result, some pupils do not have the skills necessary to attain the higher standards that are seen in reading and writing. The mathematics leader is aware of this and is already taking steps to address the issue, providing support and training for staff.  Good teaching across the school ensures that most pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, make good progress. The most able make good progress in reading and writing. Teachers produce a range of challenging tasks for pupils during mathematics lessons. However, work is not always set at the right level of challenge to promote strong progress for the most able pupils.  Phonics is taught well in early years and key stage 1. Teaching is highly structured and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

consistent for all groups. Teachers’ regular review of pupils’ phonic knowledge ensures that pupils in need of additional support are identified quickly. Teachers give these pupils effective extra help.  Teachers promote reading well. There is a structured approach to the teaching of reading across the school. This develops pupils’ comprehension and vocabulary effectively. Pupils benefit from having access to an inviting and well-stocked library, from which they regularly borrow books. Teachers encourage reading at home. As a result, pupils read confidently and enjoy using their skills to read in different subjects.  Teachers plan work that builds effectively on pupils’ prior learning. They ask effective questions to find out what pupils already know and can remember, before introducing new concepts.  Adults monitor pupils’ learning carefully. They are quick to notice when pupils are finding work too difficult or if they are making mistakes. Adults provide clear support

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

and guidance in lessons to help pupils improve their work.  Teachers set homework in line with the school’s policy. Homework consolidates pupils’ learning.  Teachers deploy support staff well. These staff know best how to support pupils, including those with SEND. Support staff ask pupils probing questions that support their learning well.  Typically, science is taught well. Pupils develop scientific knowledge, understanding and skills quickly. For example, pupils in Year 3 use the measuring skills they are learning in mathematics confidently when investigating growth in science.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. The strong ethos of respect and care is woven into everything the school does. Staff are consistently strong role models. Pupils trust staff and have high regard for them.  Pupils have a wide range of opportunities to take on positions of responsibility and contribute to the wider life of the school. House captains are proud of their roles, and the anti-bullying ambassadors are very enthusiastic. Pupils develop leadership skills well as a result.  Pupils have a secure understanding of British values. They can explain how they apply these in their own lives, both at the school and at home. Pupils recognise that different people have different beliefs. They are clear this is an example of individual liberty. They show respect for their peers and demonstrate an astute awareness of the importance of equality.  Pupils feel safe in the school and know that staff will help them if they have any

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Personal development and welfare

concerns. Pupils also know how to stay safe on the internet, because leaders provide activities that give them the information they need.  Pupils enjoy the regular career days held in the school. Visiting professionals talk to pupils about their jobs. All pupils spoken to during the inspection were able to articulate their aspirations for their own futures.  The overwhelming majority of parents who spoke to inspectors or responded to Parent View were positive about the support their children receive. They are confident that their children are happy and safe. They value the family atmosphere.  Pupils report that bullying rarely happens at their school. There are systems in place such as the ‘worry’ boxes that they can access to raise concerns. Adults respond quickly to concerns. Pupils report they can talk to adults, who take their concerns seriously. They appreciate the efforts staff make to support their mental health and

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils’ behaviour in and out of lessons is very positive. Pupils are friendly, polite and well-mannered. They follow teachers’ instructions closely and they have excellent attitudes to learning.  Pupils are very welcoming to visitors. They talk with enthusiasm about their love for their school’s community and the things that they have enjoyed learning.  In lessons, pupils listen attentively to adults and apply themselves diligently to tasks. Discussions between pupils and adults are purposeful and focused on learning. At breaktimes and lunchtimes, pupils enjoy socialising and are kind to each other.  An effective behaviour policy is used consistently across the school and by all staff. Behaviour records show that the number of recorded incidents has fallen each term this year. Leaders attribute this to the introduction of ‘emotion coaching’ and the new organised play opportunities. These initiatives are well regarded by parents.

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Behaviour

 The school has many initiatives to reward good behaviour, including ‘Magic Moments’ and ‘Welton Wizard’, which praise both good academic progress and personal development. These initiatives are popular and valued by pupils.  Leaders’ actions to improve the rate of pupils’ attendance have been successful. Pupils are praised for regular attendance, and parents receive regular updates through the school newsletter. Leaders use external agencies to provide extra help for parents of pupils who struggle to attend school regularly. The attendance of current pupils is in line with that of other pupils nationally.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Current pupils make good progress across a range of subjects, including English and mathematics. This is clear in pupils’ books and in the school’s information on pupils’ progress this academic year.  The majority of children enter Reception with skills and knowledge that are generally below those typical for their age. From these starting points, children’s progress is good. By the end of Reception, the number of children achieving a good level of development is similar to the national average.  Pupils’ attainment by the end of key stage 1, at the expected standard, has been broadly in line with national averages in reading, writing and mathematics over time. A review of pupils’ work in books shows that this is continuing, with increasing proportions of pupils reaching the expected and higher standards than in previous years.  In the past, key stage 2 pupils have not made enough progress, particularly in writing

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Outcomes for pupils Good

and mathematics. However, a range of evidence seen on inspection indicates that key stage 2 pupils’ progress is now strong. Most pupils are making good progress from their starting points in reading, writing, mathematics and in other subjects.  Pupils attain well in phonics. In 2018, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check was above the national average. Current Year 1 pupils are making good progress in developing their phonic skills.  Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND make good progress from their different starting points. This is because leaders and teachers identify these pupils’ needs accurately and provide a wide range of effective support.  Pupils’ attainment at the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 was below the national average in 2018. The proportion of current pupils working at the higher standard is increasing. This is a result of securely good

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Early years provision Good

 The early years provision is well led and managed by the enthusiastic early years leader. Staff quickly form warm and positive relationships with children when they join the school. The environment, both inside and outside, is bright and engaging, offering children a good range of experiences in all areas of learning.  By the end of the Reception Year, the proportion of children attaining a good level of development is improving and is approaching the national average. This represents good progress for all children, including disadvantaged children.  The same focus on pupils’ personal development and well-being that exists in the rest of school is easy to see in the early years setting. Arrangements for the induction of children are good and greatly appreciated by parents.  Teaching in the early years is highly engaging; the adults have high expectations and every moment is used as a learning opportunity. Children, because of these

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Early years provision Good

expectations, are enthusiastic and respond quickly to challenging activities, resulting in strong progress across the curriculum.  The early years curriculum provides children with a wide range of opportunities to develop their academic, social and emotional skills. Children’s learning benefits from individual, small-group and whole-class support.  As a result of strong transition arrangements, children are confident when coming into the school for the first time. Parents appreciate this and the very nurturing environment provided. One Reception parent commented: ‘Choosing to send our son to Welton was one of the best decisions we’ve made.’  Communication with parents is effective. Leaders use parent workshops, social media platforms and regular phone calls to keep in touch with parents. Children’s learning targets are shared with parents. Parents use videos and other resources at home, to let the school know when their child is ready to move on. As a result, parents are very

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Early years provision Good

engaged in children’s learning and send positive feedback to the school.  Children’s behaviour is good, because there are clear routines that children respond well to. Strong, caring relationships between staff and children enable children to grow in confidence and independence.  Safeguarding procedures are effective and welfare requirements are met fully.

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School details

Local authority Bath and North East Somerset Council

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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@weltonprimaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Welton Primary School is a smaller-than-average-sized primary school.  The school became an academy and joined the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership Trust in July 2016.  The majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is below average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium funding is below average.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed a range of teaching and learning in lessons across all key stages. Some lessons were observed jointly with a senior leader. Inspectors looked at pupils’ work in books, covering a range of subjects, abilities and year groups.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and leaders responsible for English, mathematics, SEND and early years.  Inspectors met with members of the local governing body, the chief executive officer of the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership Trust and an executive leader.  Inspectors met with a range of pupils and considered their views of the school. They spoke informally with pupils at lunchtime and took account of the 41 responses to the pupil survey.  The 71 responses to Ofsted’s online survey Parent View were considered by inspectors, including 48 free-text responses. Inspectors also spoke to parents at the start of the school day and by phone.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors considered the 17 responses to the staff survey.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation, including the leaders’ self-evaluation of the school’s performance, the school development plan, minutes of governing body meetings, reports of pupils’ outcomes and several key policies. A range of documentation in relation to safeguarding, child protection, recruitment of staff, behaviour and attendance was also considered.

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Inspection team

Paul Walker, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jo Briscombe 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

Parent View 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

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, 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.gov.uk/ofsted

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