Walgrave Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Walgrave Primary School Kettering Road, Walgrave, Northampton, Northamptonshire NN6 9PH

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Outcome

Walgrave Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very happy at this school. They are polite and courteous and play well together. There is a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Staff have excellent relationships with pupils. They take every opportunity to talk with pupils, and to ask how they are. Pupils say bullying is very rare. If something were to happen, they know staff will sort it out quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school’s aim is to develop pupils as well-rounded individuals. Pupils experience a wealth of opportunities to learn both in and out of the classroom. They are keen and are confident to talk about what they are learning. Teachers expect pupils to achieve highly. Pupils consistently achieve well in English and mathematics in key stages 1 and 2.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The ‘100 things’ curriculum helps pupils to learn life skills. Forest school and extra- curricular activities help pupils to learn in other areas. Trips and residential visits bring learning to life. For example, a visit to Cadbury World helps pupils to understand changing states in science.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Through philosophy lessons pupils learn to discuss difficult ideas and concepts. For example, pupils discussed the themes of climate change and modern living in the book ‘The trouble with dragons’, by Debi Gliori.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Teachers use the well-planned curriculum to make sure learning builds on what pupils have learned before. This is particularly strong in mathematics. Teachers check what pupils have remembered. This helps them to understand what pupils need to learn next. However, leaders have not ensured that teachers always think about how they want pupils to use their knowledge.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The curriculum gives pupils a good depth of knowledge. For example, in history pupils can explain the similarities between ancient civilisations. The sequencing of the curriculum is 11–12 September 2019

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stronger in some subjects than in others.

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Leaders consider reading to be important. Staff and pupils are enthusiastic readers. Pupils enjoy hearing their teachers read. The teaching of early reading begins as soon as children start school. Pupils learn new sounds in a sequence which helps them to read new and more difficult words. This means that when they take the Year 1 phonics screening check, the vast majority pass. Yet, while pupils learn how to read words, a few do not understand what some words and sentences mean.

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Teachers adapt learning to meet the needs of all pupils. This includes for those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers and teaching assistants provide extra help or adapted resources when needed.

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Leaders are determined to provide pupils with knowledge beyond the curriculum. Staff encourage pupils to complete ‘100 things’ before they leave the school. Pupils complete a set of tasks aimed to prepare them for later life. These include pupils making their own bed, and older pupils learning how to iron clothes. Pupils learn first aid and how to keep themselves safe in different situations. Forest school lets pupils explore the natural world and to take risks in a safe environment.

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Children get off to a flying start in the early years. Staff have high expectations for children. The curriculum is well sequenced to develop children’s knowledge in all areas. Teachers make changes to the curriculum to meet the needs of all children. They check what children know and use this to plan learning. Staff are caring. They have excellent relationships with children and respond well to their needs.

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Pupils behave very well at school. Adults expect pupils to behave well. They are consistent in managing the very few incidents of low-level disruption.

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Leaders are careful to consider the workload of staff. Teachers say that leaders give them time to carry out their work.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are safe at this school. Staff are trained well and understand their responsibility to safeguard pupils. Staff quickly report concerns to the designated safeguarding leaders. Leaders pass on concerns to the local authority when necessary. They follow up concerns, so pupils are not left vulnerable. Leaders provide support and guidance for families and pupils.

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Safeguarding

The school’s records for safeguarding are well managed and meet statutory requirements.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 While the curriculum is planned to develop knowledge sequentially, it is not always clear how developing subject disciplinary knowledge is interwoven. Leaders should ensure that the school’s intended aims for the end of key stage 2 are considered fully at each stage of teachers’ planning.  The monitoring and structure of the school’s phonics and early reading programme is not thorough enough to check the development of all aspects of pupils’ reading. While pupils can decode words, they are sometimes not able to understand what they have read. Leaders need to provide pupils with more opportunities to read beyond the individual word, and then interpret what they have read.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged Walgrave Primary School to be good on 22 March 2011.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 11–12 September 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110141 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24 February 2016

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Walgrave and Pitsford Primary Schools Federation. The executive headteacher is responsible for both schools in the federation.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector completed inspection activities focusing on reading, history and mathematics. This included lesson visits accompanied by members of the school’s staff. The inspector also talked with pupils about their school and looked at examples of pupils’ work in these subjects.  Meetings were held with the executive headteacher, deputy headteacher, leader for pupils with SEND, subject leaders for reading, history and mathematics, teachers and teaching assistants. The inspectors also spoke with the chair of the governing body and two governors.  The inspectors spoke with parents informally and considered the 70 responses to the online parent questionnaire, Parent View, and the 12 responses to the staff survey.  The inspectors looked at a range of documents, including: the school’s curriculum plans; plans for improvement; the most recent published information on the achievement and progress of pupils; and information relating to the safeguarding of

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pupils. The inspector considered the range and quality of information provided on the school’s website.

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Inspection team

Helen Williams, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 11–12 September 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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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