Walcott Primary School

Inspection of Walcott Primary School Pinfold Lane, Walcott, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN4 3SX

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good 2–3 October 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming and inclusive school. Pupils enjoy their time here. They say that it is ‘like a family’. Staff know pupils very well. Parents and carers appreciate this. For example, one parent commented, ‘Staff have a special connection with the children.’ Pupils say that they feel safe and happy in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They look after and care for each other. Staff nurture and help pupils who find it difficult to manage their own behaviour. Pupils are tolerant. They accept others for who they are. One pupil told us that, ‘Everyone is right in their own way. We now need to look after our world, together.’ Pupils do not worry about bullying. They say that any bullying is dealt with quickly and does not happen again.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders prioritise pupils’ personal development. They want pupils to broaden their experiences, take part in clubs and develop interests and passions. Pupils told us how much they enjoy trips to multi-cultural cities, overnight stays at the seaside and gardening club.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Some pupils do not learn or remember as much as they could in some subjects. Some pupils find reading on their own difficult. Children in the Reception class could do much better. The work they do is too easy.

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better?

Pupils do not yet receive a good quality of education in all subjects. This is particularly the case in science, geography and history. Leaders know what they want to do but have not fully planned this. Teachers do not know the important knowledge that they want pupils to learn and in what order. Pupils remember some facts from these subjects. For example, pupils told us that the River Nile was the longest river in the world and that the Romans invented underfloor heating. However, they do not have a deep knowledge of these subjects that they can build on in future lessons.

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better?

The curriculum for mathematics is strong. Leaders make sure that teachers know what needs to be taught and in what sequence. Leaders ensure that staff are trained to a high standard. Teachers have good subject knowledge. They use this skilfully to revisit learning so that pupils remember more. Pupils’ work is of a good standard.

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better?

The school’s phonics programme is well designed. Leaders ensure that pupils’ phonics knowledge builds over time. Staff model how to read words using consistent approaches, such as ‘Fred finger’ and ‘special friends’. More pupils now achieve well in this subject than has previously been the case.

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better?

Leaders work hard to develop pupils’ love of reading. They organise events and 2–3 October 2019

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opportunities to encourage pupils and parents to read together. Pupils enjoy listening to teachers read. Teachers choose these books carefully. For example, one teacher read ‘There’s a boy in the girls’ bathroom’ to encourage pupils to talk about their feelings and worries. However, some pupils struggle to read books independently. Their reading books are too hard. Pupils in key stage 2 do not have enough strategies to help them read unfamiliar words.

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Children settle well into the Reception class. Staff have positive relationships with children. Children behave well. They learn lots about the world from learning in the outdoor area. However, the activities that teachers plan in literacy and numeracy are not demanding enough. There are too few opportunities for children to learn how to write and be fluent in number.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get good support. Teaching assistants are well trained. They give effective and sensitive help to these pupils. Leaders are ambitious and want pupils with SEND to achieve as well as others.

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Pupils are polite and friendly. There is little low-level disruption in lessons. When it happens, teachers deal with it quickly. Leaders strive for all pupils to be well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils learn about tolerance, respect and democracy. For example, pupils discuss Rosa Parks and apartheid in history lessons. Pupils enjoy learning about other cultures and faiths, such as Hinduism. They recently enjoyed an ‘Indian experience’ visit to school.

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Leaders and governors are a strong and cohesive team. They care deeply for all pupils and want them to achieve their very best. They have managed recent, significant staffing changes successfully. They recognise where weaknesses exist in some subjects and know what they need to do to improve. Staff feel well supported by leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff know pupils and families well. They are vigilant and well trained. They recognise when a pupil may be at risk of harm and act quickly to keep them safe. Staff know how to report and record safeguarding concerns. Leaders act in a timely manner to make sure that vulnerable pupils receive help as soon as possible.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work well with external agencies and families. They contribute effectively to child protection plans. They understand that sometimes they need to give help to pupils and families. Leaders set up nurture groups and arrange counselling sessions for some pupils.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school does not provide a good quality of education in all subjects. The curriculum for mathematics is precise and sequential. This is not the case in science, geography and history. Leaders must identify the most important knowledge that pupils should learn in each subject, and by when. Teachers must use this to plan well-sequenced lessons that build pupils’ knowledge over time.  Some pupils are not able to read well enough independently. The books that some key stage 1 pupils read are not well matched to the phonics they have been taught. Some pupils in key stage 2 do not have strategies to work out unfamiliar words. Teachers must take more care in checking for what pupils can read and understand. They must ensure that pupils in key stage 2 know how to work out unknown words. Teachers in key stage 1 need to make sure that reading books are well matched to what pupils are learning in their phonics.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The literacy and numeracy curriculums in the early years are not ambitious enough. Children should be doing better in writing and number. Leaders should ensure that staff have high expectations of what children can achieve and that they plan work that is demanding.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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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. 2–3 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110087 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Rebecca Phillips

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23–24 September 2014

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Carrdyke Federation. The headteacher works across both schools within the federation. There is one shared governing body.  Since the previous inspection, there have been significant changes in staffing. All but one teacher was new to the school in September 2019.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher, curriculum leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, the early years leader, three members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors examined the quality of education that pupils receive in reading, mathematics, science, geography and history. They visited lessons, scrutinised pupils’ work, listened to pupils reading, visited additional support sessions run by teaching assistants and spoke with pupils and teachers about their lessons.  A wide range of documents was scrutinised, including those relating to safeguarding, behaviour, the school’s plans for improvement and minutes from meetings of the governing body. Inspectors considered information about pupils’ 2–3 October 2019

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achievement from published information and information on the school’s website.  Inspectors took account of the 11 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire. There were no responses to the staff or pupils’ surveys.

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Inspection team

Steve Varnam, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Anne White Ofsted Inspector 2–3 October 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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