Wigmore Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Wigmore Primary School Ford Street, Wigmore, Leominster, Herefordshire HR6 9UN

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Outcome

Wigmore Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and confident, and enjoy being with their friends. Pupils say, ‘Our school is fun, fair and we work as a team.’ Staff and pupils welcome visitors to their school and they are proud to show it off.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s motto is ‘Enjoying learning together’. Linked to this, leaders and staff want pupils to do their very best and be happy at the same time. They have successfully created a climate where this happens.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a calm atmosphere in classrooms and around the school. This means that pupils can learn without distraction. Pupils’ behaviour is positive and they get along with each other. Pupils have a clear understanding of the different types of bullying. Bullying is rare, but when it does happen, staff are quick to deal with it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and pupils value the wide range of after-school clubs and off-site visits, especially the trip to Dunkirk. These activities help to make pupils’ learning exciting and memorable. Parents value the welcoming atmosphere of the school. Parents say, ‘The school feels like a family and the older children look after the younger ones.’

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

Most of the curriculum is well planned. In many subjects, teachers are clear about what to teach, when to teach it and the order in which knowledge needs to be taught. This means that teaching builds on what pupils have learned before. In these subjects, pupils remember what they have been taught and they can speak confidently about it. Standards achieved in national tests in English and mathematics are consistently above the national average.

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

In a few subjects, such as computing, the sequence of learning is not as well developed. Lessons are not always connected and do not always build on what pupils have learned in the past. In these subjects, pupils do not remember what they have been taught as 22–23 October 2019

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When children join the Nursery and Reception classes they settle quickly and are keen to learn. This is because staff work closely with families, even before children start school. Children are thrilled to be learning new things and they get very excited. Activities build on what children already know because the teaching is planned well. Staff encourage learning at every opportunity. Children are confident, curious and keen to speak to visitors. The classrooms and outdoor areas are welcoming and support learning. Strong relationships exist between the staff and the children. Children are nurtured and cared for well.

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Teachers put their own stamp on teaching and make lessons interesting. Teachers have good subject knowledge. As a result, they explain new ideas clearly in ways that pupils understand. Teachers model subject-specific language during lessons accurately. Pupils are starting to do the same when they share their understanding. Teachers and teaching assistants use questioning well to check and deepen pupils’ understanding.

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In nearly all cases, work set is matched to pupils’ needs. This means pupils can complete work independently with an appropriate level of support. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well.

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Reading has a high priority across the school. Pupils enjoy sharing stories. Phonics sessions are crisp, purposeful and well taught. Pupils read regularly in school and at home. In most cases, reading books are well matched to pupils’ reading ability.

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Staff have high expectations of behaviour and pupils do not let them down. Pupils enjoy working together. Learning discussions between pupils are common. Older pupils from the high school often visit to support pupils with their learning and play.

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Trips, visits and special events make learning relevant. Leaders have made links with a school in Tanzania. This helps to raise pupils’ awareness of the world beyond Wigmore. Sport has a high priority in the school. Pupils attend competitions against other schools. From an early age, pupils learn about healthy lifestyles. Older pupils know how to keep themselves safe online.

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Leaders, teachers and support staff work well together. The school is well led. Pupils are at the centre of all decisions. Staff value the training they receive. They agree that leaders are considerate of their well-being. Those responsible for governance are committed to helping the school provide the best possible education. They support and challenge school leaders to bring about improvements. They make checks on the provision for English and mathematics. However, they are less confident when checking the quality of education in other subjects.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Keeping pupils safe is the responsibility of everyone. Leaders check staff’s suitability to 22–23 October 2019

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work with children before they start to work at the school. The school maintains detailed records relating to child protection. Leaders ensure that all staff complete regular training. As a result, staff know how to spot any signs that may raise concerns about a pupil’s welfare. Staff know what to do and act quickly when issues emerge. When required, the school works with external agencies to provide additional help for pupils. Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe and manage everyday risks in a range of situations.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s curriculum is designed, planned and ordered effectively in nearly all subjects. However, in a small number of the foundation subjects, such as computing, the sequence of learning is not as well developed. The school needs to build on the work already started to develop these subjects further. They need to be planned and ordered to develop pupils’ knowledge and skills over time.  Those responsible for governance carry out their duties with great diligence. This includes monitoring the quality of education within the school. They make checks on the core subjects, especially English and mathematics. However, their ability to check on some of the foundation subjects is more limited. Those responsible for governance should further develop their understanding of the whole curriculum. Consequently, they will be better equipped to hold school leaders to account for the quality of education in

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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 first section 8 inspection since we judged Wigmore Primary School to be good on 26 June 2015.

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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. 22–23 October 2019

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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. 22–23 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10088579 Type of school Primary

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School details

Headteacher Dean Curtis (Executive headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 25–26 June 2015

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Information about this school

 Wigmore Primary School is one of the two schools in the Wigmore School Academy Trust. The other school, Wigmore High School, is situated on the same site.  The school has a breakfast and after-school club. This provision is managed by the school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector held meetings with the executive headteacher. He met with two members of the governing body, including the chair, and one member of the board of trustees. The inspector held a telephone conversation with the chair of the board of trustees.  The inspector held meetings with the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo), designated safeguarding leaders and the early years leader.  As part of the inspection, the inspector focused mainly on reading, geography and history. He met with groups of pupils, curriculum leaders and teachers to talk about the quality of education in these subjects.  The inspector made visits to classrooms. Some of these visits were with curriculum 22–23 October 2019

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leaders, the executive headteacher or the head of school.  The inspector listened to several groups of pupils read.  The inspector spoke to pupils formally and informally about their learning and experiences at school. He looked at their work to see how well the curriculum is implemented.  Documents relating to safeguarding were checked, including the checks that leaders make on staff’s suitability to work with children prior to employment. The inspector checked that safeguarding policies and procedures are implemented effectively across the school.  The inspector talked to parents after school. He considered the 24 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and the 24 free-text responses received during the inspection.  The inspector considered the 20 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  The inspector considered a range of documentation provided by the school. He looked at the school’s self-evaluation, school development plan, school policies, curriculum

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documents, SEND records, published information about pupils’ performance, behaviour records, attendance information and minutes of governing body and trust board meetings.  The inspector looked at published information on the school’s website.

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Inspection team

Wayne Simner, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 22–23 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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