Wyke Regis Infant School and Nursery

Inspection of a good school: Wyke Regis Infant School and Nursery Shrubbery Lane, Wyke Regis, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 9LU

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Outcome

Wyke Regis Infant School and Nursery continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel well cared for at Wyke Regis Infant School and Nursery. They say that their teachers are always cheerful and kind. The school is a welcoming place. Teachers make all pupils feel included, regardless of their background.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The headteacher expects all pupils to be compassionate, to persevere in their work and to show respect. The great majority of pupils meet these expectations. However, a few find it difficult. Teachers work hard to help these pupils improve their behaviour. Pupils say that bullying is rare. They trust their teachers to deal with it quickly if it does happen.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are taught how to stay safe and keep themselves healthy. They enjoy running the daily mile and they play sports such as basketball and football.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children do well in the early years. Staff ignite their imagination and children thrive. Children start learning about numbers, reading and writing right from the start. The headteacher places a high priority on reading throughout the school. Most pupils learn to read confidently. This sets them up well for when they move on from the school at the end of Year 2.

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

Senior leaders have established a coherent plan for the school curriculum. They call this ‘The Wyke Way’. Many subject coordinators are new to their roles. They are enthusiastic about helping pupils to learn well and remember more in their subject areas.

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

Teachers work well as a team. They readily share their expertise and ideas. They plan pupils’ learning together. Consequently, they know what to teach and when. For example, pupils learn about making and testing predictions in science because these ideas are built into their topic work. 4–5 March 2020

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Senior leaders have established a well-sequenced mathematics curriculum. Teachers help children in the early years to count confidently and this helps them with more complicated ideas in Years 1 and 2.

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Teachers assess pupils’ understanding confidently in most curriculum areas. However, they have not yet established effective systems for assessment in all subjects.

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Senior leaders know the importance of reading for pupils’ future success in all subjects. They make sure that pupils experience a range of stories, poems and rhymes. Phonics teaching happens every day. Leaders have introduced a new programme for phonics teaching. All staff are well trained in the new programme. Nevertheless, not all pupils are given books to read that closely match their phonics knowledge.

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The Nursery is a spacious and inviting environment for children. Adults provide many opportunities for children to be curious and explore the world around them. This helps children to use their imagination.

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Pupils want to learn. They are eager to take part in lessons and activities. For example, pupils volunteer eagerly in assembly to demonstrate the actions to songs. A small minority of pupils find it difficult to maintain concentration. However, teachers are skilful in building positive relationships with them. Over time, this helps these pupils to improve their conduct.

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The rate of pupils’ attendance is improving but is not yet good enough. Too many pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils, are persistently absent from school.

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Pupils enjoy going on trips. For example, they are given the chance to explore local castles. Teachers make sure that topics are introduced and rounded off by imaginative activities called ‘sparkly starts’ and ‘fab finishes’. These enliven the curriculum and build pupils’ cultural awareness.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are now being identified more effectively than in the past. Leaders ensure that all teachers understand each pupil’s individual needs. As a result, the majority of these pupils are receiving the extra support they need.

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Governors know they need to keep their skills up to date. In the last two years, they have reviewed their work and made changes. They now ask more searching questions of senior leaders. They challenge senior leaders well and this helps to improve the school. Staff know that leaders are considerate of their workload. They believe the school is well led and this motivates them.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The headteacher and senior leaders place a high priority on keeping pupils safe. They provide all staff with the necessary training. Staff are aware of the risks that pupils face 4–5 March 2020

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and they are vigilant. They know what to do if they spot any signs that may worry them about a pupil’s welfare. Senior leaders ensure that vulnerable pupils get the help they need at times of crisis.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Foundation subject coordinators have developed coherent curriculum plans but their systems for assessment are not yet consistent. Teachers’ understanding of what pupils know is not yet detailed enough in some subjects. Leaders need to ensure that systems for assessing pupils’ knowledge and understanding are more consistent across all subjects.  Leaders have not yet fully established the new phonics teaching programme. Some pupils are given books to read that do not match their knowledge of phonics. This hinders their learning. Leaders must quickly complete the introduction of the new programme so that any confusion is avoided.  Senior leaders provide encouragement and support for parents and carers to help them make good attendance a priority. This has produced a marked improvement for some pupils. Even so, pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils, still do not attend regularly enough. Leaders should further develop their work with families so that the rate of

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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 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 the school to be good on 26–27 January 2016.

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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. 4–5 March 2020

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If you are the school and you are 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. 4–5 March 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10058421 Type of school Infant

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26–27 January 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of a federation with Wyke Regis Church of England Junior School. The two schools share the same governing body and senior leadership team.

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Information about this inspection

 I met with the headteacher, senior leaders, the chair of the governing body and two other governors. I held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  I did deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, science and reading. I met with teachers, considered curriculum plans, visited lessons, spoke with pupils and considered pupils’ written work.  I scrutinised the school’s policies relating to safeguarding, spoke with the designated safeguarding leader and considered records of the pre-employment suitability checks the school makes on its staff. I asked pupils for their opinions about behaviour and bullying. I spoke to a small sample of parents and considered parents’ responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey. 4–5 March 2020

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Inspection team

Paul Williams, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 4–5 March 2020

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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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