Walkern Primary School

Inspection of Walkern Primary School High Street, Walkern, Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG2 7NS

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 25–26 February 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Walkern pupils are polite and welcoming. Classrooms are busy places. Most pupils enjoy school and are confident to speak about their work. Pupils generally get on well together. Older pupils enjoy acting as ‘helpers’ in the dining hall during lunch. The school council plays an active role in representing the views of other pupils to staff and senior leaders.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils behave well. They say that bullying is rare but sometimes there is some ‘falling out’. Pupils trust staff to help to sort out any concerns. They work cooperatively in lessons as they discuss their learning in pairs or in small groups. They like reading their books and hearing the stories that their teachers read to them at the end of each school day. Children in the Reception class are curious about the world around them. They are enthusiastic, eager learners.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many parents told me that the school is a caring and close-knit community. Pupils are taught how to keep healthy and make the right choices. Across the school, pupils’ skills in reading, writing and mathematics have improved. In some subjects, pupils do not get enough opportunities to build on what they already know in the most logical order.

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better?

Senior leaders and governors have ensured that pupils have the chance to learn across the full range of primary subjects. They are ambitious for all pupils in the school.

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better?

Some pupils did not do as well as they should in reading and writing by the end of key stage 2 last year. Leaders have acted quickly to make the changes needed. Books show that gaps in older pupils’ learning are closing. Pupils’ vocabulary and understanding of more complex text are improving. Pupils are more confident to write at length and with increasing accuracy.

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better?

Pupils are excited by the interesting range of new books in school. They read regularly together with their teachers and teaching assistants. A love of reading is promoted widely across the school. Pupils who may be at risk of falling behind are given support to help them catch up quickly.

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better?

In mathematics and English, teachers’ planning makes sure that pupils gain knowledge and skills in a logical order. Pupils get regular opportunities to revisit and practise the things that they already know so they remember more. Pupils are increasingly confident to use mathematical vocabulary when explaining how to solve problems and in remembering times tables.

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better?

Children in the Reception class get off to a good start with their early reading and mathematics. They understand the sounds that letters make. They know this helps 25–26 February 2020

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them to read and begin to write new words. They practise reading with books that are closely matched to the sounds that they are learning. The indoor and outdoor spaces are lively and interesting places to explore new ideas. Children were excited as adults encouraged them to think carefully about the difference adding mud and water made to the dam they were building outside.

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In the foundation subjects, such as in geography and science, teachers’ longer-term planning is not as advanced as it is in English and mathematics. Teachers are working to pinpoint the important knowledge and skills that pupils should learn and in what sequence. In history, for example, leaders’ own checks on learning show that pupils do not know enough about historical timelines. Plans are being adapted to make sure that pupils deepen their understanding, remember and can make important links between key historical events.

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Pupils like the way their successes are celebrated in assemblies. Behaviour is generally good because pupils understand adults’ expectations and want to do well. Pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities and playing a part in improving the school environment. The school council, for example, was successful in a recent bid to support the development of the school’s sensory garden, linked to pupils’ well-being and healthy young minds.

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Most pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive appropriate support. This allows almost all of them to have the same chances to learn and make progress as other pupils. Leaders take steps to ensure that pupils with the most complex needs get specialist help. However, learning plans are not routinely focused closely on the small steps pupils need to make to achieve well.

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Additional training has improved the way governors challenge and hold senior leaders to account for the school’s performance. Staff value the consideration leaders give to their well-being. They are proud to be members of the school team.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Keeping pupils safe is a high priority. Safeguarding training for all staff is updated regularly. All the required pre-employment checks are completed for new staff. Staff understand what to do if there are concerns that a pupil may be at risk of harm. Information about concerns is appropriately recorded, but documents are not always stored in the most logical way. Pupils are confident that staff look after them well. Parents agree that their children are safe in the school. Leaders are persistent in their work with external agencies to ensure that vulnerable pupils get the support they need. 25–26 February 2020

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s curriculum is not yet coherently planned and sequenced across all subjects. This means that pupils sometimes find it hard to remember or make connections with what they learned before. However, work is underway to address this. In foundation subjects, leaders should ensure that plans are refined so that they make the sequence and detail of knowledge and skills consistently clear. Any additional subject-specific training that staff need should be completed quickly.  Learning plans for some pupils with SEND are not specific enough. In these cases, learning over time does not focus precisely on the small steps needed to move pupils on quickly. Leaders should ensure that learning targets are sharply focused and reviewed regularly with all parties concerned so that all pupils achieve well.

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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 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. 25–26 February 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10121354 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 Louise Parkinson

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17–18 October 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average primary school.  The proportion of pupils with SEND has increased since the previous inspection and is now above the national average.

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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

 We met with the headteacher, curriculum leaders, including the school’s special educational needs coordinator, the school improvement partner, the chair of the governing body and her deputy.  We also spoke with representatives from the local authority on the telephone about the school’s provision for pupils with SEND.  We visited a range of lessons and looked at learning plans. We spoke with pupils and staff. We also looked at pupils’ work in books.  We checked the school’s website and policies, including the school’s child protection policy. We met with the school’s designated safeguarding officer and 25–26 February 2020

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spoke with staff and pupils. We also checked the school’s records of safer recruitment of staff.  We looked at the 37 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and the comments that parents made through Ofsted’s free-text service. The 18 responses to Ofsted’s survey for school staff and 48 responses to the survey for pupils were also reviewed.  We considered the following subjects as part of the inspection: mathematics, geography, reading and science.  The transition arrangements for the quality of education apply to this inspection.

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Inspection team

Christine Dick, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sally Nutman Ofsted Inspector 25–26 February 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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