Setting

Karen Waller Headteacher Eton Wick Church of England First School Sheepcote Road Eton Wick Windsor Berkshire SL4 6JB

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First School

Following my remote inspection with Hanna Miller, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), of your school on 24 March 2021, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken to provide education to all pupils during the current circumstances.

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First School

This monitoring inspection was conducted under section 8 (2) of the Education Act 2005 (as amended) and in accordance with Ofsted’s published procedures for visiting schools while routine inspections remain temporarily suspended. It was additional to the usual monitoring process for schools that are judged to require improvement.

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First School

This monitoring inspection was carried out remotely. As such, the range of evidence available to inspectors was narrower than would normally be the case during an on- site inspection. As a result, this letter provides a more limited level of assurance than our usual monitoring reports.

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First School

The inspection took place because the school has received two successive judgements of requires improvement. The school’s most recent section 5 inspection took place in March 2018.

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First School

Having considered all the evidence and taking into account the impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) on the school, I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

to provide education in the current circumstances. Ofsted

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted Leaders and those responsible for governance should take further action to:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

 ensure that the curriculum content in foundation subjects is carefully selected and coherently sequenced from early years to key stage 2

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

 develop subject leaders’ curriculum knowledge, expertise and oversight of pupils’ learning in the foundation subjects.

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Context

 Since the previous monitoring inspection in April 2019, the acting headteacher and deputy headteacher have been appointed permanently to the school. The chair of the governing body is currently on sabbatical leave. During this period, a co-chair has been appointed and two new governors have joined the governing body.

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Context

 During the start of the spring term when schools were closed to most pupils, 75% of pupils were educated at home. Approximately 80% of vulnerable pupils and 60% of pupils with education, health and care plans attended school.

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Context

 At the time of this inspection, all groups of pupils were attending school.

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Main findings

 Leaders have worked hard throughout the pandemic to minimise the disruption to pupils’ education. They have continued to focus on securing improvements to the school. Leaders have been mindful and considerate of staff well-being and workload. Throughout this period, they have kept the school community well connected. Staff and parents are full of praise for leaders’ support and good communication. As one parent commented, ‘Eton Wick is a supportive and encouraging school with a wonderful partnership with parents.’

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Main findings

 Leaders have ensured that the school’s planned curriculum has remained on track. They articulate a clear vision to engage pupils through enjoyable cross- curricular topics. Staff have made sensible adjustments to subjects such as science and history. For example, they have moved scientific practical work until later in the year. This is because teachers could not deliver this aspect of the curriculum remotely. In other subjects, staff have extended some topics, such as ‘monarchs’. This is to give more time for pupils to learn key content.

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Main findings

 Before the pandemic, leaders took effective action to strengthen the mathematics curriculum. The curriculum in this subject is well thought out. In each strand, such as number and calculation, leaders have planned clear sequences of learning. Teachers use assessment information to adapt their plans. They have prioritised the most important building blocks for future learning. This supports pupils well to make progress through the mathematics curriculum.

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Main findings

 You have made reading a priority. Your focus on early language in Nursery helps to prepare children well for learning phonics in Reception. Phonics teaching continued as planned during the recent partial closure. This helped you to keep the phonics curriculum on course. When the school opened for all pupils, teachers checked what pupils had learned. They are using this information to address any gaps in pupils’ learning.

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Main findings

 The curriculum in foundation subjects is not yet as well planned. Leaders acknowledge that they have not considered the precise content pupils learn in all subjects. In some subjects, content is not sequenced well to build pupils’ knowledge over time. Subjects such as music, languages and computing are at an early stage of development. You also recognise there is scope to develop subject leadership and curriculum expertise.

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Main findings

 You keep careful oversight of vulnerable pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). When pupils were learning at home, you made every effort to support these pupils. This helped them to be well prepared for returning to school. Now that all pupils are back at school, you have put in place extra bespoke support for pupils with SEND. You have prioritised the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn. Where needed, you have organised individual support to cater for pupils’ needs. You are alert to any concerns and continue to provide extra help for families.

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Main findings

 Governors have put in place clear processes to keep them well informed of the school’s work. The local authority’s reports provide governors with an external view of the school. Governors have developed stronger partnership working with leaders. This is helping governors to provide increased support and challenge to leaders. Local authority colleagues are working with leaders to strengthen curriculum design.

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Evidence

This inspection was conducted remotely. We spoke to you, the deputy headteacher, curriculum leaders, the leader with responsibility for SEND, five members of the governing body, including the co-chair, and two representatives of the local authority to discuss leaders’ actions to provide education to all pupils during a national lockdown.

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Evidence

We also met with pupils, heard some pupils read to their teachers and reviewed curriculum documents, including information on the school’s website. We looked at the 36 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 22 free- text responses, and 18 staff questionnaires. I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the director of education for the Diocese of Oxford, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Windsor and Maidenhead. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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