Windsor Park CE Middle School

Inspection of a good school: Windsor Park CE Middle School Springfield Road, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire ST14 7JX

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 September 2021

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Outcome

Windsor Park CE Middle School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a caring and nurturing place to learn. Pupils enjoy coming to school. Pupils know the school values of ‘respect, resilience and responsibility’. They told inspectors that they are taught to have empathy, by trying to put themselves in the position of someone else. They say this helps them to be a good friend.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons, but they say that parts of the corridors can be a little ‘hectic’ during breaktimes. Pupils know how to keep safe online. Pupils sometimes hear sexist and homophobic comments, but teachers always challenge this. Pupils value the pastoral support that the school offers. There is always an adult they can go to if they need help or support.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have lots of opportunities to develop their interests and talents. There are a wide variety of clubs on offer, including chess, art, table-tennis, and other sports clubs. The school provides opportunities for pupils to have responsibilities, for example being on the student leadership team, eco-council, sports leaders, and peer counsellors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils read a wide variety of challenging books. They talk enthusiastically about what they have read both in class and independently. The pupils enjoy regularly visiting the well- stocked library.

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

Leaders are very clear about what they want pupils to know and be able to do by the time they leave school. The curriculum is broad and balanced. It ensures that pupils progress well.

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

The curriculum inspires pupils to read. In English lessons, pupils study challenging texts such as ‘Wolf Brother’, ‘Noughts and Crosses’ and ‘When Hitler stole Pink Rabbit’. Pupils show a sensitivity about the themes within the books. For example, pupils showed empathy with Second World War refugees and challenged racism. The reading curriculum 28 and 29 September 2021

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is very well planned and sequenced. As a result, pupils remember their learning and apply this understanding to other subjects such as history and personal, social and health education (PSHE). Pupils do not remember their learning in writing as clearly. Pupils have opportunities to regularly write in a range of genres. However, pupils do not always get the opportunity to practise the skills before applying them independently.

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In other subjects, leaders have developed well-organised plans for how their subjects are taught in the school. Clear links are made to prior learning, which help pupils to reinforce and develop their knowledge. For example, pupils in Year 8 studied the life of Henry VIII and the changes to the Church, before learning how this influenced the Gunpowder Plot. Pupils could talk confidently about how the order that they learn things helps them to understand their learning better.

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Approaches to delivering curriculum plans can vary from teacher to teacher and across departments. This means that some pupils in different subjects or with different teachers are not always given the opportunity to remember their learning as consistently well as other pupils.

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PSHE is a strength of the school. The PSHE curriculum is well planned. Leaders have ensured that they have planned opportunities to regularly revisit key themes such as anti- bullying and diversity. The school has a well-established approach to teach relationships and sex education and health education. Pupils feel confident to talk with adults if they feel uncomfortable. Pupils understand how to keep healthy and to look after themselves. This is reflected in the highly positive relationships that pupils have with each other, and the adults, in school.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities get the help that they need. Leaders are ambitious for these pupils and regularly check that help is working as it should. Leaders make good use of specialist services.

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Staff really enjoy working at Windsor Park. They appreciate the positive steps that leaders and governors have taken this year to reduce their workloads. Staff explained to inspectors that this has had a positive impact on their work-life balance and their well- being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The culture of safeguarding is strong. Staff are well trained and know the systems for reporting concerns. Leaders take prompt and appropriate steps to protect pupils at risk of harm. They work closely with external agencies. They keep detailed records of the actions they take.

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Safeguarding

The single central record is now compliant. At the beginning of the inspection some checks had not been carried out on some staff. Leaders responded quickly and vigilantly to ensure all checks were up to date. 28 and 29 September 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The sequence of learning in writing is not as well sequenced as that of reading and other subjects. As a result, some pupils do not write as well as they should. Leaders should further refine the sequence of learning in writing to enable pupils to practise and secure the features of a writing genre, before moving on to new learning.  Approaches to delivering the curriculum are inconsistent. This means that pupils across the school do not always learn as well as their peers. Leaders need to agree on the approaches to be used to help pupils know and remember their learning, then check they are being implemented consistently.

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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 outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Windsor Park CofE (C) Middle School, to be good in March 2015.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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. 28 and 29 September 2021

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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. 28 and 29 September 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10201016 Type of school Middle deemed secondary

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School details

Website http://www.windsorpark.staffs.sch.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This school became an academy in April 2017.  A Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools inspection to evaluate the distinctiveness and effectiveness of Windsor Park CE Middle School, as a Church of England school, took place in June 2015.  The school is part of the Uttoxeter Learning Trust.  The school has a breakfast club operating on the site. The school manages the provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders, subject leaders and other members of staff.  An inspector met remotely with four members of the governing body, two trustees and the chief executive officer of Uttoxeter Learning Trust. 28 and 29 September 2021

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, science, history, and physical education. They visited a sample of lessons in these subjects, met with subject leaders, reviewed pupils’ work and had discussions with teachers and a small group of pupils. An inspector observed pupils reading to an adult. In addition, inspectors reviewed the curriculum planning, reviewed pupils’ work and visited lessons in mathematics.  Inspectors spoke to pupils about their experience of school and their views on behaviour and bullying. They also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktimes. They also spoke to a group of girls about their experiences in school.  Inspectors reviewed a wide range of evidence, including the school self-evaluation. They also looked at minutes of governing body meetings.  To inspect safeguarding an inspector looked at safeguarding policies and reviewed leaders’ record of checks on the suitability of staff and governors. Inspectors also spoke

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to members of the trust, pupils and staff about safeguarding and considered parents’ views. Inspectors also rechecked the single central record once all checks had been updated.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire and the free-text responses. They considered the responses to the pupil and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Eve Morris, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Clare Considine Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 September 2021

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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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