Wilkinson Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Wilkinson Primary School Walter Road, Bradley, Bilston, West Midlands WV14 8UR

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 October 2021

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Outcome

Wilkinson Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love school. They say that they are happy and that they feel safe because they are well cared for.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils and expect them to work hard and achieve their best. The core principle of the school is to ‘show pride and respect in all that we do.’ Pupils understand the importance of this.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They live up to the high expectations that staff have for them. They behave extremely well in lessons and around the school. Pupils are eager to learn new things. They listen with interest during lessons and support each other well in their learning. They talk proudly with visitors about their work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have very positive relationships with staff. Pupils know that staff will listen to their concerns and deal quickly with bullying if it should ever occur.

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

Staff want all pupils to achieve well. Leaders have developed a curriculum which is broad and ambitious. They want all pupils to ‘ASPIRE’. That is, to achieve, succeed, reach their full potential, be independent learners, and show resilience and excellence. Leaders have created a purposeful environment where pupils and staff are keen to learn.

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

Leaders have put reading at the forefront of the curriculum. Children start to learn to read as soon as they arrive at school. The school’s phonics programme is well planned and gets pupils off to a good start in reading. All staff have had training in the teaching of phonics so that they can support pupils effectively with their reading. Staff work skilfully with children in the Nursery Year to develop speech and language. Activities in the early years promote a love of reading. Older pupils talk about their favourite books with understanding and pleasure. 19 and 20 October 2021

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Pupils enjoy learning in productive classrooms. Staff also make sure that pupils have time to revisit their learning when they have not understood. Pupils focus well on the task in hand in lessons and concentrate on their work. In some subjects, plans clearly show what vocabulary children need to know, but this is not the case for all subjects. Leaders have plans to develop this.

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Children get off to a strong start in the early years. Staff have a clear understanding of how young children learn and the support that they need. Teachers plan activities that build on what children already know and can do. There are many opportunities for children to extend their learning, both inside and outside. This continues as pupils move through the school. ‘Do Something New’ activities have been recently introduced by the school. As part of this, pupils enjoy baking bread and butter pudding in the dedicated cooking area in the heart of the school space. They also try out new activities, such as sewing and 1940s dancing. This gives children the chance to broaden their experiences, as they try out new activities that they may not have picked themselves.

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Leaders provide opportunities for staff to develop professionally. Staff appreciate this. More staff take part in curriculum development and leadership through being members of subject teams. However, some subject leaders are not as skilled evaluating the impact of the curriculum. As a result of this, curriculum development plans are not as sharply focused as they should be. Leaders are aware of this.

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Leaders carefully plan trips, visitors and experiences that enrich pupils’ day-to-day experiences. Staff plan a wide range of opportunities for children to deepen their learning and to learn new things. Enterprise weeks help children to think about future careers and how to manage money.

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Staff support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well at school. Staff receive regular training, including from specialists outside of the school, on how to support pupils with SEND. Staff want all pupils at the school, including those with SEND, to become well-rounded learners. Pupils participate fully in lessons and have work and support matched to their needs.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They are positive about leaders. Staff believe that they are well supported and respected. They said that leaders consider their well-being and work-life balance.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure pupils are safe. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, both in and outside the school. Adults know pupils well and are quick to identify and report any signs that may suggest a pupil is at risk of harm. Staff receive regular and appropriate training that ensures they can identify any problems that pupils may face. As a result, they have a thorough understanding of the role they play in keeping pupils safe. Staff have good partnerships with families and outside support agencies. Recruitment checks on the suitability of staff working in the school are robust. 19 and 20 October 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Plans in some subjects do not identify the specific vocabulary that children need to learn. It is not always clear how pupils will build their vocabulary over time in these subjects . Leaders should continue to refine curriculum plans, identifying the subject- specific vocabulary that pupils need to know and remember.  Some leaders are not as skilled in analysing the impact of the subject that they lead. As a result of this, curriculum development plans are not as sharply focused as they should be. Leaders should continue to develop subject leaders so that they can monitor the impact of the aspect of the curriculum they lead, ensuring that pupils achieve well.

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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 second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2016.

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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.

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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. 19 and 20 October 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200200 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.wilkinsonprimaryschool.co.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 October 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There is provision on site for two-year-olds.  The school does not use any alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders. They met with representatives of the governing body and the local authority.  The inspection focused on reading, mathematics and history. Inspectors met subject leaders for these subjects and undertook joint visits to lessons. They also talked to pupils and teachers and looked at work.  Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents, including those related to curriculum planning and development, safeguarding arrangements, behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors held informal and formal discussions with many pupils and observed playtime and lunchtime.  Inspectors met with parents to gain their views of the school. They reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and additional free-text comments. Inspectors also took account of responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire. 19 and 20 October 2021

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Inspection team

Emma Gater, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Gareth Morgan Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 October 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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