Wybunbury Delves CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Wybunbury Delves Church of England Primary School Bridge Street, Wybunbury, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 7NE

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Outcome

Wybunbury Delves Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy school that lies at the heart of the local community. Leaders are ambitious and have high expectations for every pupil. Staff encourage pupils to do their best each day. Pupils work hard and behave well. They enjoy the challenge of living up to the motivational quotes that are displayed around school, particularly the phrase, ‘Let your light shine’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe and well looked after at Wybunbury Delves. They are polite and courteous to each other and the adults who teach them. They understand what bullying is and said that it happens from time to time. However, they are confident that staff will help them to deal with any problems and resolve matters.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in early years, including those who are two years old, quickly settle into school life. They learn the school’s routines and develop very good attitudes to learning. Older pupils enjoy taking on roles and responsibilities, such as those of house captains, play buddies and digital leaders.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, pupils had access to a wide selection of after-school clubs, including gardening and fencing clubs. These are being gradually reintroduced, along with educational trips and residential visits.

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

Leaders, including governors, have created a close-knit school community that supports pupils’ learning and development extremely well. The school’s broad curriculum provides pupils with a deep understanding of issues such as equality and the importance of British values. Pupils thrive due to the care and support that staff provide each day. Learning is rarely disrupted by poor behaviour and pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education by the time they leave Year 6. They achieve well across a range of subjects.

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

The new leadership team has made reading a priority. Leaders recognised that there were 3 and 4 November 2021

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weaknesses in the teaching of phonics. They have provided extensive training and support for all members of staff. As a result, there is now a consistent approach to phonics teaching. Staff ensure that the books children and pupils read match their phonics knowledge. This allows them to practise their reading at home. If a child or pupil is struggling, staff ensure that extra support is given so that they keep up with their classmates. Pupils read regularly in school and at home. Staff in early years read regularly to children and encourage a love of reading. Many older pupils are keen readers and are knowledgeable about children’s literature.

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The leadership team ensures that pupils study all aspects of the national curriculum. Leaders have recently put plans in place for each subject. These changes have resulted in improvements in many areas. For example, pupils across the school progress well through the mathematics curriculum. Children in early years develop a good knowledge of number. Older pupils are able to apply their mathematical knowledge to calculate accurately and solve problems. However, in some subjects, the curriculum plans lack detail about the knowledge that pupils need to acquire in each year group. This prevents teachers from making accurate assessments of how well pupils are learning the important curriculum content in these subjects.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. The leader for SEND works closely with teachers so that pupils’ needs are identified accurately and early. Leaders help staff to work out the best way for pupils with SEND to access the same curriculum as their peers. They work effectively with specialist agencies when pupils have more complex needs.

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Governors know their school extremely well. They keep a close check on what is happening at the school and provide a good balance of challenge and support for school leaders.

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Staff enjoy working at the school. Every member of staff who responded to the Ofsted survey said that they are proud to work at Wybunbury Delves. They all strongly agreed that the school is well led and managed and that leaders are considerate of their workload .

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There is a strong bond between parents and carers, and staff at this school. Parents are highly supportive of school leaders and the adults who teach their children. Written responses on Parent View were extremely complimentary about the school’s leadership and the quality of pastoral support that staff provide for pupils. Many made specific reference to the actions that staff took to promote learning during the periods when the school was closed to most pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The school’s safeguarding team is rigorous in following up any safeguarding concerns. Its members work with outside agencies where necessary to support pupils and their families. Staff understand the need to be vigilant. They keep up to date with safeguarding 3 and 4 November 2021

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matters through regular training and weekly discussions during staff meetings about safeguarding policies and procedures. The high priority that leaders give to safeguarding means that staff know exactly what to do if they have a concern.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not identified the important knowledge that they want pupils to learn in each year group. As a result, teachers are not able to assess how well pupils are learning and remembering key curriculum content. Leaders should ensure that there is clarity within all subject plans about the sequence of learning and exactly what knowledge pupils need to acquire.

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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 a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Wybunbury Delves Church of England Primary 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. 3 and 4 November 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. 3 and 4 November 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200771 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school became an academy in June 2017. It is part of the Chester Diocesan Academies Trust. The most recent section 48 inspection of the predecessor school took place in April 2017.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2018. The deputy headteacher took up her post in September 2020.  Early years provision comprises a Nursery class for two-year-old and three-year-old children who attend part time or full time, and one Reception class for four- and five- year-olds who attend full time.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders, and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  During this inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher and other members of the leadership team, including the leader for SEND. 3 and 4 November 2021

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 The inspector held meetings with teachers and subject leaders.  The inspector met with five governors, including the chair of governors.  The inspector spoke with pupils about their experience of school. He also observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and during breaktimes.  The inspector visited the early years classrooms.  The inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead to discuss how pupils are kept safe. He also examined safeguarding records.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. As part of this process, he met with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke with pupils and looked at examples of pupils’ work. He also listened to some pupils reading aloud and looked at curriculum plans in other subjects.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. He also looked at the responses to the staff survey and the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Paul Tomkow, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 3 and 4 November 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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