Wyton on the Hill Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Wyton on the Hill Community Primary School Cambridge Square, Wyton-on-the-Hill, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28 2JB

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Inspection dates: 16 and 17 November 2021

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ well-being is at the heart of staff’s work. Whenever a pupil joins the school, staff work carefully to welcome the pupil and their family into the school community. This helps all pupils to feel safe because they know there are adults who will listen to them if they have a problem. Pupils and parents report very positively about this aspect of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff and parents work together to teach pupils how to behave kindly. Teachers teach pupils to recognise and report bullying. Pupils say bullying does not happen often, but they report it when they see it. Leaders quickly investigate any allegations of bullying. They organise support for the pupils involved. This diligent response means bullying rarely happens at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Some pupils fall behind in their learning. This is because the curriculum is not as clear as it should be. Although pupils appreciate the help staff provide for them to catch up, this extra support should not be necessary.

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What is it like to attend this school?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been fewer activities than usual to develop pupils’ talents and interests. Leaders have plans to bring back more of these activities. Pupils look forward to these, particularly the return of the school council and school trips.

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

The reading curriculum that leaders have adopted is not working well. Leaders cannot explain what sounds pupils need to know and in what order. Teachers do not teach the sounds pupils need to know clearly, and they plan activities that do not help pupils to read. For example, pupils in Year 2 needed to decide which of the words ‘to’, ‘too’ and ‘two’ would be correct in completing a sentence. However, this task was not effective, because some of these pupils could not read the other words in the sentences they were 16 and 17 November 2021

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given. Pupils are too often given books to read which contain letters they cannot pronounce. They are therefore unable to practise reading well. They do not develop as fluent readers quickly enough. As a result, a significant minority of pupils do not learn to read well during key stage 1.

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Leaders have not ensured an effective approach to curriculum design. In some subjects, the curriculum plans do not explain clearly what teachers need to teach from the Nursery Year to Year 6. Teachers have not received appropriate training to help them teach all subjects well. The amount and depth of learning varies too much from subject to subject.

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There are strengths in some subject areas, such as in the use of resources and the provision of timely support. However, because this is due to individual subject leaders, rather than a shared way of teaching across the school, pupils are not learning the full curriculum as well as they should be.

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Children in the early years settle well. Staff are kind and enthusiastic. They get to know children quickly. This helps to create a safe, purposeful environment. Teachers ensure that there are activities that link to what children have been taught. These activities interest children. Teachers and teaching assistants use questioning carefully to assess children. Parents receive regular updates about what their child is learning. Apart from early reading, children in the early years learn well.

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Leaders plan valuable assemblies. They intend for these assemblies to help pupils grow up to feel part of the community and the wider world. Pupils find these assemblies interesting. For example, pupils have regular assemblies on looking after the planet. Pupils speak passionately and knowledgably about the different ways to recycle.

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Staff work with parents to identify and select support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is done best with pastoral support where pupils learn to communicate their needs and settle well into school. However, pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as all pupils, and this curriculum needs development to help all pupils achieve their best.

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Pupils behave well. They rarely distract others from learning. Pupils take turns to talk, and they share equipment sensibly. Rules and routines focus on praising positive behaviour. They are taught clearly. This creates a school where there is mutual respect among the staff and pupils. If a pupil needs support to behave well, effective plans are put in place by leaders and used well by teachers.

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Leaders check on, and manage, the workload of staff. Senior leaders talk regularly to teachers and support staff to ensure that their workload is manageable. Governors ensure that senior leaders’ work practices are fair. Staff, too, are keen to support each other. These actions help to create a positive working environment.

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In discussion with the headteacher, the inspector agreed that early reading and development of the wider curriculum may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection. 16 and 17 November 2021

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders complete the necessary checks to ensure that adults working in the school are safe to work with pupils. Leaders ensure that all staff receive training that will help them identify when a pupil may be at risk of harm. Staff say, ‘If we’re having to question it, we report it.’ Because of this, concerns are reported quickly. Leaders organise support effectively for vulnerable pupils.

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Safeguarding

Pupils report positively about their relationships with staff in school. Pupils say they feel comfortable to share worries with them.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers and teaching assistants do not have the training and subject knowledge they need to teach early reading effectively. Pupils are not taught the sounds they need to know, and some pupils are given books they cannot read fluently. Leaders must provide teachers with training and a structured curriculum where the books pupils read match the sounds they have been taught.  Leaders have not set out the exact knowledge pupils need to learn in curriculum planning for all subjects. Teachers do not always know what knowledge pupils have been taught before. Pupils’ recall of knowledge is not secure in all subjects. Leaders must clarify their curriculum plans to provide teachers with the information they need to check pupils’ prior knowledge and build on this sequentially.

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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 school to be good in November 2016. 16 and 17 November 2021

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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. 16 and 17 November 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200349 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 9 and 10 November 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school moved to a new building in February 2019.  The school runs its own wraparound care, including a breakfast club and an after- school club.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school 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.  The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteacher, and several other staff. The lead inspector also met with three governors.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and music. For each deep dive, the lead inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning (and other aspects of school life) and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 16 and 17 November 2021

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 The inspector also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about some other subjects.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspector spoke with staff and pupils, checked the single central record of recruitment and vetting checks, and reviewed records with the designated safeguarding lead.  The inspector reviewed the 14 responses to the parents’ survey, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Daniel Short, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 16 and 17 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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