Wath Victoria Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Wath Victoria Primary School Sandymount Road, Wath-upon-Dearne, Rotherham, South Yorkshire S63 7AD

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Inspection dates: 9 and 10 November 2021

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Outcome

Wath Victoria Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils speak very positively about Wath Victoria Primary School. One pupil summed up their school with the words ‘friendship and learning’. Pupils value the clubs that the school runs. These include sports clubs, baking and computer coding. There are three activities on most afternoons, and these are well attended. Relationships between staff and pupils are very positive. Pupils feel safe in school and are certain that if they did have any problems, they would be able to tell staff about them. Leaders have high expectations of pupils. The curriculum is ambitious. Pupils respond well to the challenges they are given.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. The school has three golden rules: be ready, respectful and safe. Older pupils speak very maturely about respect. Pupils are clear that bullying is a rare event, but they say that when it does happen, staff deal with it well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are very positive about the school. Almost all of those who completed the survey for this inspection would recommend the school. The parents and grandparents that the inspector met with were just as positive.

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

Leaders see the teaching of reading as a key priority. They have invested in a new scheme for teaching phonics. This is being implemented very well across the school. All teaching staff have been trained and, as a result, have good expertise. Pupils are read to every day and enjoy this. Pupils are encouraged to read at home. Younger pupils are provided with electronic copies of reading books. Older pupils take books home and parents use an app to monitor their progress. Leaders have identified that pupils in Years 3 and 4 have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as far as their reading is concerned. A catch-up programme is in place to ensure that all pupils have the opportunity to become good readers.

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

Pupils enjoy their work in mathematics. One pupil said, ‘I like the challenge. You think you can’t do something, then you find you can.’ Pupils show good understanding about 9 and 10 November 2021

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number and can explain different methods of calculation. Leaders have identified that the curriculum for shape, space and measures is less well developed, and pupils are less secure in their knowledge of these.

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Pupils also enjoy the topics they have studied in history and can talk confidently about the work they have done recently. The curriculum is ambitious. However, the design of the curriculum means that some pupils’ knowledge of history is superficial. For instance, when pupils were asked to explain why historical events happened, they had few examples to choose from and little knowledge. The delivery of the curriculum is underpinned by a commitment to inclusivity. For example, the local authority has made extra resources available to provide for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Leaders put a great deal of emphasis on pupils’ personal development. The acting headteacher spoke with real passion about this area of the school’s work. Attendance at extracurricular activities is looked at carefully to ensure that there are opportunities that will interest all pupils. There is a well-planned programme of other activities. On the second day of the inspection, an author was visiting the school. This was designed to develop a love of reading, but also to mark Remembrance Day. Pupils responded very well to this high-quality experience. They also relished being together as a large group for the first time in a long time.

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The school is well led. Governors know the school well. The trust has provided extra support for the school in the absence of the substantive headteacher. The acting headteacher is supported for two days a week by an experienced executive headteacher. Teachers report that the good behaviour of pupils is the result of careful work done over several years. The anti-bullying culture that leaders have created has won awards. Staff feel that they have been fully involved in the changes made to the curriculum, and that their workload is well considered. Morale is high with all staff who completed the survey. They say they are proud to work at Wath Victoria.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding at this school. All of the correct employment checks are made. Leaders are tireless in their efforts to get support for pupils and their families. Staff receive regular training and understand their responsibilities. There is a full programme in place to teach pupils how to remain safe. This includes any risks that they may face online. Governors and the trust oversee this aspect of the school’s work well.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils in Years 3 and 4 do not have secure phonics knowledge. Leaders need to complete the work of fully embedding the new scheme for teaching phonics. 9 and 10 November 2021

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 In mathematics, pupils have good understanding of number and can explain different methods of calculation. Here, the curriculum is logical and well delivered. Pupils’ knowledge of shape, space and measure is less strong. Leaders must ensure that the curriculum in mathematics for shape, space and measure is also systematically planned so that pupils are secure in their knowledge.  In some subjects, such as history, the curriculum is not clearly planned. Some pupils’ knowledge is superficial. Leaders must ensure that the curriculum is planned rigorously. It should be clear what pupils will know and remember. Leaders are aware of this and have plans in place to remedy this going forward. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied.

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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, Wath Victoria School, to be good in May 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. 9 and 10 November 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200623 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

 In September 2021, resource provision for pupils with autistic spectrum disorder opened at the school.

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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 executive headteacher, acting headteacher, assistant headteachers, subject leaders and members of staff. The inspector met with the chair of the local governing body, two governors and a member of the trust board. He took account of 24 responses to the Ofsted survey for staff.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at breaktime and lunchtime. He gathered pupils’ views from both formal and informal discussions.  The inspector scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s self- evaluation document, improvement plan and safeguarding information. 9 and 10 November 2021

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 The inspector met parents and grandparents. He took account of 16 responses to Ofsted’s parents’ questionnaire, Parent View. The inspector looked in depth at the following subjects: reading, mathematics and history. In doing this, he visited all classes in the school and reviewed pupils’ work. The inspector spoke to pupils about their work and listened to them read.

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Inspection team

Andrew Cummings, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 9 and 10 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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