Wingham Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Wingham Primary School School Lane, Wingham, Canterbury, Kent, CT3 1BD

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Inspection dates: 16 and 17 November 2021

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Outcome

Wingham Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this school are happy, safe and well cared for. They say that adults listen to them and help them when they need it. For them, school is a place where they learn interesting things and enjoy a wide range of experiences and activities. Staff want the best for pupils, and they make sure that pupils have the support they need to be successful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave very well in lessons and around the school. They work hard and are keen to try their best. Adults have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and help them to be successful. Younger pupils love bringing their wellington boots to school, so they can play with their friends on the field. Older pupils enjoy a wide range of playtime activities. Pupils are kind to each other and make sure that everyone is included.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know the importance of treating each other equally. They say, 'It's fine to be different, we all care about each other.’ Bullying is extremely rare and is quickly dealt with by staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents, almost without exception, speak highly of the school. They value the strong relationships between staff and pupils.

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

Leaders, staff and governors have carefully considered the curriculum. Curriculum plans set out what pupils should learn in all subjects. Teachers use these plans to design sequences of learning in a logical order. This results in pupils developing secure knowledge and skills over time in all subjects. The teaching of art is a particular strength. Pupils are expert in a wide range of artistic techniques. This is because their teachers explain new learning clearly and show pupils how to improve.

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

Teachers check how well pupils have been learning in their topics on 'Flourish' days. Pupils create a final piece of work at the end of a topic that helps to show what they have been learning. These include paintings, songs, working models and computer programs. This 16 and 17 November 2021

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helps teachers to learn lots about pupils’ interests. However, these days do not provide all the information teachers need, so they can be sure that pupils have remembered the important knowledge they have been taught.

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Pupils develop a love of reading. They read lots of books and have many stories read to them. Pupils begin learning phonics from the moment they start school. Teachers check what pupils have remembered and provide support for anyone falling behind. The majority of phonics lessons are taught well. However, the approaches that teachers use are too varied. This means that pupils experience different ways of teaching phonics as they move groups. As a result, pupils make less progress than they are capable of.

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Children in the early years get off to a flying start when learning about numbers. Teachers make sure that children see numbers presented in a wide range of ways. This helps children to quickly build strong foundations in their mathematical understanding. The mathematics curriculum in key stages 1 and 2 is well planned. Teachers’ good subject knowledge helps them to explain new content clearly. They check what pupils have remembered and make sure that learning builds on what has already been taught. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of what they have learned develops well over time.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn and achieve well. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has made sure that staff are well trained. This means that they know how to adapt the curriculum for pupils with SEND when required. Leaders are ambitious for pupils with SEND and make sure they are fully included in the life of the school.

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Leaders have made sure that pupils experience a wide range of additional opportunities. Visits and trips enhance pupils’ learning well. Themed weeks throughout the year help to broaden pupils’ horizons and prepare them well for life in modern Britain. There are a wide range of extra-curricular clubs that pupils enjoy attending.

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Governors are skilled and have a clear understanding of their role. They have managed recent changes to the leadership team well. They form a strong team that supports leaders to continue to improve the school further.

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Staff are proud to work at this school. They trust leaders to take care of them and say that they are considerate of their workload. Staff appreciate the way leaders share responsibilities across the federation and the extra support this brings.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders' robust procedures have created a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Staff are vigilant to any signs of potential abuse. Leaders work well with external agencies to make sure that children are safe. The school makes every effort to provide the right support to pupils and families who need it. 16 and 17 November 2021

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The curriculum provides many opportunities for pupils to learn how to stay safe. They have a good understanding of how to stay safe online and know how to report any concerns they may have.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers do not all teach the phonics curriculum in the same way. As a result, pupils do not make as much progress as they could. Leaders should ensure that staff are trained to teach phonics consistently with fidelity to one approach, so that all pupils make strong progress.  The way the foundation curriculum is assessed does not provide teachers with enough information on how well pupils have remembered key knowledge. This means that teachers are not able to evaluate the impact of the curriculum well enough and make adaptations where required. Leaders should continue to improve the approach to assessment, so that it systematically checks what pupils know and remember in the foundation subjects.

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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 school to be good in February 2012.

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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 . 16 and 17 November 2021

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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 10200277 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Nicholas Scott-Kilvert

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School details

Headteacher Helen Clements (Acting executive headteacher) Emily Douglas (Head of school) Website www.winghamprimary.org.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection February 2012

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Information about this school

 The school joined the federation of Preston and Wingham in September 2013.  One governing body operates across the federation.  The acting executive headteacher took up their post in summer 2021.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  At the time of the inspection the Year 3 class was operating as a bubble due to cases of COVID-19. This class was not visited during the inspection.

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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 their evaluation.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and art and design. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at 16 and 17 November 2021

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curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also heard some pupils read.  The inspector held meetings with senior leaders, the SENCo and other school staff.  The inspector met with the members of the governing body and spoke with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector considered 33 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and parents’ free-text responses.  The inspector considered the views of staff during meetings with them.

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Inspection team

James Freeston, lead inspector Ofsted 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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