Waverton Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Waverton Community Primary School Common Lane, Waverton, Chester, Cheshire CH3 7QT

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Inspection dates: 23 and 24 November 2021

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Outcome

Waverton Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school. They are polite, well-mannered and make visitors very welcome. There is a real community feel in this school. Relationships between pupils, families and staff are strong. Pupils describe ‘the kind people who admire you for who you are’ as one of the best things in this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils. Pupils achieve well. Leaders have improved the curriculum so that pupils can further improve their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They have a clear understanding of diversity and equality. Pupils know that if bullying does happen, it will be dealt with successfully and swiftly by leaders. Pupils feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a wide range of clubs, including sports, music and technology. They are looking forward to day trips and residential visits starting again, as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic begins to ease. Older pupils enjoy inter-school sports. Pupils have many opportunities to take responsibility and develop their leadership skills. Prefects carry out their duties with pride. House captains are elected by the other pupils. This gives pupils a first-hand experience of democracy.

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

Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum which is broad and balanced. It helps pupils to learn about the local area, for example, through the study of canals and Roman Britain. The curriculum is well organised. Learning builds on pupils’ prior knowledge and understanding as they move through the school. The Year 1 curriculum builds effectively on what children in the Reception class know and understand. Teaching is well planned. It includes visits and visitors. A visit by a local scientist, for example, deepened pupils’ knowledge and understanding of forces. 23 and 24 November 2021

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Pupils know, understand and remember most of the knowledge that leaders intend them to learn. Occasionally, some pupils’ understanding is not as secure as it could be. This is because, at times, pupils move on to new learning too soon. In mathematics, for example, pupils have learned the mathematical facts outlined in the curriculum. However, for some pupils, their fluency in recalling and using number facts is not as strong as leaders would like it to be. Teachers are aware of gaps in some pupils’ knowledge. They have made changes to curriculum plans to give pupils more opportunities to develop their understanding before they move on to new learning.

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Leaders know that it is important for pupils to be able to read well. Leaders have strengthened the way staff teach reading in key stage 2. Older pupils are developing greater fluency. They read with expression and intonation. Their comprehension skills are also improving. Teachers develop pupils’ early reading skills effectively. Pupils build on their phonics knowledge as they move through key stage 1. There is a clear structure to the teaching of phonics. Even so, leaders have identified that the approach to the way early reading is taught could be improved. They have planned a new approach, but it is in the early stages of implementation. Staff are developing their skills in how to deliver the new phonics curriculum. This means that a small number of pupils are taking longer to develop their fluency in reading than they should.

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Teachers check pupils’ learning during lessons. This helps them to identify which pupils need more help and guidance. Staff are successful in helping pupils to catch up if they fall behind. Leaders are skilled at identifying pupils with SEND. Staff are well trained to support these pupils effectively.

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Pupils are well behaved in their lessons and around school. They listen carefully to their teachers and each other. They concentrate on their learning. Pupils are keen to do their best. Prefects are proud of their roles in school. They take their responsibilities seriously and are positive role models to younger pupils.

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Pupils enjoy the wide range of opportunities available to help them develop in different ways. These include a variety of after-school clubs. Pupils particularly enjoy the different sports available at lunchtimes. Staff teach pupils how to keep themselves safe and healthy. Leaders ensure that pupils learn about the wider world. They learn about different cultures and religions. Pupils know that everyone is equal.

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New governors have joined the governing body. These members have brought particular skills and experience to support governance in the school. Governors have clear ways of checking that leaders meet their statutory duties for safeguarding and teaching SEND pupils.

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Staff speak positively about the training they receive to develop their teaching expertise. They recognise leaders’ efforts to consider their workload. Pupils, parents and carers value the strong sense of community which leaders have fostered in this school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 23 and 24 November 2021

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School leaders have ensured that staff are well trained for their role in keeping pupils safe from harm. Staff know pupils and their families well. This helps them to identify any concerns or worries that pupils may have. Staff provide effective support to ensure that pupils are well supported socially, emotionally and academically. Leaders work closely with outside agencies.

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Pupils are taught to keep themselves safe online. Their lessons also include staying safe in water and when cycling. Pupils have a secure knowledge of the security procedures in place in school, including why the school has regular fire drills.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, pupils are not fully secure in the knowledge and understanding that leaders intend them to gain. This is when pupils do not have enough opportunities to embed and deepen their learning. Leaders should ensure that teachers provide pupils with greater opportunities to embed and secure their understanding before they are moved on to new learning.  Changes to the teaching of phonics in the early years and key stage 1 are at an early stage of implementation. This means that some staff are developing their delivery of the new phonics curriculum. This is hindering the progress that some pupils make in acquiring secure phonics knowledge. Leaders should ensure that the planned training for teachers equips them fully with the skills that they need to teach the new phonics programme.

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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. 23 and 24 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. 23 and 24 November 2021

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School details

Local authority Cheshire West and Chester

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School details

Inspection number 10199997 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23 and 24 November 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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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 spoke with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator. He spoke with a group of governors, including the chair of governors. The inspector also spoke with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector looked at a range of documents, including the school’s central record of checks undertaken on staff and visitors and safeguarding records.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. He talked with curriculum leaders of these subject areas. The inspector visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and talked with pupils. The inspector also observed pupils reading to their class teacher.

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 The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in class and as they moved around school. He also observed the pupils’ behaviour at lunchtime.  The inspector spoke with a group of pupils about their experiences at school.  The inspector looked at the responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, including the free-text responses. He met with parents before school to find out their views of the school. The inspector also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire. There were no responses to Ofsted’s pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Ian Shackleton, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 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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