Weston Park Primary School

Inspection of Weston Park Primary School Newtown Road, Woolston, Southampton, Hampshire SO19 9HX

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Inspection dates: 30 November and 1 December 2021

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 30 November and 1 December 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are much happier at school than they were. Over the past few years, life at Weston Park Primary has improved a great deal. Previously, pupils did not behave well. This has changed dramatically. Pupils, now, are calm and focused on their learning. They respect each other and the school. They work well with their fellow pupils, showing kindness and care.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have made sure that all pupils feel safe at school. They have taken a strong approach to any bullying. Pupils say that bullying does not really happen very much. If it does, they know who they can go to for help. They are sure that staff will resolve any problem.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have achieved this important improvement through raising expectations across the school. Pupils know that their teachers want the best for them. They also know that staff want them to do their best as well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents have noticed the positive difference for their children in the school. One parent said, ‘The school has turned a corner. My daughter is so happy in school. The staff act quickly when we raise any concerns.’ Pupils increasingly like coming into school. They want to learn as well as they can.

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better?

Leaders have put much thought into their curriculum. They have ensured that pupils have a broad range of subjects to learn. They have also paid attention to the detail of each subject’s content. Teachers now have absolute clarity about how to build pupils’ knowledge and skills.

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better?

Leaders have insisted on consistent and high-quality delivery of the curriculum. This is the case throughout the school. Teachers’ subject knowledge is secure. This helps them to be effective in their teaching. Leaders have emphasised that all pupils need to learn core content. Pupils also need to remember this learning over time. Most pupils are now gaining important knowledge. They can speak confidently about what they have learned. Their work in books shows an increasing confidence and scope of understanding. However, there are still some pupils who have not retained what they have learned as well as others.

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better?

Teachers use assessment in a focused way. Pupils understand where they have succeeded and what they need to improve. However, pupils are not always clear about what their next steps should be. Teachers’ checks do not always pick up on how well pupils remember what they have learned over time.

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better?

Pupils’ ability to read is improving steadily. This is because leaders have made this a matter of importance in the school. Teachers now have higher expectations of what pupils can achieve in their reading. Children in Reception start learning their sounds and letters straightaway. At key stage 1, teachers check closely what each pupil 30 November and 1 December 2021

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needs to do to improve. They put support in place for those who struggle. This focused approach is now having an impact. More pupils can read with accuracy by the end of Year 2.

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Across the school, pupils are developing a love of reading. Again, this is true in early years and continues through to the end of key stage 2. Year 6 pupils could explain well how they are learning about empathy through their work on ‘Private Peaceful’. Clearly, pupils enjoy reading but they are also grasping increasingly complex ideas.

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Leaders ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully supported. They consider carefully what the precise needs are for each pupil with SEND and plan with the teacher how to meet that need effectively. Pupils with SEND have full access to the curriculum. Teachers provide tailored support so that they can learn the same content as their peers.

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Pupils behave very well. They know what the rules are, and they follow them. They respect their teachers and each other. Pupils learn in a calm and organised way. At breaktimes, they play well with their friends. Older pupils say that behaviour has improved considerably.

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Leaders have focused on developing the whole child. They have fostered pupils’ sense of being a good citizen. They encourage pupils to reflect on and discuss how to be a better person. They also provide an array of opportunities to develop leadership. Pupils enjoy giving back to the school community.

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The headteacher has spearheaded a raft of reforms in the school. He has had the help and guidance of trust leaders. Staff support wholeheartedly the improvements at the school. They also say that they have not been swamped with additional burdens. Leaders have carefully considered teachers’ well-being and workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders focus very closely on all matters related to safeguarding. They take very seriously their responsibility to keep pupils safe. Staff are always on the alert. At the heart of everything they do is their pupils’ well-being. They are well trained and aware of what to look out for. There are clear systems to help them report any concerns. Leaders act swiftly and decisively to secure the help that families need.

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Safeguarding

The trust and governors make sure that all processes for recruitment are carefully and frequently monitored. As a result, all relevant checks are rigorously carried out in a timely way.

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 Leaders have not made sure that all pupils learn as well as their peers. A minority are not learning the content as securely. Leaders need to look again at how well teachers are using assessment to check carefully what pupils have learned over time. They also need to make sure that pupils receive precise feedback so that they know what and how to improve.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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. 30 November and 1 December 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10203169 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 with Hamwic Education Trust in August 2017.  The predecessor school was last inspected in May 2016. It was judged to be requiring improvement.  The current headteacher joined the school in January 2019.  The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is much higher than the national average.  The proportion of pupils who have a special educational need and/or disability is also higher than is found in most schools.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation. 30 November and 1 December 2021

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science, geography, and personal, social and health education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also reviewed curriculum plans.  Inspectors reviewed the school’s safeguarding arrangements. They looked at relevant documentation, staff recruitment checks and training. They also considered how well adults in the school act on emerging concerns about pupil welfare.  Meetings were held with leaders and senior leaders within the trust, including the chair of the trustee board.  The team spoke with staff and pupils to gather their views. They considered 21 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, including 19 free texts. Inspectors also took account of 55 responses to the staff survey. There were no

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Inspection team

Yasmin Maskatiya, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kirstine Boon Ofsted Inspector 30 November and 1 December 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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