Worstead Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Worstead Church of England Primary School Honing Road, Worstead, North Walsham, Norfolk NR28 9RQ

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Outcome

Worstead Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and enjoy attending school. They get on well and are supportive of each other. They do not think there is any bullying, but are sure that if there was, teachers would sort it out quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a wide range of extra-curricular activities, including dance, choir and sports. Many pupils take part in these. They also take part in inter-school competitions, regularly coming in leading positions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their learning. They are motivated by the certificates and awards presented, such as those for mastering their times tables. Pupils experience lots of trips and visits and enjoy when visitors come in to the school as they feel it helps make learning interesting.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils particularly enjoy reading. Their teachers read regularly to them. Pupils have had several author visits using videoconferencing through the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

Leaders have created a curriculum that allows the youngest children in the early years and pupils as they get older to build on their learning from previous lessons. Knowledge and subject skills are well planned and developed over time. Children in the early years settle quickly and develop the knowledge that they need to be ready for Year 1. Pupils from Year 1 onwards have confidence and are articulate in their learning in most subjects.

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

However, in some curriculum areas, staff are not as confident in the delivery of the subject knowledge. For example, the skills of ‘being a historian’ are clearly mapped out to show how this is different in each class, but the knowledge required is at an earlier stage of planning and implementation. As a result, pupils are not yet developing the rich understanding of some subjects as well as they are others. 2 December 2021

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Reading is of high priority. The new scheme of teaching phonics is well established. Staff are delivering this new scheme effectively owing to the ongoing training that they are having to build their confidence in how to deliver it. Adults help the pupils to choose books that are appropriate and challenging where needed. The books that early readers take home are well matched to their phonics knowledge. As a result, pupils become fluent readers quickly. Regular investment in the library means it is well stocked with a good mix of classic, modern and popular books. Pupils enjoy their regular access to these books.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities have individualised provision where needed, including access to online software to help them access more of the curriculum. Specific support for pupils is well planned out to ensure that they get full access to the same curriculum as their peers.

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Children’s and pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. In the early years, children enjoy learning. They are confident to talk to visitors and were able to show inspectors their phonics knowledge while playing a fishing game. Pupils in all year groups work hard. They listen carefully to adults and their peers. On occasion, adults do not notice that children and pupils are ready to achieve more and are waiting patiently for the next task. In the early years, some adults are not identifying when children are ready to have more opportunities to practise and develop key skills through their play.

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There is a wide programme of extra-curricular activities, including several after-school clubs. Leaders prioritise developing pupils’ confidence to take part in events and competitions beyond the local community.

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Leaders know the school well. Governors have made sure that they know a lot about the development of the curriculum so they can challenge and question. All teachers have curriculum responsibilities and have appropriate knowledge of their subjects.

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In discussion with the headteacher, the inspectors agreed that making the most of pupils’ time for learning and staff expertise in delivering the chosen curriculum may usefully serve as foci for the next inspection.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe in the school. They are taught how to keep themselves safe and healthy. Staff have good knowledge of the potential risks to pupils’ safety and are kept up to date with regular training.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding records are well maintained and detailed. All appropriate checks are made on adults regularly in the school. 2 December 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some staff are not as confident in the delivery of the knowledge in some subjects, such as history. As a result, pupils do not develop as rich understanding in these subjects as they do elsewhere in the curriculum. Leaders need to ensure that all staff have appropriate training and support to deliver all the elements of the curriculum that they are responsible for.  On occasion, pupils wait too long for adults to tell them to move on. Sometimes, adults do not identify when children in the early years are ready for more opportunities to practise key skills while playing. As a consequence, pupils’ learning time is not always used to the full extent that it could be. Leaders need to ensure that staff are supported to identify when children and pupils are ready to move on or for a greater level of challenge in their work.

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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 April 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. 2 December 2021

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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. 2 December 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10199720 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 27 and 28 April 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Worstead Primary School is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The school is part of the Diocese of Norwich. Since the last inspection, it has changed status from voluntary controlled to voluntary aided. The last section 48 inspection (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) took place in 2016, with an outcome of good.  The school provides a breakfast club and after-school clubs.

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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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. They met with staff, pupils and representatives of the governing body. 2 December 2021

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives into reading, mathematics and history. As part of these, they met with subject leaders, visited lessons, scrutinised curriculum plans and pupils’ work and met with pupils.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors looked at the single central record and a sample of safeguarding records. They spoke to staff and pupils.  Inspectors took the 21 responses to the staff survey and the 45 responses to the parent survey into account.

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Inspection team

Tessa Holledge, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Darron Jackson Ofsted Inspector 2 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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