Wormley CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Wormley Church of England Primary School Cozens Lane East, Wormley, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire EN10 6QA

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Outcome

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Wormley Church of England Primary School thrive on meeting the high expectations of adults and the broad curriculum on offer. They are proud of their school and love their learning. Pupils enjoy taking on additional responsibilities, for example being a member of the pupil parliament or taking on a buddy role.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils gain a deep understanding of the ‘Wormley Way’. Pupils are taught to ‘deploy their agents’ in areas such as resilience, confidence and curiosity. This chosen approach, alongside the Christian values of the school, prepares pupils well socially and academically in school and for the wider world.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and around school. They say that there are often disagreements about football, but these are soon sorted out. Pupils say that they feel safe and can share their worries with any adults they choose. Bullying is rare and dealt with appropriately by leaders.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the ‘enrichment days’. These cover a wide range of topics, from ‘What does heaven look like?’ to ‘One kind word’ and ‘What does Black history mean?’ They give pupils opportunities to develop their curiosity and for pupils to lead their own learning.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum. This starts from when pupils begin school in the early years. The curriculum is planned to help pupils link learning from one subject to another. As a result, pupils are able to learn knowledge in one subject which they apply in other subjects to help them know more.

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

Teachers skilfully recap previous learning. However, on a few occasions, the intended and prior learning is less clear, and the checking of what pupils know and remember is not done frequently enough. This can hinder pupils’ achievement in areas of the curriculum. 8 and 9 December 2021

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In early years, there are numerous chances to deepen new knowledge and skills across all areas of learning. All staff encourage children to develop their speaking skills. Attentive adults model language well to increase children’s vocabulary. Older pupils ‘talk’ with their peers to explore ideas and understand concepts before sharing knowledge with the class. Staff further extend pupils’ learning by checking and correcting any misconceptions. The focus on improving pupils’ vocabulary is having a positive impact on their outcomes. This results in pupils being well prepared for their next stage of learning.

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Pupils become fluent readers. Staff make sure children use the sounds learned to sound out and write words accurately. Reception and key stage 1 pupils read books that are well matched to the sounds they learn. Pupils in key stage 2 benefit from reading a wide range of texts. Teachers are clear about the delivery of leaders’ planned and intended reading strategies. Pupils enjoy adults reading to them. Pupils recall their learning about Shakespeare and talk enthusiastically about other authors. Curriculum thinking is understood and followed consistently by staff throughout the school. This ensures pupils become confident and fluent readers.

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Leaders check that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same aspirational curriculum. Where necessary, pupils are given additional support or are challenged further to do their best. The needs of pupils with SEND are identified accurately. Staff are well trained in how they support these pupils. Consequently, pupils with SEND are able to access the curriculum and achieve well.

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Pupils behave well. The planned curriculum supports pupils’ personal development effectively. One strength is how pupils are taught to express how they are feeling and apply this in their day-to-day lives. The Christian values are carefully woven throughout the curriculum. Pupils show a good understanding of different cultures and needs. A wide range of diverse issues are taught, such as what it is like to have autism or to be a Hindu. Pupils are motivated to achieve their best but also to help and empathise with others.

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Prior to the pandemic, pupils accessed a wide range of extra clubs and activities. While the pandemic has impacted upon these happening, some opportunities have started to resume. Pupils talk fondly of their extra-curricular experiences and are proud to represent their school.

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All members of the governing board have specific roles which they are well qualified for. They use their skills well when holding leaders to account for the quality of education and safeguarding. Governors carry out their statutory responsibilities effectively. They check the information given to them by leaders through visiting the school and finding out for themselves. 8 and 9 December 2021

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong safeguarding culture throughout school. All staff are aware of the potential risks to pupils. All parents, pupils and staff who responded to surveys or were spoken to said that pupils were safe. Pupils are taught about the risks, including how to keep safe online.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure all staff have regular training and know how to report concerns. Leaders follow up concerns appropriately and in a timely manner. Leaders work well with external agencies to make sure families receive necessary support.

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Safeguarding

Governors carry out their safeguarding duties effectively and check that policies and procedures are being followed.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Staff do not always make explicit what pupils have learned or intend to learn. They do not consistently check pupils’ learning or feedback regularly in lessons. Therefore, some pupils do not always remember what has been taught or make links between new learning and what they have learned before. Leaders must check to make sure that staff always make learning clear and routinely check pupils’ understanding throughout each lesson so they ensure pupils know and remember more in all areas of the curriculum.

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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 the school to be good in September 2011. 8 and 9 December 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. 8 and 9 December 2021

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10 November 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school operates a breakfast and after-school club.  Wormley is a Church of England school. It is part of the Diocese of St Albans. Its last section 48 inspection took place in September 2016.  The school does not use any alternative providers at present.

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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 leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the assistant headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, the school improvement partner from the local authority and members of the governing body.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and music. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum 8 and 9 December 2021

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plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at a sample of pupils’ work.  The inspector also met with the leaders for history and religious education, looked at curriculum planning to evaluate leaders’ curriculum thinking and looked at a sample of pupils’ work.  The inspector spoke to parents when pupils were being dropped off at school. The inspector also spoke to pupils in the after-school club and on the playground.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspector scrutinised the school’s single central record, considered the safeguarding policy and spoke to staff and pupils. The inspector discussed a range of safeguarding records with the designated safeguarding leader.  The inspector considered 50 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, from this academic year, and 34 free-text responses submitted during the inspection. The inspector reviewed 44 responses to the online staff survey and 32 responses to the

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Inspection team

Isabel Davis, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 8 and 9 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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