Welton St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy

Inspection of a good school: Welton St Mary’s Church of England Primary Academy School Drive, Welton, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN2 3LA

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 January 2022

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Outcome

Welton St Mary’s Church of England Primary Academy continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish at this school. Staff expect pupils to behave well and to work hard. They do. Pupils’ behaviour and conduct are exemplary. Incidents of bullying and low-level disruption are extremely rare. Pupils are enthusiastic about learning and are keen to succeed. They enjoy the responsibility of being house captains, globe guardians, play leaders and librarians. Pupils say they enjoy school and are happy and safe here.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school values of peace, harmony and respect shine through. Pupils know these well. They have many opportunities to develop their talents and interests. There are many sports clubs, a choir and a gardening club. Pupils are aware of their local area and its history. There are often visits to Welton village, to Lincoln Castle and to the cathedral. Pupils frequently collect items for the local food bank and take part in community events. They are being prepared well to be thoughtful and responsible citizens.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive in their views of the school. Typical comments were, ‘My child has come on in leaps and bounds in all areas’, and ‘The children are at the centre of everything the school does.’

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

Leaders have designed and written a well-designed curriculum. They have thought carefully about what they want pupils to learn and when they want them to learn it. In the early years, for example, children learn about people who help us. This includes learning about the role of nurses and the fire service. This prepares them well for later learning in key stage 1 about Florence Nightingale, and the Great Fire of London. Leaders have not yet had the opportunity to fully measure the impact of the curriculum on pupils’ learning. It has not yet run in school for a full academic year. 25 and 26 January 2022

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Teachers have good subject knowledge. They explain tasks carefully and clearly. Pupils in Year 5 were enjoying the challenge of learning about time and the difference between am and pm. Teachers use symbols and pictures to help pupils remember key pieces of information. Pupils say these are useful. They help them to verbally explain their ideas.

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There is a sensible approach to assessment. In mathematics, teachers provide pupils with a daily ‘fluent in 5’. These are quick-fire questions and reminders of content that has previously been learned. Pupils say these are helpful. There are also end of unit tests. These help teachers to understand what pupils have learned and to identify the content that needs to be revisited.

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The teaching of phonics and early reading is a strength. Leaders ensure that staff receive effective training. Consequently, the phonics programme is taught consistently well throughout the school. Staff ensure that reading books match the letter sounds that pupils are learning. Frequent and accurate assessments mean that any pupil who might be falling behind is spotted quickly. Staff want pupils to ‘keep up rather than catch up’. Pupils say they have many opportunities to read during the day. There is a good range of appropriate and challenging books from which they can choose.

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The curriculum for pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. Pupils are being prepared well for life in modern Britain. They have a good understanding of faiths that are different to their own. Pupils’ mental and physical health is well considered. Pupils can talk with a trained learning mentor should they have a worry. The ‘daily mile’ and outdoor learning activities encourage pupils to be physically active.

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Pupils who need extra help or who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are spotted quickly. They are given effective support that helps them to access the full curriculum. Staff have received appropriate training in areas such as autism awareness. Support plans that identify pupils’ needs, their targets and the extra help that is required are not sharp enough. They do not identify which adult is providing the extra support and when the targets should be evaluated.

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There is a well-planned curriculum for children in the early years. The classrooms and outdoor area are well designed and resourced. Children enjoy a wide range of activities. There are opportunities for them to develop their mathematical and English skills as well as to be creative. The early years is busy and purposeful. Children can sustain their concentration. They complete the activities very well. Relationships between children and adults are warm and positive. The children are being prepared well for Year 1.

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The governing body has a good mix of skills and experience. It is holding leaders fully to account for their actions. A small number of staff say that leaders do not always take account of their well-being or workload. 25 and 26 January 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff have received effective safeguarding training. They are aware of the latest guidance around peer-on-peer abuse and harmful sexual behaviours. Staff are alert to the potential signs of abuse or neglect. Leaders keep comprehensive records. There are good links with outside agencies who help to support pupils and families when the need arises. The single central record meets requirements. The arrangements for the safer recruitment of staff are robust.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum has age-appropriate information for pupils around relationships, sex and health education.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum has not yet been implemented in school for a full academic year. Subject leaders have not yet been able to fully evaluate its impact. They do not know precisely which areas of the curriculum pupils have learned and which areas they have not. Senior leaders should ensure that subject leaders receive the necessary time, support and training for them to effectively check the impact of the curriculum in their subject area(s).  The support plans for pupils with SEND are not sharp enough. They do not contain precise enough information. Details around which adults will provide the extra support for pupils and when pupils’ targets will be evaluated are missing. Senior leaders should ensure that the future support plans contain this information, which will help pupils with SEND to be better supported in their learning.

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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 January 2017. 25 and 26 January 2022

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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. 25 and 26 January 2022

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School category

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School category

Date of previous inspection 24 January 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a Church of England primary school. It underwent a section 48 Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) inspection in March 2016. In March 2020, this type of inspection was suspended as part of the government’s COVID- 19 legislation.  The school does not use the services of any alternative providers.

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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 his evaluation of the school.  The inspector held various meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders and the leaders responsible for different curriculum subjects, phonics and early reading, the early years and for pupils with SEND. A meeting was held with five members of the governing body, including the chair, and with a representative from the diocese.  The inspector carried out deep dives in mathematics, phonics and early reading and history. For each deep dive, the inspector looked at curriculum plans, visited lessons, 25 and 26 January 2022

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spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at a sample of pupils’ work.  The inspector also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about some other subjects.  In order to inspect safeguarding, the inspector checked the single central record. Checks were made on staff training and staff’s knowledge of the school’s safeguarding procedures. The inspector scrutinised safeguarding records.

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Inspection team

Peter Stonier, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 25 and 26 January 2022

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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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