Wellesley Park Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Wellesley Park Primary School Homefield, Wellington, Somerset TA21 9AJ

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Inspection dates: 16 and 17 February 2022

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Outcome

Wellesley Park Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say they enjoy school and love learning new things. They feel safe and say there is always someone to talk to if they need help. The school is inclusive and welcoming.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well around school and when playing together. They help each other out when at play or in lessons. Pupils get on with their learning in lessons. Bullying does not occur often, but if it does, pupils say staff will act quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning about a wide range of subjects, including different cultures and beliefs. Pupils say this helps them to understand and accept each other’s differences. Pupils enjoy reading and are keen to read. They talk enthusiastically about stories and books and enjoy storytelling.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils welcome the opportunities to take on leadership roles, such as house captains and members of the school council. Older pupils enjoy being playground leaders and younger pupils appreciate their help in the playground. Pupils are looking forward to attending school clubs again and talk enthusiastically about the return of science club.

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

Leaders are ambitious for pupils at the school. They have made many improvements that are acknowledged by staff and governors. The school has been particularly affected by the pandemic recently and staff have worked well together to deliver the curriculum. Leaders feel well supported by the trust and staff recognise the trust’s support to develop subject expertise. Those responsible for governance know and understand their role well.

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

Leaders have created a broad and balanced curriculum. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the different subjects they learn about. Leaders have developed curriculum plans for each subject that are mostly sequenced well. Teaching provides clear instruction to pupils. This helps pupils to build their knowledge and what they can do. Many older pupils have a secure understanding of important subject vocabulary. 16 and 17 February 2022

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Leaders prioritise reading. Pupils read regularly and are keen to do so. Teachers frequently recommend books to pupils that encourage them to read widely. This is helping pupils develop a love of reading. The Nursery places storytelling at the heart of the curriculum. This promotes a curiosity and love of reading from early on. The school has a systematic approach to the teaching of reading. Books are generally well matched to pupils’ phonics knowledge and pupils enjoy reading them. However, there is some variability in the delivery of the programme. Where it is strong, pupils can recall their phonics knowledge and successfully apply what they have been taught. This is effective in helping them to build up their fluency. However, where it is not as secure, some pupils do not read accurately. Strengthening this part of the curriculum is central to leaders’ improvement programme.

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Assessment is used sensibly to pose questions about the impact of the curriculum. Leaders use this to check on progress in reading. Where pupils need additional help with reading, they receive appropriate support. Staff are well informed about how pupils are doing in each subject, and they use the information to modify the curriculum as needed.

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Leaders of special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) work closely with staff to identify pupils’ needs at an early stage. This helps to prepare children for their next steps. For example, when moving on from Nursery. Leaders of SEND ensure that teachers are well informed about useful strategies. Teachers know pupils with SEND well. Pupils contribute to lessons alongside their peers. However, sometimes, staff who work with pupils with SEND do not have the necessary knowledge to support pupils’ learning with precision. This leads to some variability in the way pupils are supported.

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Staff and pupils have high expectations for behaviour. Staff model positive relationships and respectful behaviour for pupils. Children quickly learn how to share and play well together in the Nursery. Although lesson disruption is rare, younger pupils say their learning is sometimes distracted by others. Staff and pupils know the seven steps of the behaviour policy well and say it is applied consistently. Pupils display positive attitudes and take pride in their work.

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Leaders have put a well-structured curriculum in place to support pupils’ wider development. Staff adapt the personal, social and health education programme so that it is responsive to pupils’ needs. Pupils say they learn about sensitive topics at a time that is right for them.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created an environment where staff are vigilant around matters of safeguarding. There are strong systems in place. Staff know how to identify and report concerns. They have confidence in leaders to deal with concerns they have raised. Leaders, staff and governors are knowledgeable. Staff say their training is frequent and useful. 16 and 17 February 2022

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Leaders work well with external services. They seek out effective ways to support children to overcome barriers.

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Pupils say they feel safe. They know how to keep themselves safe, including when they are online, and who to go to for help.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, the delivery of the phonics programme does not have the impact that leaders intend. This means that some pupils are not as secure in their reading as they need to be. Leaders have improvement plans in place. These will need to be acted on quickly and robustly and monitored for impact.  Sometimes, staff who work with pupils with SEND do not have the requisite knowledge to support pupils’ learning with precision. This leads to some variability in the way pupils are supported. Leaders should ensure that all staff, especially those new to their roles, are well trained and well equipped so they can provide support that enhances pupils’ 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 on 20 October 2015.

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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 . 16 and 17 February 2022

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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. 16 and 17 February 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10199560 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20 October 2015

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Information about this school

 The school is a larger than average sized primary school.  There is a nursery on site for children aged two to four.  The school is part of the Castle Partnership Trust which has two primary schools and two secondary schools.  The school uses one alternative provider.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in the evaluation.  The lead inspector met with the deputy headteacher, senior leaders and representatives of the trust, including the executive headteacher of primary. Meetings were also held with curriculum leaders, class teachers and the special educational needs coordinator. 16 and 17 February 2022

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 The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead, examined school records and discussed safeguarding cases.  The lead inspector spoke with the school’s improvement partner and a representative from the alternative provider used by the school.  The lead inspector completed deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and religious education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors considered 78 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View including 64 free-text responses from parents.

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Inspection team

Tracey Reynolds, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 16 and 17 February 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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