Wilson Primary School

Inspection of Wilson Primary School Wilson Road, Reading, Berkshire RG30 2RW

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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 29 and 30 March 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy and safe. They are proud to attend Wilson Primary. Pupils say everyone is welcome at this school. They develop a strong interest in the history of the local community. This is because leaders use the story of the school’s Victorian buildings to bring history to life. Corridors display photographs of people from the First World War when the buildings were used as a hospital.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons. They enjoy their learning and are usually totally focused on the task at hand. However, when outside at playtime, behaviour is not always good. Sometimes, pupils play too roughly. This is partly because they have only recently started to play together again as a whole school rather than in single year groups. Incidents of bullying are rare. Pupils understand bullying and are confident about reporting it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations for every pupil. In much of the curriculum, pupils have lots of opportunities to build on their knowledge and skills. This enables them to develop a greater understanding of subjects. Staff make sure pupils have a good awareness of how discrimination affects lives. Pupils report that they want to ‘stop discrimination across the whole world’.

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better?

The executive headteacher and other senior staff have ensured that the school has continued to improve. They have a clear and determined vision for every child to do their best. Leaders have designed a curriculum that pupils find interesting and engaging. In most subjects, pupils build their knowledge based on their prior understanding. This helps them to do more challenging work. But, in subjects such as science and geography, pupils do not always have a secure understanding of their previous learning. This means that they sometimes struggle to understand work that is more difficult.

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better?

Teachers mostly make suitable adaptations to the curriculum to help pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve the best they can. However, teaching is not always closely linked between the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision) and mainstream classes. As a result, these pupils do not always achieve as well as they could. The specially resourced provision is effective in helping pupils to build their confidence and reduce anxieties. Massage therapy and sensory experiences help pupils to feel calmer. Additionally, those with speech and language needs receive regular and effective support from the speech and language therapist.

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better?

Teachers have high expectations of the work required of pupils in lessons. They use assessment well to understand what a pupil already knows. Staff are proud to work in the school. They appreciate steps taken by leaders to help them manage their workload and promote their well-being. Governors are ambitious for the school and its pupils. They value the work that leaders have done to keep the school running 29 and 30 March 2022

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smoothly during COVID-19. Most parents and carers are positive about the school. They say that staff are caring and supportive of their children. A typical comment from a parent was, ‘Our child really enjoys Wilson School; they are doing well, and their teacher is fantastic.’

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The early years is a place of joy and fun. During the inspection, Nursery children excitedly took part in an activity where they hid from a fire-breathing dragon. Adults took every opportunity to develop children’s early language skills and vocabulary. Children enjoy their daily phonics lessons and listening to and joining in with familiar stories, songs and rhymes.

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Phonics teaching is well organised in key stage 1. Pupils who find reading more difficult receive the support they need to catch up. Pupils have a love of reading. Leaders have thought carefully about which high-quality books pupils will encounter as they move from the early years through to Year 6.

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Leaders have planned a curriculum that provides many opportunities to enrich pupils’ personal development. Pupils with SEND are included in all aspects of school life. The local community is celebrated. One pupil summed this up well by saying, ‘Together we make a community, together we make a school.’ Pupils are working on a Reading community arts project where they, with other schools, will create art to be displayed around the town. Funding is well used to promote healthy lifestyles. Opportunities such as orienteering, forest school and sports events are provided so that pupils have a good understanding of the importance of keeping fit.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have received appropriate safeguarding training. They are alert to any sign that indicates a pupil is at risk of harm. Pupils are confident that there is an adult they can talk to if they need help. Leaders work closely with external agencies to ensure that pupils’ needs are met.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe from harm. For example, a visit from the police helped pupils know what to do if a stranger looked suspicious. Pupils learn about online dangers, including cyber-bullying.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils do not always behave well at breaktimes and lunchtimes. This is because pupils have become unused to playing in larger, mixed year groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders need to ensure that effective strategies are put in place to ensure pupils play together well. 29 and 30 March 2022

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 In some subjects, such as geography and science, pupils do not always have a secure understanding of their previous learning. This means that they struggle to remember and apply their understanding to more difficult work. Leaders should ensure that there are planned opportunities for pupils to regularly review their learning so they can consolidate their knowledge and make better progress through the school’s intended curriculum.  Work provided for pupils with SEND who attend the specially resourced provision is not always linked closely enough to the work they do in their year group class. This means that these pupils do not always make the best possible gains in their knowledge and understanding. Leaders need to make sure that teachers plan together more closely so that they provide a well-sequenced curriculum that always meets pupils’ needs.

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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. 29 and 30 March 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Claire Hurst (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Website www.wilsonprimary.co.uk Date of previous inspection 1 October 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 In September 2019, the school became part of The Federation of Oxford Road Community School & Wilson Primary School. The two schools share a senior leadership team and governing body.  The school has a specially resourced provision. It caters for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, communication and interaction needs and autism spectrum disorder. Currently, there are eight pupils attending. The provision takes pupils from both schools in the federation. Most of these pupils have an education, health and care plan. Pupils attend the specially resourced provision in the morning and return to their year group classes in the afternoon.  The school does not use alternative provision currently.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 29 and 30 March 2022

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 Deep dives were conducted in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science, art, geography and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, met with teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors held meetings with senior leaders. They met with four members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. There was also a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority  A wide range of documentation provided by the school was considered. This included the school improvement plan, school evaluation, curriculum documentation and school policies.  Inspectors considered the effectiveness of safeguarding through discussions with leaders, teachers and support staff. They checked the single central record. Records and information about behaviour and attendance were also discussed.

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 Pupils’ views were gathered about the school through formal and informal discussions. These discussions took place during lessons, in meetings and at breaktimes. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at various times during the school day. They also took into account 51 responses to the pupil questionnaire.  There were 28 responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, and 17 free-text comments from parents. Inspectors also took into account 31 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for staff.

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Inspection team

Liz Bowes, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Tracey Bowen Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 March 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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