Weldon Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Weldon Church of England Primary School Chapel Road, Weldon, Corby, Northamptonshire NN17 3HP

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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 Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 21 and 22 June 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and welcoming school. Pupils are polite and well mannered. Pupils told inspectors that their school is ‘a friendly, supportive and respectful place to be.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the variety of extra-curricular events that enrich their learning. They enjoy visits to museums and taking part in residentials with their classmates. Pupils are proud to represent their school in sports tournaments. They like singing alongside other choirs. They care about their local community and have opportunities to raise funds for charities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They want to do their best and follow the ‘Weldon Way.’ They are proud to receive awards. Pupils look out for each other. Older pupils enjoy helping younger pupils. Pupils say that bullying is rare. They know that if it did happen, staff will resolve any worries quickly. Parents and carers say that their children feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are keen to learn and achieve well. They enjoy reading a variety of books. They relish solving problems in mathematics. They learn complex vocabulary that helps them to discuss interesting ideas. Sometimes, leaders do not make checks on what pupils have remembered. Some pupils do not receive precise support to keep up in all lessons.

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better?

Leaders have made root and branch changes to ensure pupils receive a good education. They have ensured that all staff have high expectations of pupils. Staff receive training to improve their teaching and their understanding of the school’s curriculum.

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better?

Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is ambitious for all pupils. They have identified the most important knowledge pupils need to learn for all subjects in each year group. This ensures that teachers can teach the curriculum in a logical order, so pupils’ knowledge builds over time.

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better?

Leaders ensure that teachers have appropriate resources that help them to deliver the planned learning. In lessons, teachers provide clear, precise information that helps pupils know more of the school’s curriculum. However, teachers are not consistently revisiting and checking what pupils have remembered. This prevents them from identifying the precise gaps in knowledge pupils may have.

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better?

Leaders make sure that reading lies at the heart of the curriculum. They make sure that phonics is taught well from the start of Reception. Pupils are given books that match their reading ability. Leaders select appropriate books for each year group, including poetry, stories and non-fiction. Teachers ensure pupils understand the complex language they encounter in books. They ensure pupils develop the 21 and 22 June 2022

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necessary knowledge to understand increasingly demanding books. Teachers nurture a love of reading. They read to pupils every day. Pupils talk about the books they choose to read and why.

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In mathematics, teachers follow an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum. Teachers know the subject well. This enables them to spot pupils’ errors or misconceptions quickly. Teachers use regular checks to identify any mathematical knowledge that they need to revisit. They use resources well to help pupils use their knowledge to solve problems.

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Leaders are quick to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Where needed, leaders involve outside agencies, so that they can meet the needs of pupils with SEND. Leaders ensure support is put in place. However, some adults do not have the expertise they need to help pupils with SEND to remember the school’s curriculum as well as they could.

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Children in the early years get off to a good start. Relationships are warm and positive between adults and children. Children have many opportunities to develop their knowledge of vocabulary, numbers and writing. Adults ask questions and guide children to build on their learning. Learning in Reception connects with the learning pupils will encounter as they move through school. This sets children up well to succeed in Year 1 and beyond.

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Leaders prioritise pupils’ well-being. Pupils are encouraged to show resilience and ambition to achieve their goals. They are respectful of each other and adults alike. They learn about different beliefs and family structures. Pupils have a clear understanding of right and wrong.

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School leaders and trust leaders understand the needs of their staff and pupils well. Trust leaders provide the school with training to develop staff expertise. Governors understand the school and its community. They use this knowledge to support leaders.

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Staff enjoy working at the school. They value the opportunities they receive to develop their expertise in their roles. Teachers appreciate the consideration that leaders have for their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure staff understand what to do should they have worries about a pupil. Leaders act straight away on any concerns, however, small. Leaders seek advice from other agencies. They persist to secure help for pupils and families if needed. Leaders ensure recruitment procedures are thorough.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn to keep themselves safe in different situations, for example near railway lines. Pupils are alert to the risks of the online world. They learn about respectful 21 and 22 June 2022

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relationships and personal space. Pupils say that they trust adults in school will listen and help with any worries they have.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils with SEND do not achieve consistently well in all areas of the curriculum. This is because some staff do not adapt the curriculum well enough to meet their needs. Leaders should ensure that teachers have the expertise to adapt the curriculum for pupils with SEND, so they know more over time.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, assessment is at an early stage of development. This means the teachers and leaders do not have a clear understanding of what pupils have remembered. This does not help teachers to identify and address gaps in pupils’ learning. Leaders should ensure that all subjects have clear procedures for staff to make checks on what pupils know and remember.

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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. 21 and 22 June 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10227376 Type of school Primary

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School details

Headteacher Kirstin Howarth (Executive Headteacher) Lesley Middleton (Head of School) Website www.weldonceprimary.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11–12 September 2018

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Information about this school

 The school has been part of the Peterborough Diocese Education Trust (PDET) since March 2016. The trust is the appropriate authority with delegated responsibilities to the academy governance committee (AGC).  As a Church of England school, the academy received its last Section 48 inspection in March 2017. This is an inspection of the school’s religious character.  The school does not use the services of any alternative providers.  The school runs a before- and after-school club.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 21 and 22 June 2022

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school leaders and have taken that into account in the evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the executive headteacher, head of school and other leaders. A meeting was held with the chief executive officer and representatives of PDET and the school’s local governing body (AGC).  The inspectors considered a range of documents, including school policies.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, history, and art and design. This included meeting with subject leaders, visiting lessons and speaking with teachers. The inspector listened to pupils reading to adults, considered leaders’ curriculum plans and scrutinised samples of pupils’ work. Curriculum plans and samples of pupils’ work were scrutinised and discussed with

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leaders for a number of other subjects.  The inspectors met with groups of pupils. They also observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school, including at lunchtime.  The single central record was scrutinised as part of the inspection of safeguarding. The inspectors met with safeguarding leaders, spoke with a range of staff and pupils, and considered safeguarding records.  The inspectors spoke with parents at the start of the school day. Inspectors reviewed the staff and parental responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Mandy Wilding, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Heidi Malliff Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 June 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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