West Felton CofE Primary School

Inspection of West Felton CofE Primary School School Road, West Felton, Oswestry, Shropshire SY11 4JR

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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 Good 5 and 6 July 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their time at this school. They are enthusiastic about their lessons and attend regularly. The curriculum covers a wide range of subjects, which are accessible to all pupils. Leaders set high expectations, particularly in reading. As a result, pupils become fluent readers. Pupils’ engagement in reading is supported by weekly visits from the ‘reading’ dog, Oakley.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Almost all pupils demonstrate consistently positive attitudes to their behaviour and their learning. They set high standards for themselves. These live up to the school’s core values of ‘kindness, aspiration, community and dignity’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are encouraged to take on different responsibilities, for example as worship leaders or as ambassadors. They learn to make choices, such as supporting a local charity to protect cats. Pupils are very articulate and are keen to share their opinions. At the same time, they listen to, and respect the views of others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kept safe in school and learn to keep themselves safe, particularly through the school’s extensive personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education programme. In surveys, pupils, parents and carers confirm that incidents of bullying are rare. When pupils are worried about anything, they are confident to speak to any adult in the school.

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better?

An ambitious planned curriculum ensures that pupils have access to a full range of subjects. The curriculum sets out clearly what they want pupils to learn and how they will check if this has been achieved. They have advanced this work well in many subjects, including in English and mathematics, but also in others, including religious education and PSHE. However, checks made of pupils’ learning are less well developed in a few subjects, such as design and technology.

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better?

Leaders plan successfully for pupils to have ‘meaningful experiences’. Local area links bring the curriculum to life. For example, in early years, a farmer brought his tractor to school to engage children.

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better?

The school’s own phonics scheme enables pupils to learn to read fluently. This starts right from when pupils join in Nursery and Reception. Leaders have ensured that books are well matched to the letters and sounds that readers know. Staff are trained well to support pupils, including those who initially struggle to read. This helps pupils to read with increasing confidence. Leaders promote a love of reading throughout the school. Pupils enjoy reading for work and pleasure.

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better?

In mathematics, the curriculum sets out what pupils need to learn in a way that enables them to revisit themes in greater depth or to recap learning. Additional time allocated to the subject allows pupils to extend their learning with frequent practice, for example through ‘fluency in five’ first thing every morning. In Reception, children 5 and 6 July 2022

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make rapid gains in their understanding of ‘number bonds’ to count in tens and units.

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Where there are split year groups across two classes, not all pupils have the same curriculum experiences or in as much depth as others. Examples of this include ‘The Romans’ in history or ‘Earth and Space’ in science. Leaders have begun to address this by setting the same learning objectives in each year group. However, they recognise that there is more to do to plug gaps they have identified.

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Leaders have successfully put in place effective provision for music, with support from the local authority’s specialist service. However, opportunities for pupils to learn a musical instrument are more limited than before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

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Leaders have suitably adapted the curriculum in each subject to ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities can fully access their learning. Highly skilled staff ensure that they identify and meet individual needs.

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Pupils set high behaviour standards for themselves and others. They understand the consequences of poor behaviour. Pupils attend school regularly. Responses from parents were overwhelmingly positive about behaviour in school.

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Pupils know how to keep themselves healthy. They take advantage of a number of sporting opportunities on offer. They learn about different types of relationships from early years onwards in an age-appropriate way. Leaders promote what they term ‘universal’ values well. Pupils can nominate and vote for their peers to be ambassadors. They demonstrate respect for those who are different or hold an alternative opinion. They keenly support community projects for older and vulnerable local residents.

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Leaders are very mindful of the workload pressures on staff. They have fully taken this into account. It is much appreciated by staff.

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Governors know the school’s strengths and areas for development well. They are very well informed and ask challenging questions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff know how to look for signs of risk. Consequently, pupils are identified quickly and receive early help as necessary. The school works well with external partners supporting children and families where appropriate. Staff know to report and record any incident, however small, as it may be ‘the vital piece of the jigsaw’. Policies and procedures are in place to ensure the safe recruitment of staff and, if necessary, to respond to allegations.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught to keep themselves safe, for example online or when swimming. They know to report any incidents of unwanted harassment from other pupils. 5 and 6 July 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Where there are split year groups, some pupils do not receive the same curriculum content as others, or not in as much depth. As a result, there are a few gaps in some pupils’ experiences and learning. Leaders have identified these and put measures in place through shared objectives, but this needs to be more systematic to ensure that planned learning is covered for all pupils.  Although assessment systems are well established in many subjects, there are a few where this is not the case. This means that in some subjects, teachers do not have a clear enough understanding of what pupils have learned. Leaders should ensure that effective assessment procedures are consistently implemented in every subject.  As a result of the pandemic, most clubs and wider activities stopped. This meant that pupils were missing out on wider enrichment opportunities. These have started again, especially in sport, but leaders should do more to promote pupils’

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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. 5 and 6 July 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10227232 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website https://westfelton.westcliffefederation.co .uk/ Date of previous inspection 15 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The current headteacher was appointed in January 2021. The previous headteacher is now executive headteacher of the Westcliffe Federation.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.  The school had its last section 48 inspection on 18 May 2017, when it was judged outstanding. The next scheduled inspection is due in 2025.

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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.  Inspectors held meetings with the executive headteacher, headteacher and other members of staff.  Inspectors spoke to several groups of pupils, including a group of Year 6 girls. 5 and 6 July 2022

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 Inspectors met six members of the governing body, including the chair, and they spoke remotely to representatives of the local authority and the diocese.  Inspectors took account of a high number of responses to the Ofsted Parent View free-text service and to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also considered responses to the Ofsted pupil and staff questionnaires.  Inspectors considered information on pupils’ behaviour, attendance, personal development, safeguarding and child protection.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and music. They also looked at or discussed work in design and technology, history and science. For each deep dive, inspectors met 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.

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Inspection team

Mark Sims, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Michelle Bishton Her Majesty’s Inspector 5 and 6 July 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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