Wrotham Road Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Wrotham Road Primary School Wrotham Road, Gravesend, Kent DA11 0QF

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Outcome

Wrotham Road Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school values of enjoyment, confidence, individuality, creativity and independence run like a thread through school life. This reflects pupils’ everyday experience and inspires them to aim high. They are instilled in children from the very start of their school journey in Nursery or Reception.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their vibrant, happy school. They get on well together and are curious about the many different cultures and experiences within their diverse school community. They share their thoughts, take time to hear the views of others and value the kindness that is evident everywhere. Positive relationships between staff and pupils ensure that pupils are known as individuals. There is much fun and laughter. Pupils feel safe. They do not worry about bullying because they know it would not be tolerated.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff consistently reinforce high expectations of work and behaviour throughout. This leads to a calm, purposeful environment across the school. As a result, pupils behave consistently well and concentrate in class.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a voice in their school. For example, they carefully choose charities that they want to support. They enjoy participating in the wider life of the school as house captains or through the eco council.

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

Leaders have thought carefully about how to make learning meaningful for pupils. The ambitious curriculum is ordered logically from Year 1 to Year 6. However, in some subjects leaders have not fully considered the way in which the early years curriculum links to Year 1. Actions to address this are under way in subjects such as mathematics, but there is more to be done to fully sequence the curriculum across all subjects.

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

The curriculum is fully ordered in reading. Leaders have ensured that the children start to explore sounds in Nursery and then start learning phonics as soon as they join Reception. 5 and 6 October 2022

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Pupils learn to read quickly and well. Reading is an evident priority across the school as staff know that reading well unlocks learning for pupils. Book corners are well stocked and inviting. Pupils know that they can supplement their reading using the library or bring in books from home in a range of languages. Any pupils who struggle to read are quickly identified and supported to catch up with their peers. While staff are experts in the teaching of early reading, leaders have wisely arranged refresher training to continue to strengthen expertise throughout the school.

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Leaders place emphasis on developing pupils’ speaking and listening. In the early years, children are encouraged to answer questions in full sentences using the right vocabulary. This builds throughout the school because the curriculum identifies opportunities for pupils to engage in exploring words and their meanings. Pupils are keen to expand their vocabularies, for example by using dictionaries. Those pupils who speak English as an additional language are well supported by the language-rich approach to the curriculum.

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Sometimes, previous outcomes in mathematics have not been as strong as leaders would have liked. There has been a concerted effort to strengthen the mathematics curriculum. This has largely been successful. Pupils know that mathematics is important. They enjoy it because it is made both fun and challenging. For example, pupils are motivated by the competitions and group rewards they earn when learning their times tables. They take care to set out their mathematical thinking and calculation clearly in their workbooks. Pupils are developing into confident and competent mathematicians.

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The needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are swiftly identified. Staff know pupils well and ensure that they provide pupils with the help they need to access the same curriculum as their peers.

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Pupils behave very well in lessons. They work diligently alone or with others. They are confident to ask for help and to help others who may need it. Pupils’ excellent behaviour extends beyond the classroom as they move around the school and outside in the playground.

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Pupils are not just tolerant of each other. They embrace the differences they see around them and learn from each other to develop a rich understanding of the world in which they live. Pupils are inspired by each other’s stories, including those who came to the school as refugees. Staff grasp every opportunity to widen pupils’ experiences. For example, following an interest prompted by the Commonwealth Games, pupils were able to try the sport of curling.

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Staff are proud to work at Wrotham Road. They are appreciative of the opportunities for professional development they are given. They feel that their workload is well managed by caring and considerate leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 5 and 6 October 2022

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The members of the school’s safeguarding team have extensive knowledge. They provide regular and thorough training for staff. Swift action is taken when staff report any safeguarding concerns. Discussions take place regularly to ensure that pupils who may be at risk of harm get the support they need. Additional advice is requested from external agencies when required.

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Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including when online. They know what to do if they are worried about something and trust that adults will help. Staff know pupils very well. This helps ensure that any signs that something is wrong are quickly picked up and acted on.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not fully considered how the early years curriculum links to the key stage 1 curriculum. This means that pupils’ learning sometimes falters at the transition point. Leaders should ensure that the two curriculums are closely aligned to help pupils build on what they already know and can do as they move into Year 1 and beyond.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2016.

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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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 5 and 6 October 2022

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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 October 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10240333 Type of school Primary

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Information about this school

 The school is a member of the Pathway Academy Trust. It joined the trust in June 2018.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first 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 their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met regularly with school leaders. The inspector met with representatives from the governing body and the multi-academy trust.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector listened to some pupils read. 5 and 6 October 2022

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 Records associated with safeguarding were reviewed, including the single central record and appointment procedures. The inspector spoke to staff about safeguarding and spoke to pupils about the support they have in understanding how to keep safe.  The inspector reviewed responses to Ofsted’s parent, pupil and staff questionnaires.  The inspectors met with groups of staff to discuss their views about the school, including workload and well-being. The inspector met with several groups of pupils, as well as speaking to pupils during lessons, at playtime and around the school.

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Inspection team

Deborah Gordon, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 October 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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