Wolverton Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Wolverton Primary School Wolverton Fields, Norton Lindsey, Warwick, Warwickshire CV35 8JN

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Outcome

Wolverton Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a warm and welcoming school community. Pupils are happy and look after one another. Lessons and playtimes are calm and orderly. Pupils of different ages play nicely with one another, giving Wolverton a family-like character. Bullying is rare at this school. Pupils have a trusted adult they can talk to if they need support or advice.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has a busy, purposeful atmosphere. Pupils know that staff have high expectations for them. They work hard, want to succeed and are eager to do their best. Pupils are proud of earning house points as part of the in-school house competition. Staff notice and reward actions that exemplify the school’s motto of readiness, respect and safety.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers praise the work of the staff. They appreciate what the school does for their children. They say that they find out lots about what their children are learning and would recommend the school to others. They describe the school as a supportive, welcoming, caring and family-oriented place.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The headteacher and staff are highly respected by parents and pupils. Parents value the school’s strong contribution to community life. They are confident that their children are taught well.

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

Leaders have provided a well-thought-out curriculum. It is carefully designed to be ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Subject leaders use their expertise to support others so that everyone implements the curriculum effectively. It is especially strong in English and mathematics.

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

Reading is fundamental to the school’s curriculum. Termly topics are enhanced with books from a variety of interesting authors and genres. Phonics is taught very effectively. This helps children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 to learn new sounds quickly. 5 October 2022

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Those who find phonics and reading more difficult get informed support to help them keep up and catch up. The strong start in early years means that most pupils learn to recall words and sounds quickly and go on to become fluent readers. Leaders support parents to help their children with reading at home.

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Staff’s subject knowledge is strong in mathematics and science. They ensure a sharp focus on using the correct terminology. As a result, pupils show confidence and accuracy when explaining their thinking. Teachers make sure that pupils learn and revisit important knowledge regularly. As a result, pupils achieve well in these subjects.

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Leaders have recently redeveloped the curriculum for the foundation subjects. Pupils follow a broad curriculum that helps them to develop their knowledge in different subjects. Subject-specific content is taught well, and pupils remember more as a result of this. For example, pupils enjoy history and can talk with confidence about the key knowledge they have remembered from studying recent topics such as the Vikings. However, the content that teachers emphasise does not focus enough on important recurring themes or features of the past. For example, pupils are not fully developing knowledge of concepts like ‘invasion’.

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A carefully designed personal development curriculum promotes pupils’ wider development effectively. Leaders ensure that pupils have rich cultural experiences to support their wider development. Pupils enjoy visits linked to their work in history, religious education, geography and science, for example to a space centre, chocolate museum and field trips locally and in Stratford-upon-Avon.

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Leaders make sure that pupils are well prepared to contribute to British society. Pupils learn to be respectful. They learn to celebrate the diversity and values of modern Britain. For instance, pupils learn about democracy. During the in-school elections for head boy and head girl, pupils have to apply for positions. They present their views to their peers so that they can decide how to cast their votes. In addition, pupils have other opportunities to take on leadership roles, such as being a school councillor. On the playground, older pupils look after younger ones. They help them to play together and assist with playground equipment.

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Around the school, pupils are polite and well mannered. They step aside to let adults pass and, from the very start, they strive to live up to adults’ high expectations. This is evident in classroom practice and pupils’ behaviour and books. Lessons run smoothly and everyone can get on with their learning.

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Governors know the school well and understand their role. They monitor closely the work of leaders to ensure the well-being of all in the school community. Staff say that leaders support them in their work and that morale is high. They are proud to work at the school and enjoy doing so.

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Parents and staff are overwhelmingly positive about how the school is led. 5 October 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained in safeguarding. They complete regular training and receive frequent safeguarding updates. Leaders have clear systems in place to record any concerns about pupils’ welfare. They follow up on these concerns effectively.

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Safeguarding

Leaders communicate well with parents. Leaders work in partnership with several agencies to access help for vulnerable children and their families. Leaders are quick to escalate their concerns when required.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know about risks to themselves and how to keep safe from harm. They trust adults in the school to look after them.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers are not making the best use of the subject content to improve pupils’ understanding of important recurring concepts in some foundation subjects, such as ‘empire’ and ‘invasion’ in history. Leaders should continue to develop the curriculum in foundation subjects and support staff with training as necessary so that pupils develop an increasingly complex knowledge of important subject-specific concepts.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2013.

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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. 5 October 2022

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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.

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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 October 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 29 June 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new chair of governors was appointed in September 2021.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 met with senior leaders, teaching and support staff, governors and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, history, science and mathematics. For each deep dive, an inspector met with subject leaders, discussed curriculum guidance, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector reviewed a range of safeguarding documentation, including the single central record of checks on adults in school. The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead and checked how leaders record and respond to

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safeguarding concerns. Both inspectors spoke with staff about safeguarding and child protection matters. Inspectors spoke to pupils about safety and how they learn to stay safe.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the day. They spoke to pupils about their views on behaviour in school. Inspectors considered how staff support pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors spoke with a number of parents at the beginning and end of the school day. Inspectors looked at responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaires for parents, staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Max Vlahakis, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Pamela Matty Ofsted Inspector 5 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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