Warcop CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Warcop CofE Primary School Warcop, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria CA16 6NX

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Outcome

Warcop CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school and keen to learn. Pupils feel safe. They said that teachers are kind and caring. Parents and carers typically commented that staff are welcoming and willing to help.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy playing and learning in the outdoors. They have lots of exciting play equipment, such as the outdoor gym and running track. This helps them to be active and healthy. Pupils love singing and taking part in performances. Pupils in Year 6 take their responsibility for looking after children in the early years very seriously. They help them settle into school routines, particularly at breaks and lunchtimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that leaders and teachers expect them to work hard, including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils achieve well and take real pride in their work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond positively to leaders’ high expectations of behaviour. Pupils have a mature approach to learning. They are polite, courteous and friendly. Pupils know that bullying is not acceptable. Adults deal with any incidents effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in a wide range of activities after school, such as football, performing arts and cooking. Pupils also participate in interesting trips and visits, including a residential visit to London. Pupils share their individual interests through organising clubs at lunchtime.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum for pupils’ academic and personal development. This begins in the early years. Children develop their language and number skills well. They gain confidence and independence through playing and exploring outdoors. Leaders make sure that teachers know what pupils need to learn at each stage in school. In most subjects, teachers carefully check that pupils are learning and 1 November 2022

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remembering the curriculum. This means that pupils achieve well and are ready for the next phase in education.

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Teachers teach some subjects as part of a half-termly topic. In these topic lessons, teachers sometimes do not focus sharply enough on the subject-specific knowledge that pupils need to learn. This means pupils sometimes are not quite secure in parts of their learning.

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Leaders and teachers ensure that pupils learn to read fluently as quickly as possible. Children learn phonics from their earliest days in the school. Staff in the early years and key stage 1 build pupils’ phonics skills adeptly. Pupils read books that are well matched to their phonics knowledge. Teachers are quick to spot any pupils who may be falling behind. Staff provide effective support to help them catch up. Once pupils are confident in phonics they move on swiftly to read and understand more complex texts. Teachers read to children frequently. Staff have nurtured a love of reading so that pupils read for pleasure. Older pupils talked enthusiastically about their favourite books and authors.

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Leaders and teachers accurately identify pupils with SEND at the earliest possible stage. They check carefully that the right support is in place for these pupils. Leaders have the same high aspirations for pupils with SEND as for other pupils in the school. Leaders ensure that they are able to take part in all aspects of school life, including trips and visits. Consequently, pupils with SEND achieve well and are confident in approaching the next phase in education.

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Pupils behave well. They rarely disturb the learning of other pupils. Leaders and teachers ensure that pupils have frequent opportunities to take on responsibility, such as through organising fundraising events and running the school council. All this helps pupils learn about their rights and responsibilities as future citizens. Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures. They understand the importance of developing respectful relationships with people who may be different from them. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Governors are well informed. They make checks on safeguarding procedures to assure themselves that the school continues to be safe. Governors and leaders take staff’s workload, well-being and work-life balance into consideration when making decisions about the school. Staff feel valued. They appreciate the range of opportunities for professional development and training.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and governors ensure that adults know how to keep pupils safe. Staff have regular and up-to-date training, including in child protection and first aid. This helps them to identify when a child may be at risk. Leaders follow up any concerns diligently and make sure that pupils and families receive effective support. 1 November 2022

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The curriculum helps pupils learn about how to manage risk. For example, they learn about how to be safe online and when taking part in activities outdoors.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In those subjects forming part of a half-termly topic, teachers sometimes do not concentrate sufficiently on the subject-specific knowledge that pupils need to learn. Consequently, pupils’ depth of knowledge and understanding is not quite as strong as in other subjects. Leaders should ensure that activities in topic-based work focus on the precise, subject-specific knowledge and skills set out in the school’s curriculum.

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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 2012.

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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.

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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. 1 November 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a voluntary-aided Church of England school. The most recent section 48 inspection took place in May 2017.  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.  During this inspection, the inspectors met with the headteacher, subject leaders and six members of the governing body.  The inspectors held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors reviewed a range of safeguarding documentation, including the single central record of checks on staff’s suitability to work with pupils. The inspectors met with the designated safeguarding leader and checked how leaders record and respond to safeguarding concerns. 1 November 2022

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 The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also looked at pupils’ work in some other subjects.  The inspectors observed pupils reading to a familiar adult and spoke to pupils informally at breaktimes.  The inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. The inspectors also considered responses to the staff survey. There were no responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Jan Corlett, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Trish Merritt Ofsted Inspector 1 November 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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