Westcliffe Primary School

Inspection of Westcliffe Primary School Dryden Road, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, DN17 1PN

p.1

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 1 and 2 November 2022

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have ensured that the school is a warm and welcoming environment for all members of the community. Pupils, staff, parents and carers feel comfortable in the school. Pupils have strong relationships with the staff and each other.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and speak maturely for their age. They know the importance of being tolerant and respectful to all. Pupils talk about concepts like identity and the rule of law with real understanding.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations for pupils. This starts right at the beginning for children in Nursery who are taught to take turns and use equipment independently. Pupils continue to behave well throughout school because staff are clear with them what the rules are. Staff celebrate when pupils have done well through the signature system and ‘What Went Well’ assemblies. Pupils want to please their teachers and they know staff will help them if they are worried about something. This includes issues around bullying. Pupils have confidence that any unkind behaviour will be dealt with quickly before it becomes a bigger problem.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the opportunity to borrow books from the library. Pupils take considerable care of these books because they enjoy reading them so much. Year 6 pupils still like reading and talking about books that they read in Year 1.

p.2

better?

Leaders know the school community well. They see each pupil as an individual. Leaders also know what is important for their pupils to know and be able to do so that they are successful when they move on to secondary school.

p.2

better?

Leaders have made sure reading and communication are taught well through school. This starts in the early years where leaders have planned out what children need to be able to do when speaking. Staff in the early years help children to hear the sounds in words and then start to teach them the letters that make these sounds. Pupils quickly learn the sounds that they need to read words through effective daily phonics sessions. The books that pupils read are then matched to the sounds that they know. Staff build on this knowledge by getting pupils to read more words on sight and by adding expression. All of this is done with words and sounds that pupils know, and so they become more and more confident in their reading.

p.2

better?

Leaders have mapped out the knowledge that they want pupils to know in all subjects. Teachers follow this curriculum and so pupils know more and get better at what they are doing. However, leaders recognise that some parts of the curriculum lack precision. Sometimes, teachers are unclear about the specific knowledge pupils should learn. Teachers sometimes give pupils work that does not help them get better at remembering important information when this happens. 1 and 2 November 2022

p.2

3

Teachers teach vocabulary well. Leaders have planned out the words and texts that pupils should be able to read and use in their speech. Teachers make sure that they help pupils build up a bank of these words to use in their writing and talking. Pupils are starting to gain more confidence in explaining what they know.

p.3

3

Teachers use techniques that help pupils remember what they have been taught. For example, pupils work with partners to help each other read, and teachers show pupils how to use resources in mathematics that help them understand place value. Pupils are then able to work independently and feel confident in what they do. Teachers spot when pupils have made errors or not understood something. They then give extra help or explanations to support pupils in their understanding.

p.3

3

Leaders have improved the curriculum in the early years. Staff are clear on what children need across all the areas of learning. The environment is well matched to the curriculum. Children focus well on their learning and enjoy counting, writing or chatting with their peers. Staff make sure that these experiences are helping them get better in their language by asking questions and modelling how to speak in accurate sentences. Staff are ambitious for children, even in small details like the hill that children need to scoot up taking effort to master.

p.3

3

Teachers give pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) the help that they need to successfully learn new knowledge and skills. Teachers make sure reading and writing are not a barrier to these pupils gaining knowledge across the curriculum. Pupils discuss what they know and teachers give them adapted work so that they can talk about rocks in science or why the Ancient Greeks enjoyed theatre.

p.3

3

Leaders make sure that this in an inclusive school. Staff say that they felt welcomed and supported from the first moment that they arrived. Pupils with SEND are well supported and are helped to be included in the many clubs and activities that the school offers. This is well demonstrated by how well the pupils with a hearing impairment are considered. They learn alongside their peers and are encouraged to attend clubs with them. This includes the sign language club that is open to all.

p.3

3

Governors ask challenging questions to leaders to ensure that aspects such as attendance and safeguarding procedures are improving. They visit school to see what this looks like in line with their strategic role. However, sometimes, governors and leaders are too focused on test results and what to do to improve them, without linking this to the curriculum. This takes away from the time that they should be using on improving the content of the curriculum and what pupils have remembered and can do.

p.3

3

Leaders have a robust system for checking pupils’ attendance. They track individual pupils whose attendance is low. Leaders offer support such as a place at the free breakfast club or check-ins for pupils whose attendance needs improving. Attendance has continued to be good for most pupils. 1 and 2 November 2022

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.4

Safeguarding

Leaders have built strong relationships with the community. Parents feel confident to come and talk to someone in school if they need help. Leaders offer help to the whole family, not just the child. However, if leaders have concerns about a child, they will not shirk from making the decisions that are needed to protect them. Leaders work with external agencies to secure the support that is needed.

p.4

Safeguarding

Staff are well trained to be aware of concerns that they may have about pupils. They know what to look for if pupils are being criminally exploited. Staff record concerns and pass them on to leaders.

p.4

Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe online and how to not get into harmful friendships. This helps them when they are out in the community and as they grow up.

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not planned out the curriculum with enough precision about the key components of knowledge that pupils need to be taught. Teachers are sometimes not clear what to revisit or teach, and sometimes make activity choices that are not helpful for long-term memory acquisition. Leaders should add more detail to the curriculum so that all the knowledge that pupils need to learn is clear for teachers.  Leaders and governors are not sufficiently prioritising the curriculum. Too much time and attention are used on activities that analyse symptoms of gaps in the curriculum, and this takes capacity away from the work to improve the substance of what is taught. Leaders and governors should develop systems and processes that monitor the quality of education, and focus on what is taught and how well this is retained by pupils.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 1 and 2 November 2022

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.5

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 and 2 November 2022

p.5

School details

Inspection number 10242058 Type of school Primary

p.6

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.6

School details

Date of previous inspection 4 October 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.6

Information about this school

 The school uses one unregistered alternative provision.  There is a breakfast club that is free of charge.  The school has a Nursery for three- and four-year-olds.

p.6

Information about this inspection

 The inspector(s) carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.  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 and some members of the governing body, and spoke to a representative from North Lincolnshire local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the 1 and 2 November 2022

p.6

7

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.  Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum and looked at samples of pupils’ work in science.  Inspectors checked on the plans for pupils who were not attending school full time. Inspectors also visited pupils with SEND in their learning and looked at the changes teachers were making to help them in their work.  Inspectors spoke to pupils about behaviour in the school. They looked at how strategies like the ‘behaviour diaries’ were used and their impact.  Inspectors spoke to leaders about their curriculum in personal, social and health education and visited some of these lessons. Inspectors spoke to pupils about their learning in these sessions and other areas of wider development.  Inspectors spoke to parents at the start of school and took note of the responses

p.7

7

to the online survey, Parent View.  Inspectors checked the records that leaders keep on safeguarding and spoke to staff about their training to keep pupils safe.

p.7

Inspection team

Matthew Knox, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

p.7

Inspection team

Becky Austwick Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 November 2022

p.7

8

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.

p.8

8

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.8

8

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

8

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

8

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8