Pewsey Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Pewsey Primary School Wilcot Road, Pewsey, Wiltshire SN9 5EJ

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Outcome

Pewsey Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend Pewsey Primary School. They say you are welcome from the moment you enter the school. Pupils learn well across a range of subjects. They value the many friends they have. Pupils play well together and get on with their teachers. Children in the early years are confident and cared for.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about school. Many comment the school’s warm and safe environment helps pupils settle into and move on from the school. The executive headteacher and staff have high expectations for pupils’ conduct and behaviour. Staff and pupils are clear about the routines in place in and out of lessons. As a result, the school is calm and orderly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave positively around school and in lessons. They trust adults to support them to understand their emotions. Pupils say that adults are kind and sensitive and sort disagreements that can happen between them. They say that bullying is rare and they are confident that adults will sort it out quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils set positive examples to others. They take part in a range of clubs such as sports, choir and art. Pupils relish the roles as playground leaders, members of the school council and librarians.

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

The love of reading is shared between staff and pupils. Recently, leaders introduced a new phonics programme. Teachers have strong subject knowledge because they access regular training. Pupils get the support they need to quickly catch up if they fall behind. Pupils read with increasing accuracy and fluency from exposure to a wide range of texts. This starts in the early years when children listen to rhymes and stories. Children start phonics soon after starting school. Teachers’ accurate assessment in phonics and early reading means that pupils’ needs are quickly met. Staff match the sounds pupils know to early reading books. 8 and 9 November 2022

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The strong focus on reading continues for older pupils. They experience a rich range of texts, such as ‘Letters from the Lighthouse’ and ‘The Firework Maker’s Daughter’. These bring classroom projects to life and challenge them to think and understand. Leaders ensure that staff inspire pupils to read for pleasure. They introduce them to new authors and exciting books. Pupils develop a lifelong love of reading.

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Subject plans are well sequenced and include memorable experiences such as trips, and encounters with visitors to the school. Pupils confidently recall their knowledge and understanding in a range of subjects. However, in a minority of subjects, the checks that subject leaders make on how pupils learn the curriculum are in their infancy. Leaders do not yet have a precise understanding of how well pupils learn in these subjects.

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Leaders have high expectations of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff make sure that pupils with SEND receive the right support. They understand pupils with the most complex needs well.

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Leaders are never complacent. They continue to make improvements to the curriculum. Leaders’ well-thought-through plans allow them to sequence the mathematics curriculum well. Mathematical vocabulary develops from an early age. The focus on number gives children a strong foundation for future mathematical learning. Teachers check pupils learning frequently. As a result, they tackle complex problems confidently.

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Pupils’ knowledge and understanding deepen. They achieve exceptionally well because leaders consider carefully what pupils need to know and when. Teachers skilfully break learning down into smaller and more manageable steps to help pupils learn. Staff make effective use of expert advice from speech and language therapists to develop pupils’ early communication and interaction skills. All pupils, including those with SEND, learn well.

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Pupils behave well in lessons. Low-level disruption is rare. Pupils enjoy learning and want to do well.

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Leaders create a range of opportunities for pupils’ wider development. Pupils use the school’s values every day at school. As a result, they have a clear sense of right and wrong. Pupils know the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships, and understand tolerance and respect. They talk with confidence that judging others by background, race or gender is wrong. Pupils’ comments include, ‘You can be whoever you want to be at Pewsey’. The wider curriculum helps pupils to make a difference in school and the community.

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Governors and the trust hold leaders to account well. All share leaders’ ambition. Staff appreciate leaders' support and care for their workload and well-being. There is an aspirational culture among staff, based on mutual trust and respect. Staff are proud to work at the school. 8 and 9 November 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure safeguarding is central to the school’s work.

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Safeguarding

Staff know the importance of promoting pupils’ health, well-being and emotional development. Regular training for staff means they know how to report any safeguarding concerns. Leaders keep records in detail.

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Safeguarding

Staff work well with outside agencies to keep pupils safe. Leaders get pupils and their families the help they need quickly. Staff are recruited safely.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe when using the internet and social media.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders’ checks on what pupils know and understand are in their infancy. As a result, subject leaders do not have a precise understanding of how well pupils are learning the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders check what pupils know and remember, and then use this information to inform future learning.

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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 predecessor school, Pewsey primary school to be good, in January 2017. 8 and 9 November 2022

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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. 8 and 9 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10212366 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24 January 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Pewsey Primary School converted to become an academy in January 2017. When its predecessor school, Pewsey Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was a good school.  The school joined the King Alfred Trust in April 2014.  The school uses one registered alternative provider.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID- 19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the executive headteacher, the deputy headteacher, and members of the local governing board, trust and local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives into these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at 8 and 9 November 2022

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curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in other subjects, including music and modern foreign languages.  The inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to a familiar adult.  The inspector reviewed the school’s safeguarding documentation, including safeguarding checks carried out on staff working at the school. The inspector considered how well the designated safeguarding leader acts on concerns about pupils’ welfare and safety. The inspector talked to pupils, staff and governors about safe working practices.  The inspector considered 27 responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including 27 free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Richard Vaughan, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 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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