Wheatfield Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Wheatfield Primary School Wheatfield Drive, Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 9DB

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 November 2022

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Outcome

Wheatfield Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Wheatfield Primary is a caring and exciting place in which to learn. The school’s values of ‘Respect’, ‘Responsibility’, ‘Resilience’ and ‘Kindness’ thread through all aspects of school life. Pupils are polite and kind. They enjoy coming to school. They are curious and keen to learn. As a result, they participate fully in school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff are effective role models and have high expectations for pupils. Pupils feel valued and safe. They understand routines well and respect staff. As a result, pupils behave well around the school and in lessons. Pupils say that bullying is rare and confirm that it is not tolerated at school. They are confident adults will resolve any concerns they have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders provide pupils with a range of experiences to support their wider development. Some pupils are sports leaders or members of the school council. They enjoy activities to enhance the curriculum, such as sports, eco club and the wild wood.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are supportive of the school. Typical comments include: ‘There is a lovely community feel within the school,’ and ‘The school is an inspiring place to learn.’

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

Leaders prioritise reading. The school’s phonics programme is effective and fosters a love of reading. Children learn to read as soon as they start school. Pupils have regular phonics and reading lessons. Books match the sounds they learn. This helps pupils develop their vocabulary and fluency.

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

Pupils readily choose books from the range in libraries and shared areas. Adults read regularly to pupils. This sparks an enthusiasm for reading. They enjoy listening to stories that adults read to them. Staff give well-planned, extra support to help pupils who struggle to read. This helps them catch up quickly to become confident and fluent readers. 22 and 23 November 2022

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Leaders have designed a rich and broad curriculum. Leaders have carefully considered what pupils must learn in the early years and in each subject. The mathematics curriculum builds on what pupils already know. For example, children in the early years count spots and match them to numbers. Older pupils use their knowledge of place value to reason and solve problems. As a result, they are well prepared for what comes next.

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In history, children in the early years eagerly look for differences in old and new toys to learn about chronology. Pupils learn to use timelines and artefacts confidently through their time at school. Interesting experiences inspire pupils in their learning. Visitors to the school, such as from the local university, help pupils to understand archaeology. Older pupils confidently explain that the Olympic games and democracy are legacies left by the Ancient Greeks.

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Pupils are keen to do their best. They enjoy the learning experiences on offer. They apply themselves well to learning. In early years, staff set clear expectations for how children should behave. They work with children as they problem-solve and use imaginative play effectively. Staff ask children purposeful questions about their learning. As a result, children develop language and vocabulary skills well.

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Leaders are ambitious for what pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities can achieve. Staff identify pupils’ needs well. They provide effective extra teaching where appropriate. Leaders work well with external agencies and families to make sure pupils gain the support they need. Pupils access the full curriculum.

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Staff use assessment well to check how pupils are doing in reading and mathematics. They adapt learning when pupils need to go over concepts. This helps secure their understanding. However, assessment is in the early stages of development in some subjects in the wider curriculum. Therefore, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Some subject leaders do not yet know how well the curriculum helps pupils to gain knowledge over time. This hinders the progress pupils make.

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Leaders provide pupils with a range of opportunities to enhance their personal development. Pupils use the school’s values to guide them daily at school. Pupils know with confidence how to challenge racism and discrimination. Pupils learn to respect different lifestyles, cultures and faiths. Pupils’ comments include, ‘We are a school community where all are equal and everyone learns.’ Pupils enjoy the roles of school councillors and school captains. These experiences help pupils to become well-rounded and kind individuals.

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Leaders create a culture among staff of mutual respect and trust. Staff know leaders, including governors, take their well-being and workload seriously. Staff are proud to work at the school. 22 and 23 November 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure it is everyone’s responsibility to keep pupils safe. Staff take part in regular training to help recognise pupils at risk of harm. Record-keeping is thorough. Staff are vigilant. They use the school’s procedures to report concerns.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work with a range of agencies when pupils and families need help. Timely responses and well-thought-out decisions mean pupils get the help they need.

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Safeguarding

Suitable checks are in place for the safer recruitment of staff. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe when using the internet. They understand the dangers of sharing personal information.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Assessment in some of the foundation subjects is not yet secure in checking what pupils know. As a result, some pupils are missing important knowledge, and this is not being addressed through the curriculum. Leaders should improve the use of assessment in all of the foundation subjects.

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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 January 2017.

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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. 22 and 23 November 2022

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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. 22 and 23 November 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 17 and 18 January 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has 14 classes.  The school does not use any alternative providers.

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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 leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, subject leaders and members of the governing board 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 curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of work.  The inspector also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in other subjects, including design and technology and computing. 22 and 23 November 2022

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 The inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to a familiar adult.  The inspector reviewed safeguarding records, including the single central record of recruitment checks on staff.  The inspector considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses, and responses to the staff survey and pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Richard Vaughan, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 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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