Wix and Wrabness Primary School

Inspection of Wix and Wrabness Primary School Colchester Road, Wix, Manningtree, Essex, CO11 2RS

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Inspection dates: 30 November and 1 December 2022

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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 30 November–1 December 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and well cared for in this inclusive school. Pupils and their families are well known by staff. Everyone looks out for each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and enjoy coming to school. They show a high level of respect for their peers and staff. They are proud to come to this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils understand how they are expected to behave. They focus well in lessons and follow the rules when moving around the school. Incidents of bullying are extremely rare. Pupils are confident that adults swiftly resolve any concerns that they have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a wide range of opportunities to develop their talents and interests. These include national art awards, music tuition and visits to places of interest such as castles, zoos and museums.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are positive about the nurture and help their children receive. Many parents appreciate how their children are encouraged to develop curiosity and a love of learning.

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better?

Leaders have designed a curriculum that sets out what pupils will learn and in which order. Teachers are well trained to deliver the curriculum. They have secure subject knowledge. Teachers check that pupils are learning and remembering important knowledge. Teachers address pupils’ misconceptions quickly. Across the school, teachers encourage pupils, including children in the early years, to extend their vocabulary. However, some subject leaders do not have a thorough understanding of how well their subject curriculum is being taught across the school and how this supports pupils to learn as well as they should.

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better?

Teachers plan engaging lessons that pupils enjoy. Pupils are enthusiastic and show positive attitudes to learning. This helps them to remember what they have been taught. However, at times, pupils’ work varies in quality because not all teachers have the same high expectations of what pupils will achieve across the curriculum.

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better?

Leaders prioritise reading. Children learn phonics from the minute they start at the school. Teachers in early years and key stage 1 build pupils’ phonic knowledge skilfully. They make sure that pupils read books that are well matched to their phonic knowledge. Teachers are swift to spot any pupils who may be falling behind with their reading. Older pupils understand the importance of reading. They describe reading as being ‘a life skill’. Pupils talk confidently about books they have read and the range of authors they have come across in their learning.

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better?

Leaders make sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn successfully. Leaders identify their needs accurately. Teachers adapt 30 November–1 December 2022

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learning so that pupils with SEND can access the same curriculum as their peers. Leaders provide specialist support for pupils with complex additional needs as appropriate. This ensures pupils with SEND have the same opportunities to be successful as others.

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Leaders have strengthened the mathematics curriculum. Teachers help pupils to deepen their mathematical knowledge and support them to retain what they have learned. The varying needs of pupils in the mixed-age classes, including those with SEND, are well met.

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Children in the early years enjoy their learning. They concentrate well in lessons and learning is very rarely disrupted. Adults have positive relationships with pupils that are based on mutual respect. Children in the early years play together well. They take turns and share equipment with each other. Children are excited to talk about their learning with adults and their friends.

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Pupils’ personal development is a strength. Leaders ensure that pupils learn about modern British society beyond the local community. Pupils are taught to understand fundamental British values, such as equality and diversity. Pupils show respect for beliefs that are different from their own and understand that everyone is an individual. Pupils enjoy attending after-school clubs such as tag rugby, football, creative writing, science and art.

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Governors share the same ambition as leaders. They want all pupils to succeed. Governors understand their role and responsibilities, including keeping pupils safe. They hold leaders to account through effective questioning and monitoring.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that all staff have regular, up-to-date training, including when staff first join the school. Staff are vigilant. They know how to keep pupils safe. Leaders report any concerns in a timely manner.

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Safeguarding

Leaders complete all necessary checks before staff and volunteers begin working at the school. The governing body ensures that recruitment records are complete.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations, including when online. Pupils are clear about how to keep their personal details safe when using the internet and how to report concerns to a trusted adult.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some subject leaders do not fully monitor how well their subjects are being 30 November–1 December 2022

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taught and how this supports all pupils to learn successfully. They do not have a thorough understanding of the effectiveness of their subject’s curriculum on pupils’ outcomes. Leaders should ensure that all subject leaders are supported to ensure they have an accurate understanding of the delivery and impact of the curriculum on pupils’ achievement.

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 Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are not consistently high across the school. As a result, on occasion, pupils do not always achieve the best that they can do in all subjects. Leaders should ensure that teachers have consistently high expectations across the curriculum so that pupils reach their potential.

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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.

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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. 30 November–1 December 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.wixandwrabnessprimaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 July 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Wix and Wrabness Primary School currently uses one registered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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 the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, a representative from the local authority, parents, staff and governors, including the chair of the governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and art. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with 30 November–1 December 2022

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subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about their experiences in school. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and when moving around the school. An inspector met with a group of pupils to talk about the wider curriculum and their learning.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements, inspectors spoke to members of staff and pupils to find out about the school’s safeguarding culture. An inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead to discuss the school’s policies and procedures. During these meetings, records were scrutinised, including those relating to the safer recruitment of staff.  Inspectors considered the 24 responses made by parents to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, including 20 free-text comments. Inspectors also considered the 10 responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire. There were no

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responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for pupils.

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Inspection team

Joseph Figg, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Lucie Calow Ofsted Inspector 30 November–1 December 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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