Wendell Park Primary School

Inspection of Wendell Park Primary School Cobbold Road, London W12 9LB

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Inspection dates: 29 and 30 November 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 29 and 30 November 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Wendell Park is highly inclusive. The right of everyone to be respected and included is central to the ethos and interwoven throughout school life. Core values are promoted through the ‘five C’s’ – caring, challenge, co-operation, confidence and celebration. Leaders have designed an aspirational curriculum that recognises and celebrates diversity. An example of this can be seen in the wide range of books that pupils read. This work helps to support pupils’ readiness for life in modern Britain.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and kept safe. They said that this is because there are always teachers that they can turn to if they have any concerns. They trust adults in school to help them when they need it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. This is because leaders and staff have put in place clear, consistent routines. Bullying is not tolerated and it happens rarely. When it does occur, it is dealt with swiftly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum is broad and ambitious. In most subjects, the curriculum helps pupils to deepen their knowledge and understanding effectively. As a result, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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better?

Pupils follow a broad curriculum that matches the scope and ambition of what is expected nationally. Leaders have identified the key knowledge and vocabulary that they expect pupils to learn across all subjects from Nursery to Year 6.

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better?

The curriculum sequences knowledge in logical way, with time made to revisit and recap previous learning. This helps pupils to understand and learn more complex ideas over time. For example, in geography, children in the early years learn about how maps work through plotting the journeys they read about in stories. This helps them in Year 1, when they learn to make simple maps of real places such as their classroom. Older pupils build on this prior knowledge successfully when using atlases and globes to identify countries and lines of latitude and longitude. Similarly, in mathematics, children in the early years gain a good grounding in number, for example they learn to count and find one more and one fewer. This prepares them well for more-complex addition and subtraction calculations later in the school.

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better?

The curriculum in some subjects has been developed more recently by leaders. In these subjects, teachers do not check as carefully what pupils have learned. This means that, at times, some errors and misconceptions are not identified and corrected. This can limit the development of some pupils’ understanding as well as their readiness for complex work.

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better?

Leaders promote a strong reading culture in the school. The teaching of phonics begins as soon as pupils start their Reception Year. Staff are well trained and this ensures the structured phonics programme is implemented consistently well. Regular assessment 29 and 30 November 2022

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identifies those pupils at risk of falling behind. A range of well-targeted extra support helps these pupils to catch up with their peers. Books used to teach reading are carefully matched to the sounds that pupils know. This provides opportunities for pupils to practise their phonics and, in turn, helps them to become fluent, independent readers. As a result of leaders’ work in this area, pupils across the school are enthusiastic about reading. They enjoy both reading and being read to.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are accurately identified and well supported. Teachers and teaching assistants are knowledgeable regarding pupils’ specific needs. They know the strategies needed to help these pupils access the same curriculum as their peers.

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Behaviour in lessons is focused on learning. Pupils are enthusiastic and motivated. This helps to create a calm and purposeful atmosphere around the school. Leaders have effective systems for ensuring that pupils attend school regularly.

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Pupils’ broader development is well considered. The curriculum is designed to help pupils develop understanding and respect for different faiths. Older pupils are proud to take on a range of responsibilities. For example, they like being able to help others through the prefect programme, being reading buddies for younger pupils and working in the school library.

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Leaders, including those responsible for governance, have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for further improvement. As a result, they have identified the right areas to improve.

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Staff, including those at the beginning of their careers, are overwhelmingly positive about leaders’ care, and the way in which leaders consider workload and well-being. They feel valued and trusted. All staff said that they are proud to work in the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding. All staff and those responsible for governance are well trained to identify pupils at risk of harm. They understand their responsibilities and report any concerns that they have quickly.

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Safeguarding

Leaders know families well. They seek support and advice from the local authority and other agencies, to ensure that pupils and their families receive the support they need.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum has been designed to help pupils learn how to stay safe. For example, pupils are highly knowledgeable about potential risks that they may face when using the internet. 29 and 30 November 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, teachers do not check carefully what pupils have learned and remembered. As a result, some of pupils’ errors and misconceptions are not identified and corrected promptly. In these subjects, leaders should ensure that teachers check what pupils have learned. This will enable them to correct any misconceptions swiftly and help pupils to deepen their knowledge across all subjects.

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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. 29 and 30 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10228275 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher David Collins (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 9 May 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school provides its own breakfast and after-school club.  Leaders do not use any alternative provision.  The executive headteacher was appointed in September 2021. He is also the executive headteacher of two other local primary schools. The senior leadership team includes two heads of school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors 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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the co-heads of school, and members of staff. They also spoke with a representative of the local authority, and met with three members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. 29 and 30 November 2022

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 The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography, religious education and music. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with subject leaders and teachers to discuss the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  The inspectors also considered the curriculum in other subjects.  The inspectors looked at a range of documents, including leaders’ priorities for improvement.  The inspectors reviewed the arrangements for safeguarding by scrutinising records and through discussions with leaders, staff and pupils.  The views of pupils, parents and carers, and staff were gathered through both discussions and their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Samantha Ingram, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Annabel Davies His Majesty’s Inspector 29 and 30 November 2022

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