Wentworth CofE Junior and Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Wentworth CofE Junior and Infant School Churchfield Lane, Wentworth, Rotherham, South Yorkshire S62 7TX

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Outcome

Wentworth CofE Junior and Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy to come to this friendly and welcoming school. They are polite and eager to learn. At social times, there is a lively, positive atmosphere. Pupils play enthusiastically with a wide range of playground equipment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils treat each other with respect. They say that bullying is a very rare event in their school. Staff confirm this. Pupils are confident that, if they have any issues that are making them uncomfortable, teachers will support them. Respect is one of the school’s key values. Older pupils speak maturely about the school’s motto, ‘Together we prosper’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish the opportunity to take on responsibilities, including school councillor, library monitor, playground leader and team leader. All pupils are in one of four teams, to develop a healthy sense of competition.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are positive about the school. The overwhelming majority of parents surveyed say they would recommend the school. One parent wrote, ‘The school has a wonderful atmosphere. The teachers care so much about the children and their learning.’

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

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils at the school. Leaders have designed a curriculum to broaden pupils’ horizons and give them the core knowledge they need for later learning. However, in some subjects other than English and mathematics, curriculum leaders have not defined the most important subject knowledge that pupils need to learn. Plans are very broad. Teachers struggle to deliver all the planned content. This leads to gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Additionally, leaders have not developed consistent systems for checking what pupils have learned. 12 January 2023

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Reading is a priority at the school. Leaders have introduced a new scheme for teaching phonics. Staff are positive about the phonics training they have received. Leaders have refurbished the school’s library. It is now an attractive and well-used space. Leaders think carefully about the books and texts that pupils will read at school. Teachers read to pupils every day. However, the reading activities in key stage 2 are too repetitive.

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Staff have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). In mathematics, work is broken down into small steps of learning. Pupils are encouraged to explain their answers fully and explore alternative methods. Teachers introduce children to the correct mathematical vocabulary from the start of Reception. Children use this vocabulary confidently in their learning. In history, older pupils demonstrate a mature understanding of topics such as the Industrial Revolution, the abolition of slavery and the Great Smog, which resulted in the Clean Air Act. However, they struggled to recall other topics that have not been fully covered.

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The personal development of pupils is a school priority. Leaders ensure that the curriculum is enriched by the many clubs on offer. These range from fencing to construction club. Leaders monitor attendance at these clubs carefully to ensure all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, can attend. Teachers use educational and/or residential visits well to enhance the curriculum. The curriculum for personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education is well designed. Pupils enjoy their learning. They speak maturely about topics such as fundamental British values. Leaders plan opportunities for collective worship sensitively. The emphasis on pupils’ personal development supports the positive behaviour of pupils. Staff follow the routines for managing behaviour consistently. There are strong relationships between staff and pupils.

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Staff are proud to work at Wentworth CofE Junior and Infant school. They are positive about the educational initiatives the headteacher has introduced. Governors know the school well. The trust supports and challenges the school effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding and pastoral work, which is underpinned by the Christian ethos of the school. Leaders ensure that the correct procedures are followed when appointing staff. Thorough records are kept of any concerns. Leaders act on these promptly. Staff receive regular training and understand how to keep pupils safe. Staff ensure that pupils know how to keep themselves safe, both online and in the community.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders’ plans are too broad and contain an unmanageable amount of content. Teachers do not cover all these areas in depth. This leads to gaps forming 12 January 2023

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in pupils’ knowledge. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum identifies the essential concepts that pupils will learn and how this learning will be measured.

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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 predecessor school, Wentworth CofE (Controlled) Junior and Infant School, to be good in May 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.

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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. 12 January 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255781 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The chair of governors took up office in December 2022.  The headteacher was appointed in April 2022.  Wentworth CofE Junior and Infant School converted to become an academy school in September 2018. When its predecessor, Wentworth CofE (Controlled) Junior and Infant School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall in May 2017.  The school joined White Woods Primary Academy Trust in September 2018.  As a Church of England School, the school received a Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) in February 2020. Inspectors judged the school to be good.  The school uses no alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited 12 January 2023

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lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, assistant headteacher, subject leaders and other members of staff. The lead inspector met with those responsible for governance, including the chair of the governing body, the chair and vice chair of the trust and the chief executive officer of the trust.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, at breaktimes and at lunchtimes. The inspectors gathered pupils’ views from both formal and informal discussions.  The inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s self- evaluation and improvement plan.  The inspectors checked the school’s single central record of recruitment checks, met with the school’s designated safeguarding lead and reviewed safeguarding information.  The inspectors met with parents and carers. They took account of the responses to

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Ofsted’s parent survey, Parent View. The inspectors also took account of the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Andrew Cummings, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Suzette Garland-Grimes Ofsted Inspector 12 January 2023

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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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