Wickford Primary School

Inspection of Wickford Primary School Market Road, Wickford, Essex SS12 0AG

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 January 2023

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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 10 and 11 January 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and friendly. They love their learning and are proud of their school. Pupils appreciate the rainbow values. Pupils learn from these values. They learn resilience and grow to become responsible and active citizens. Pupils celebrate each other’s achievements and are keen to do their best. Pupils become confident learners and members of their school community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand the high expectations leaders have for their learning and their behaviour. Consequently, most pupils behave well, in lessons and around the school. In early years, children settle in quickly and develop positive relationships. Teachers encourage children to become independent learners right from the start.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. Pupils know that adults listen to them. Adults act promptly to help pupils resolve any worries or concerns they may have. Pupils state that bullying is rare. If it happens, adults deal with it promptly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy many different clubs. Pupils benefit from trips and visitors that help them make connections in their learning. Pupils develop their leadership skills through a range of leadership roles such as rainbow ambassadors and play leaders.

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better?

Leaders have put in place an ambitious curriculum. Leaders have carefully considered and set out the knowledge that pupils should learn in all subjects and year groups. Curriculum documents identify the key vocabulary that pupils need to learn as they progress through the curriculum. Pupils enjoy learning. In most subjects, pupils learn more and remember more. They achieve well across a broad range of subjects. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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better?

In a small number of subjects, such as design and technology and history, leaders have recently developed the curriculum. Some staff are still getting to grips with how best to deliver the curriculum.

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better?

Leaders have prioritised reading. They have adopted a systematic approach to teaching phonics and early reading. Children start learning to read as soon as they join the school. Daily practice helps pupils to secure their phonic knowledge. Pupils who are at the early stages of reading have books that are closely matched to the sounds they have learned. This helps them to quickly become confident and fluent readers. Teachers give pupils who are less confident readers the help they need to catch up. Staff share their love of reading. Pupils enjoy reading and being read to. Pupils talk enthusiastically about books. They read widely, at school and home.

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better?

Leaders quickly identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff are well informed about pupils’ individual needs. Staff adapt the curriculum so that pupils with SEND can access the full range of subjects. Pupils with SEND achieve well. 10 and 11 January 2023

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Leaders and governors regularly check the impact of the curriculum and how it is taught in reading and mathematics. However, leaders and governors recognise that they need to monitor other subjects to understand the impact of the curriculum more broadly.

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In the early years, children begin to learn phonics and mathematical skills as soon as they join the school. As a result, children in reception show good phonics skills in their writing books. They can write simple words and sentences using the learned knowledge. Teachers give children opportunities to practise counting and develop their sense of number. There are warm relationships between adults and children.

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The school’s Rainbow values and curriculum support pupils’ personal development well. Pupils develop resilience and perseverance. Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures. They learn tolerance and respect and celebrate each other’s differences. Pupils’ views are regularly sought on how to improve the school through systems of voting. This helps develop pupils’ understanding of democracy and prepares them for life in modern Britain.

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Leaders care for the well-being of staff and consider their workload. Staff feel well supported. The recent federation with the local secondary school has strengthened the transition between primary and secondary education for the pupils moving on to the partner school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive regular training. Clear safeguarding procedures are in place. They are well understood and followed by staff. Safeguarding records are kept securely and monitored regularly by leaders, including governors.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe. They are taught how to keep safe, including online. Pupils know what bullying is. They can name several types of bullying. Pupils know how to get support if they have any concerns or worries.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders, including governors, do not have a full understanding of how well their curriculum is being implemented. This means that they do not know how well pupils are achieving in some subjects. Leaders and governors should ensure through their monitoring that the curriculum is enabling pupils to achieve well across the full range of subjects that they study.  In some subjects, staff are not fully confident in their subject knowledge to teach the planned curriculum well. As a result, pupils do not develop as much knowledge as they could in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that staff have 10 and 11 January 2023

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the guidance and training they need to implement the curriculum consistently well 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. 10 and 11 January 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 December 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Wickford Federation, which consists of Wickford Primary School and Beauchamps High School.  This school provides a breakfast and after-school club.  No pupils attend 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 assistant headteachers, subject leads, governors and the school effectiveness partner.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, sciences, design and technology and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met 10 and 11 January 2023

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with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about some other subjects.  Inspectors met with the leaders responsible for personal development and looked at the curriculum plans.  Inspectors checked safeguarding records, including the single central record. They talked to staff and pupils about safeguarding.  Inspectors met staff and pupils across the school, both formally and informally.  The lead inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, as well as responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Ania Vaughan, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Steve Mellors His Majesty’s Inspector 10 and 11 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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