Wren Park Primary School

Inspection of Wren Park Primary School Jackson Avenue, Mickleover, Derby, Derbyshire DE3 9AY

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 February 2023

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The school was last inspected 13 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there was a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 14 and 15 February 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Everyone is welcome at Wren Park Primary School. Staff are at the gate every morning to greet pupils, and their families, as they arrive. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They appreciate the diverse nature of their school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In the vast majority of lessons, pupils behave well. Pupils understand the school rules. They are clear about what will happen if they are given a ‘red form’. At playtime and lunchtime, pupils play happily together. They say they feel safe in school. They know that if they are upset, they can let an adult know or pop a note about their problem in a ‘worry box’. They do not think that bullying happens in their school. However, some older pupils say that there are other pupils who do not treat them with respect. Leaders have not addressed these concerns because, until the inspection, they were not aware of how this group of pupils felt.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the opportunities they have to extend their personal interests, including a range of school clubs. They are proud of their school newspaper, ‘The Wren’. Each class contributes to the six editions published every year.

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better?

Leaders have produced a broad and balanced curriculum. The essential knowledge that pupils need to learn is identified from the early years to Year 6. This knowledge is organised so that pupils’ learning can develop step by step. For example, in computing, younger pupils learn simple programming skills using a ‘Bee-Bot’. In later years, they use a more challenging coding program which builds on the skills and knowledge they have previously acquired.

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better?

As a result of this well-considered curriculum, pupils learn well. Key stage 2 pupils make good progress in all areas of the curriculum. The exception to this was in 2022 in writing. Since then, leaders have addressed this. Pupils have opportunities to practise their writing skills across the curriculum. This is working well. Pupils can write skilfully and with stamina.

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better?

Teachers use assessment well across the curriculum. They include an opportunity for pupils to recall prior learning in most lessons. This means that teachers can fill in any gaps or address any misconceptions in pupils’ knowledge before moving on to new learning.

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better?

Subjects with more established curriculum leaders are well led. In a few subjects where curriculum leaders are new, they do not have secure knowledge of how well the curriculum is taught, or where it needs further refinement. Until this happens, they are not able to provide teachers with the advice and support they may need to ensure that pupils learn as well as they can.

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better?

Reading is taught well. Children in the early years learn phonics right from the start. They engage enthusiastically in their daily phonics lesson. They are keen to learn 14 and 15 February 2023

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new sounds. They confidently show their teachers three fingers when asked how many letters are in a ‘trigraph’. Support is in place for pupils who need extra help to keep up. Pupils read with increasing fluency and understanding.

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Pupils across the school develop a love of reading. Children in the early years are inspired to learn by the stories that are read to them. After listening to ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’, they hunt for Goldilocks and make pretend porridge in the sand. They write their own version of the fairy tale and discuss why it was wrong for Goldilocks to break baby bear’s chair. Staff encourage older pupils to read through ‘the Wren reading challenge’. Pupils who read regularly receive a ‘golden ticket’.

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Leaders are committed to the inclusion of all pupils. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the support they need to learn well. Teachers adapt lessons so that they can access the same learning as their peers. Teachers identify the additional support that each pupil receives. However, the overall ambition for pupils with SEND is not precisely identified.

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Pupils’ personal development is not well thought out. Pupils do not learn about British values. They do not understand how these values make a difference in society and are a guide for how they should live their lives. As a result, while many pupils accept difference and understand why equality is important, some do not.

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Leaders and governors are considerate of staff’s workload when making decisions. Most staff agree that they value the support leaders give them.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are trained to spot the signs that pupils may be at risk of harm. There are clear systems in place for staff to report anything that worries them about a pupil. Staff report their concerns about pupils’ welfare diligently. Leaders take appropriate action when concerns are raised. They work well with professionals and external organisations to keep pupils safe. Leaders make the necessary pre-employment checks when recruiting new staff.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about how to stay safe online. They learn to ‘zip it, block it, flag it’ if they see anything online that makes them feel anxious.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some subject leaders are new to their role. They have not had the opportunity to check how well teachers are delivering the planned curriculum and how well pupils remember the intended learning. As a result, they cannot identify where improvement or adjustments to the curriculum are needed. Leaders should 14 and 15 February 2023

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ensure that teachers receive the support they need to develop their skills and complete these checks.  Leaders do not precisely identify ambitious targets for what pupils with SEND can achieve. Plans for pupils with SEND do not provide enough information about each pupil’s individual needs. It is not clear how the strategies that are used to support pupils with SEND are helping them to achieve the progress of which they are capable. Leaders should ensure that plans identify, not only the small steps that pupils will make, but also precisely identify the ambitious outcomes they want pupils to achieve.  Leaders have not been aware that some pupils, particularly older pupils, do not treat their peers with the respect they deserve. Pupils affected by this behaviour say it has a negative impact on their self-esteem. Leaders must ensure that they swiftly address this behaviour that is causing some pupils distress.

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 Pupils do not have a well-developed understanding of the values that are central to life in modern Britain. Pupils do not know how these values will help them to live in British society successfully, including how they treat other people. Leaders should ensure that pupils learn about British values and develop a secure understanding of how they affect their words and actions in everyday life.

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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. 14 and 15 February 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10254804 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 19 March 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The deputy headteacher and assistant headteacher have been appointed since the previous inspection.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The school received a monitoring inspection in March 2019 and there was no change to the judgement of outstanding.

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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, deputy headteacher and assistant headteacher. An inspector met with three governors, including the chair of 14 and 15 February 2023

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governors, and held a telephone call with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, computing, religious education and geography. For each deep dive inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke with staff and pupils from the lessons visited and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also considered the curriculum for other subjects.  An inspector listened to pupils reading to a familiar adult.  To inspect safeguarding inspectors scrutinised the single central record and a range of safeguarding records. They spoke to designated safeguarding leaders and members of staff about the school’s safeguarding arrangements. They also spoke to pupils about how safe they feel in school.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, around school and at playtime and lunchtime. They also spoke to groups of pupils to seek their views on

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behaviour in school.  Inspectors considered parents’ views about the school through responses to Ofsted Parent View and free-text service. They spoke to parents at the start and end of the school day.  Inspectors met with staff and considered responses to the Ofsted survey for school staff.

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Inspection team

Caroline Poole, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector John Craig Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Ann Davey Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 February 2023

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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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