Weston Primary & Nursery School

Inspection of a good school: Weston Primary & Nursery School Maiden Street, Weston, Hitchin, Hertfordshire SG4 7AG

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Outcome

Weston Primary & Nursery School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Weston Primary and Nursery School are kind and considerate. They care for each other. The oldest support the youngest in social time and in lessons. Children in Reception and Nursery learn to take turns and share with each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They are proud of their work and talk about what they have learned.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond well to the routines and high expectations that leaders have for their behaviour. At play and breaktimes, pupils play together and respect one another. Bullying is rare. When it does happen, pupils know that staff will deal with it quickly. Pupils are safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils attend the wide range of clubs on offer throughout the school year. There is a strong sporting ethos within the school. Pupils enthusiastically take part in the sports competitions that take place between schools and within the houses in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils vote to elect their representatives on the school council. This helps to develop their understanding of democracy. They also choose the charities that the school supports and discuss some of the events held in school.

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

Leaders have recently introduced a new curriculum. It is ambitious and well designed, identifying what pupils will learn in each subject and when they will learn it. In turn, this makes clear how pupils should build their knowledge and understanding to help them with their next stage of learning.

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

Teachers are well trained to teach reading, mathematics and some foundation subjects. This means that they have the expertise to teach these areas of the curriculum well. 2 March 2023

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These lessons have a consistent structure. Teachers routinely check what pupils know and provide support for pupils when they find their learning tricky. This helps pupils to remember the important information that they need. However, in some foundation subjects, such as history, pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Leaders are aware of the need to provide training for teachers in these subjects. This will develop teachers’ expertise in these subjects to enable them to teach the planned curriculum well.

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Reading is rewarded and celebrated in assemblies. Children in Nursery develop their language and communication skills through songs and rhyme. Leaders recently introduced a phonics programme from the start of Reception. When pupils fall behind with their reading, additional targeted support helps them to catch up quickly. Books match the sounds that pupils know. This helps pupils to read with fluency and confidence. They develop a love of reading and talk enthusiastically about the variety of books that they have read.

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Leaders quickly and effectively identify pupils with SEND. Appropriate support helps these pupils learn alongside their peers. They are also able to develop their independence and resilience by practising what they have learned. This helps these pupils to learn well.

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Children in the early years are well supported. They get off to a good start. As a result of the clear expectations and routines that are in place, children are confident. They demonstrate positive learning behaviours. Activities are well planned and children access a wide range of targeted activities that help them to develop all the skills that they need to make a successful transition to key stage 1.

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Pupils behave appropriately and engage with their learning and strive to do their best. They enjoy their learning and attend school regularly.

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Pupils’ wider understanding of the wider world is promoted through the curriculum. This includes linking and exchanging work with pupils in Zimbabwe. For example, they exchanged their artwork based on the ‘view from their classroom.’ In addition, educational visits help to support pupils to develop awareness of different religions and to learn about money. A variety of clubs and activities help to promote pupils’ talents and interests, for example, sports, dance and cross-stitch.

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A staff committee allows concerns about workload and well-being to be shared. Leaders are considerate of any issues raised. Most staff feel well supported by leaders.

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Governors have a strong understanding of the school. They visit to monitor the provision that is in place and provide effective challenge to leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all staff understand arrangements for safeguarding. Appropriate checks are made when recruiting new staff. All staff and governors receive regular and appropriate safeguarding training. Staff know the signs that might mean that a pupil is at 2 March 2023

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risk, and how to report any worries. When concerns are raised, they are acted on appropriately and in a timely manner. When necessary, leaders work effectively with external agencies.

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Pupils learn about potential safeguarding risks through the curriculum and through assemblies. This helps to support their knowledge of keeping safe, both in the real world and when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, teachers do not teach all the knowledge outlined in the school’s recently introduced curriculum plans. As a result, pupils have gaps in what they know and remember. Leaders should continue to provide teachers with the training they need to develop their expertise in all subjects. This will help pupils to learn the important knowledge they need for the next steps of their learning.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2012.

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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. 2 March 2023

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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. 2 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268684 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 9 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Weston Primary and Nursey School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Leaders do not currently use any alternative provision.  The school has a Christian religious character. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection took place in November 2017. The school’s next section 48 inspection will be within eight school years.

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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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning, spoke with teachers and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector listened to a sample of pupils read to a familiar adult. 2 March 2023

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 Inspectors held meetings with the staff responsible for attendance and behaviour, SEND, personal, social and health education (PSHE), relationships and sex education (RSE) and early years.  Inspectors scrutinised the school’s single central record. They also met with the designated safeguarding lead.  The lead inspector met with members of the local governing body. He also met with the Hertfordshire school improvement partner.  Inspectors considered the 61 responses and 23 free-text responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. The inspectors also reviewed the 16 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and the 52 responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Wayne Jarvis, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Al Mistrano His Majesty’s Inspector 2 March 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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