Wadworth Primary School

Inspection of Wadworth Primary School Meadow Rise, Wadworth, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN11 9AP

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Inspection dates: 23 and 24 February 2023

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 23 and 24 February 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Wadworth Primary School has seen significant recent changes and improvements. Developments to the school building and grounds and investment in new resources support leaders’ ambition to provide a high-quality education for all.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff, as well as parents and carers, value the areas of strength in the school. Staff know pupils well. Positive relationships between adults and pupils provide for pupils a caring environment in which to learn and develop.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Established routines in classrooms and around school support pupils to behave well. Leaders have eliminated prejudicial language in school. Incidents of bullying that did previously take place are now rare. Pupils learn about the difference between bullying and someone being unkind. They know that neither are acceptable forms of behaviour. Pupils trust that an adult will help them if they have a concern.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders recognise that there is further work to do to provide a consistently good quality of education. They have laid strong foundations on which to build moving forward.

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better?

New leaders have provided a sharp focus on raising standards in school. Leaders, including governors, have accurately identified the areas in need of development. Their vision to improve the school is known and shared by all staff. Although leaders’ plans contain the right actions, many are still at an early stage of implementation. The full impact of their work is yet to be realised.

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better?

Children in the early years get off to a flying start. They enjoy playing, exploring and learning in the newly refurbished classroom and outside area. The early years curriculum has been carefully planned to ensure that children are prepared for the next stage of their learning. Adults know the children well. They plan activities that effectively support children’s development. For example, during the inspection, having learned about measuring amounts of liquid, children enjoyed investigating how much liquid different containers could hold. Children are developing an enthusiasm for reading. They select books that they have heard adults read to them. They use their knowledge of the sounds letters make to begin to read words.

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better?

The teaching of phonics has been given high priority since the beginning of the academic year. Children learn phonics from the very start of their time in school. There is a consistent approach to its teaching. This supports pupils to develop fluency and accuracy in their reading. Beyond the teaching of phonics, leaders have not fully developed a consistent approach to the teaching of reading. This is particularly the case in key stage 2, where some older pupils do not demonstrate a love of reading. 23 and 24 February 2023

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Leaders have ensured that all pupils, including those with SEND, benefit from a broad and balanced curriculum. It clearly maps out the skills and knowledge that pupils need to learn from the early years through to Year 6. Teachers have benefited from support provided by a local school to refine the teaching of mathematics. The school’s mathematics scheme has been designed so that key steps in learning are taught sooner than they once were. However, teachers are yet to refine their strategies to check what pupils know and can do. Sometimes, pupils are given work to complete that does not accurately meet their needs.

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Pupils with SEND are supported well. They complete work that meets their needs appropriately. Pupils gain skills to work independently. They are not overly reliant on the adult support available to them.

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Leaders implemented a new behaviour policy in September 2022. This has provided a clear and consistent approach to managing pupils’ behaviour. Pupils who find it difficult to manage their behaviour have been given strategies to support them to manage their feelings. They find these strategies helpful and use them well.

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Leaders have implemented a new scheme to support the teaching of personal, social and health education. Engagement with musical activities promotes pupils’ cultural development. However, opportunities to support pupils’ broader development beyond this are limited. Pupils do not have regular opportunities to extend their learning or participate in discussion about topics such as democracy. Pupils’ knowledge of other people’s faiths and beliefs is limited.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have implemented clear systems to report concerns. Staff receive regular training and updates to identify potential signs of abuse.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, including governors, regularly review processes and procedures to ensure that pupils are safe in school. Leaders’ recent analysis of records has led to zoning areas of the playground and increased supervision at breaktimes. This has seen a reduction in incidents and injuries.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have prioritised building links with parents. Where appropriate, the school works with outside agencies, such as social workers and education welfare officers, to support pupils. Parents recognise and appreciate the ways in which the school has supported their child and family in recent months.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Plans to develop the school’s approach to reading have not been realised. Some pupils, particularly in key stage 2, do not demonstrate a love of reading. Leaders 23 and 24 February 2023

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need to ensure that all pupils benefit from a consistent approach to the teaching and development of reading.  Teachers do not routinely check what pupils know and can do. Some tasks given to pupils do not meet their needs, particularly at the beginning of a new unit of work. Teachers should refine their strategies to check what pupils know and can do in order to provide appropriate work for them.  The school’s broader personal development offer is not consistently implemented across the school. Pupils are not able to explore a range of issues, such as knowledge and understanding about different faiths and beliefs. Leaders need to ensure that plans to improve the personal development of pupils provide opportunity to reflect, recognise and value different cultures and beliefs.

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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. 23 and 24 February 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255700 Type of school Primary

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 31 January and 1 February 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a smaller-than-average community school.  The number of pupils with SEND is below the national average.  The number of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average.  The headteacher started in post in April 2022. Prior to this, the school had been supported by a headteacher from a local school from September 2021 due to the absence of the substantive headteacher.  The school has two early career teachers.  The school does not use any 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. 23 and 24 February 2023

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 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 evaluated the school’s curriculum by carrying out ‘deep dives’ in early reading, mathematics, music and PE. They spoke to leaders, visited lessons, reviewed pupils’ work and spoke to pupils and staff separately.  Inspectors spoke to the headteacher and acting assistant headteacher.  Responses to Ofsted’s survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, were considered as well as responses to Ofsted’s survey for staff. There were no responses to Ofsted’s survey for pupils. Inspectors considered surveys conducted by leaders of parents and pupils.  Behaviour at breaktimes and lunchtime was observed. An inspector visited the school’s breakfast club.  An inspector met with representatives from the school’s governing body, including

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the chair of governors.  An inspector also met with a learning, standards and effectiveness officer from the local authority.

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Inspection team

Matthew Harrington, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Jen Sloan His Majesty’s Inspector 23 and 24 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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