Wimborne St Giles Church of England First School and Nursery

Inspection of a good school: Wimborne St Giles Church of England First School and Nursery Wimborne St Giles, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 5LX

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Outcome

Wimborne St Giles Church of England First School and Nursery continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ vision that ‘Together We Grow: Together We Give’ is realised in a community that extends beyond a homely school building. Pupils are proud of their school, describing it as ‘one big family’. Parents say they send their children here because it is safe and ‘children thrive’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values of love, hope and joy can be found in abundance. Pupils treat other people and their environment with compassion and respect. They understand their place in the world and try to make it a better place. For example, the ‘Eco’ group sell washing liquid to parents in recycled bottles in an aim to reduce plastic waste.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a wealth of opportunities available to them to support their development. Trips, such as to the British Museum to find out about Ancient Egypt, enhance their learning. Work with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the school’s musicianship programme strongly develop pupils’ musical talents.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are clear and consistent routines that help pupils to manage their own behaviours. They respond well to learning, persevering when they find tasks difficult. Pupils say there is no bullying in school. They are certain that if there was, leaders would deal with it quickly.

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

Pupils at Wimborne St Giles enjoy an ambitious and broad curriculum. Leaders have identified the important knowledge that pupils need to know. They have designed learning so that pupils regularly revisit this knowledge. This helps pupils to remember more and deepen their understanding. As a result, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. 10 May 2023

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Leaders have adapted the curriculum following the COVID-19 pandemic. They have provided more opportunities for pupils to develop their knowledge of number facts in mathematics. Children in the early years count regularly and recognise numbers in the environment. They can now apply what they know more readily. For instance, children in nursery explain clearly why a three-year-old would have three candles on their birthday cake.

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Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. They carefully develop pupils’ thinking about their learning. For example, in Year 1 history, teachers asked questions that helped pupils to suggest how the Great Fire of London spread so rapidly. However, some staff do not address pupils’ misunderstandings quickly enough. As a result, pupils make repeated mistakes. This limits their understanding.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the full curriculum. Teachers use resources, such as visual prompts and scaffolding, so pupils with SEND can work independently. Because of this, most pupils with SEND achieve the same end goals.

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Staff have been supported well in developing their expertise in teaching phonics. Events like the annual readathon and termly poetry showcase develop pupils’ love of reading. Teachers use assessment to identify pupils’ gaps in learning and plan support when needed. This helps pupils who fall behind in reading to catch up. However, the books that pupils have to practise their reading are sometimes too difficult. This means that while they read words with accuracy, they do not develop their fluency well enough.

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There is a positive and consistent approach to managing pupils’ behaviour. Staff know that for pupils to behave well, they need to learn the skills and habits to do so. From a young age, pupils listen carefully and focus on their learning. They are polite and show good teamwork. For example, a group of pupils worked together to rescue maybugs that had fallen in water, relocating them to a nearby bug hotel on the playground.

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Pupils make an important contribution to the community. They learn about inclusivity by supporting the local dementia-friendly group. Children in the early years begin to learn about democracy by voting for their favourite stories. The curriculum for personal, social and health education gives pupils an excellent knowledge of relationships. They understand what makes them special, the importance of honesty and what makes a good friend.

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Staff are proud of the school. They say that leaders support them to manage their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding is of high importance in the school. Leaders provide thorough training so staff are knowledgeable about potential risks. Staff reflect on information from national 10 May 2023

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case studies to improve their work. They record any concerns quickly. Leaders monitor this information regularly and use it to identify pupils who may need early support.

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Trustees seek advice from external experts to validate the work of the school. They have a deep understanding of safeguarding across the school.

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The curriculum gives pupils a strong understanding of keeping safe. Older pupils become ‘E-Cadets’ and provide internet safety sessions for younger pupils. Pupils feel safe. They identify trusted adults in the community, such as teachers and police officers, who they would approach if they were worried.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils’ misconceptions are not corrected quickly enough. Pupils make repeated mistakes. This limits their understanding. Staff need to identify pupils’ errors and adapt learning so that pupils rectify misconceptions and build their knowledge well.  Books that pupils are given to read are sometimes too difficult. As a result, pupils do not read as coherently as they could. Leaders need to ensure that the books that pupils are given are consistently well matched to their stage of phonics so that they read with increased fluency.

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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 June 2013.

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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. 10 May 2023

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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 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268656 Type of school First

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Wimborne St Giles Church of England First School and Nursery converted to become an academy school in January 2021. When its predecessor school, Wimborne St Giles Church of England First School and Nursery, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school is part of the Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust.  The school uses no alternative provision.

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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, a group of staff, representatives from the multi- academy trust and members of the local trustee board.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, 10 May 2023

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visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors considered documentation around safeguarding, including the safeguarding checks made on staff. They talked to trustees, staff and pupils about how the school keeps everyone safe.  The lead inspector listened to pupils in Years 1 and 2 read to an adult.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  Inspectors spoke with a range of staff to see how leaders support their workload and well-being.  Inspectors considered responses to the Ofsted online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, responses to the staff survey and responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Steph Matthews, lead inspector Seconded Inspector

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Inspection team

Carl Thornton Ofsted Inspector 10 May 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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