Walford Nursery & Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Walford Nursery & Primary School Walford, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire HR9 5SA

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Outcome

Walford Nursery & Primary School continues to be a good school. There is enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if we were to carry out a graded (section 5) inspection now. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Walford Nursery & Primary School enjoy a wealth of exciting opportunities right from the start. Visiting artists, writers and dancers add greatly to a broad and ambitious curriculum. Many pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, take part in clubs after school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for what all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can achieve. Across the school, pupils learn consistently well. They often use information technology to very good effect.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and happy at school. They become articulate and enthusiastic learners, who love reading. Pupils enjoy warm relationships with the staff and collaborate well with each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff resolve any bullying as soon as it arises. Leaders set clear and consistent rules for pupils’ conduct. Pupils are courteous and behave very well on the playground and in classrooms. Disruption to learning is extremely rare.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum also promotes pupils’ personal development. Pupils can influence how the school runs. They take on roles, for example, as members of the school council or anti- bullying ambassadors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders strive hard to involve parents and carers in their children’s learning. Parents much appreciate the positive experiences that their children enjoy at the school.

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

Leaders ensure that learning to read is a high priority. Pupils follow a structured phonics programme from the early years onwards and learn letters and their sounds in a logical 4 and 5 May 2023

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order. Staff work closely with parents, and ensure that pupils read frequently to an adult. They check how well pupils learn. Staff provide effective support for any pupils at risk of falling behind. Books for younger pupils are well matched to their phonic knowledge. Across the school, pupils read widely, including non-fiction texts and a range of poetry. They become confident and enthusiastic readers by the time they leave the school.

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Leaders have planned learning with great rigour and attention to detail. Pupils study all the subjects in the national curriculum. Staff make sure that the knowledge children gain in the early years is a very effective springboard for learning in Year 1. Teachers break content down into small steps in each subject. This helps pupils to build new knowledge and vocabulary onto concepts they already understand.

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Teachers have the expertise they need to teach the curriculum very well. They often use information technology skilfully to present ideas clearly and to record and share pupils’ work. Teachers consistently help pupils to remember key knowledge in their long-term memories. They link learning in different subjects effectively. Teachers take care to check on any gaps in pupils’ knowledge, and to adapt lessons accordingly. Across the curriculum, pupils make great strides in knowing and remembering more.

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A range of rich experiences contribute to pupils’ learning. For example, pupils have recently visited an outdoor activity centre, a mosque and the cathedral in Gloucester. They have designed a coronation plaque in conjunction with a ceramic artist and won engineering competitions. These opportunities help pupils to see how their learning relates to the world around them and help them to grow in confidence and resilience Pupils benefit from a planned programme of personal and social education. They learn about different cultures and traditions and learn to respect others and value diversity.

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Leaders identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND promptly. They make sure that staff know in detail how to meet them. As a result, these pupils make strong progress from their starting points. In addition, those with social and emotional difficulties make rapid gains in regulating their own behaviour.

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From the early years, staff set clear and consistent expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils enjoy their learning and care about their school environment. They want to do well. They listen attentively in class and show consistent care in their workbooks.

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The headteacher has established a strong, enterprising, professional community where adults value the comprehensive training they receive. Staff say that leaders are considerate of their workload and always ready to listen to their views. Subject leaders have planned the curriculum with great care. Leaders involve parents fully in the life of the school. Governors are insightful and provide effective oversight of the school. Leaders are strongly committed to disadvantaged pupils. These pupils attend regularly, achieve highly and enjoy everything the school has to offer. The school provides well for those pupils in the Nursery opened since the last inspection, including two-year-olds.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 4 and 5 May 2023

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Leaders make sure that staff are well trained in safeguarding. Procedures for reporting concerns are understood by all. They provide helpful updates to staff. There is helpful guidance for parents on the school’s website.

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Leaders take the right actions to help children. When necessary, they take appropriate steps to involve other agencies. The school keeps accurate records of all safeguarding concerns. Leaders make the required checks on the staff who join the school.

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Teachers make sure that pupils learn about potential risks they may face, including when using the internet. Pupils have the confidence to talk to adults if they are worried.

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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 May 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.

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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. 4 and 5 May 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 27 June 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 In 2019, the governors opened a nursery catering for pupils aged two to four. Many of these children attend part time.  The school runs a breakfast club and an after-school club.  The school does not make use of any 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. Meetings were held with subject leaders and the special educational needs coordinator.  The chair of governors and the vice-chair met with the inspector. A telephone call took place with a school improvement adviser and an online meeting with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector spoke with pupils at social times, and with groups of pupils more 4 and 5 May 2023

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formally.  When inspecting safeguarding, the inspector looked at the school’s procedures for recruiting and checking on staff suitability to work with children. He also considered the effectiveness of staff training and the procedures to keep pupils safe.  The inspector reviewed a range of documents, including evaluations, improvement plans and records of governors’ meetings. He also reviewed the school’s attendance and behaviour records.  The inspector took account of responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s questionnaire for parents. The inspector met with parents at the start of the second day of the inspection. The inspector also considered correspondence and responses to Ofsted’s questionnaires for staff and pupils.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and computing. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to staff, spoke to some pupils about their

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learning and looked at samples of their work. He also spoke to pupils and scrutinised their work in some other subjects.  The inspector listened to some pupils reading to a familiar adult.

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Inspection team

Martin Spoor, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 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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