Wallop Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Wallop Primary School School Lane, Nether Wallop, Stockbridge, Hampshire SO20 8EH

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. Inspectors are recommending the next inspection to be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school values of determination, care, cooperation and respect underpin leaders’ ambitions for pupils at this school. Pupils respect their teachers and, overall, behave well, concentrating in lessons. Bullying rarely happens and pupils are justifiably confident that if it did, staff would help them sort things out quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are very aware of the challenges faced by many pupils and their families in the armed forces who are posted to this area. Staff make pupils new to the school feel welcome and meet their pastoral needs well. Leaders are ambitious that all pupils will learn a broad curriculum and attain well. However, in many areas of the curriculum, including reading, their vision is not yet realised. This means that pupils do not learn as well as they should.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy socialising in the beautiful school grounds with activity trails, a meadow and forest school. Pupils rightly feel secure and safe because, as one parent put it, ‘The staff are hardworking, kind and caring.’

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

The curriculum is not fully developed. In all subjects, from the early years onwards, leaders have defined the main concepts that pupils must learn to meet the expectations of the national curriculum. In some subjects, such as mathematics, leaders have identified precisely what skills and knowledge they want pupils to learn, and in what order, from Reception to Year 6. Teachers know how to build pupils’ learning in mathematics. They present information clearly, checking for understanding as they go along so no gaps develop in pupils’ knowledge. Pupils concentrate well and master new learning in mathematics through practising areas of the curriculum learned before. 4 May 2023

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Mostly though, leaders have not yet identified the exact knowledge and skills pupils must learn in the curriculum. Pupils’ knowledge and skills, for example in art, do not build over time and they do not attain or behave in lessons as well as leaders want. Teachers quickly identify pupils who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and plan interventions to match their needs. However, weaknesses in the curriculum hamper their progress.

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Reading is not sufficiently prioritised. Leaders have introduced a phonics programme, but they lack the expertise and oversight needed to ensure that every pupil, including those with SEND or those who struggle with reading, succeed. Leaders do not fully understand how a systematic reading programme should be taught. Teachers follow the phonics curriculum, but they do not check in lessons to see what pupils understand or can remember. Consequently, activities do not match pupils’ needs and when pupils fall behind, staff do not know how to help them catch up. A small number of books match the sounds pupils learn, but the books are not used to give pupils, especially those who struggle most, enough practice to master new sounds. Books that pupils take home are not closely enough matched to the sounds they learn in class. This hinders them from making sense of the text, reading to learn in other subjects and loving reading generally.

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The impact of reading not being taught well is that those who struggle most, and those new to the school, cannot catch up and learn the wider curriculum as well as they deserve.

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Leaders support pupils’ personal development well. Pupils develop their interests and confidence through after-school clubs in sport and Spanish. They take part in school trips locally and further afield to extend their understanding of culture and the curriculum. Leaders organise visitors, such as the pilots who recently landed their helicopter in the school grounds to lead a science, technology and engineering day. Pupils learned about thrust through launching rockets and found the experience inspiring. In the personal, social, health and economic education curriculum, pupils learn how to look after their bodies and minds. They know how to keep themselves safe on the internet. Pupils experience democracy through being elected to roles such as school councillors. Diversity and equality are taught through discussions and assemblies.

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Governors do not have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and priorities or the impact of the curriculum, particularly on the most vulnerable pupils in the school. Governors and senior leaders are considerate of staff workload. Leaders appreciate the training they have had so far and are committed to continuing the development of the curriculum.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure all staff and governors are trained to recognise and report any concerns. Leaders and staff have a good understanding of what to look for and how to report any safeguarding worry. Staff know pupils well and are vigilant to changes which might indicate pupils need support. 4 May 2023

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Leaders work effectively with external agencies, being persistent, to get the help pupils and their families need. At the time of the inspection, there were some gaps in safeguarding training records and an omission in the single central record. Leaders acted quickly and put steps in place to rectify these issues.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In most subjects, leaders are at the early stages of developing the curriculum. This means teachers are not always clear what they should teach and when. Leaders should continue their work to identify the key skills and knowledge they want pupils to learn from early years to Year 6.  Reading is not taught well. This hinders pupils in becoming confident readers. Leaders should ensure that staff are experts in teaching early reading, and that pupils have sufficient opportunities to practise their reading, using books that are matched precisely to their phonics knowledge.  Teachers do not use assessment well to systematically check pupils’ learning. Consequently, gaps in pupils’ understanding and knowledge are missed. Leaders should ensure that teachers check pupils’ learning in lessons more effectively so that misconceptions and mistakes are identified and quickly addressed.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2018.

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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. 4 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. 4 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10269084 Type of school Primary

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provision

Appropriate authority The governing body

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provision

Dates of previous inspection 20 and 21 February 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any external alternative provision.  The chair of governors and many of the governing body are new since the previous inspection.

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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.  During the inspection, the lead inspector met with the headteacher and deputy headteacher, who is also the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator. The lead inspector also met with a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors reviewed the arrangements for safeguarding through scrutinising safeguarding records and discussions with leaders, staff and pupils. 4 May 2023

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 The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and art. For each deep dive, they discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The views of parents and carers were considered through their responses to Ofsted Parent View. Further views of pupils and staff were gathered through Ofsted’s online surveys, interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection.  The inspectors reviewed a range of the school’s documents, including self-evaluation reports, minutes of governing body meetings, attendance records and behaviour incident logs.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at playtimes. They spoke with pupils about bullying, behaviour and leaders’ expectations of pupils’ behaviour.

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Inspection team

Jo Brinkley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

James Stuart His Majesty’s Inspector 4 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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