Werrington Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Werrington Community Primary School Yeolmbridge, Launceston, Cornwall PL15 8TN

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Outcome

Werrington Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this welcoming and inclusive community school. There is a family feel to the school. Because of its size, everyone knows and cares for one another. Parents and carers spoke with heartfelt emotion about the positive impact the school has had on their children.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils behave well. The school is typically calm and orderly. At social times, pupils from all year groups play happily together. They respect any differences between them. The new ’sensory garden’ provides a quiet space for pupils to socialise and engage with nature.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Regular assemblies and lessons ensure pupils understand what bullying is. This means they can report it when it occurs. Pupils know that leaders and staff carefully deal with allegations of bullying. This ensures that pupils receive appropriate support to put a stop to it. Having adults they trust, helps to keep pupils safe at the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

As part of a federation with another school, pupils benefit from opportunities to socialise and learn alongside other children of their own age. This includes, for example, participating in sporting competitions and shared workshops on internet safety.

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

Leaders have a clear vision for providing high-quality education for all. Pupils study a broad curriculum that matches the ambition of the national curriculum. In most subjects, leaders have identified and organised the knowledge that they want pupils to learn in a logical order. For example, the mathematics curriculum builds core knowledge in mathematical fluency, reasoning and problem-solving. It is helping pupils to become confident mathematicians. In a small number of subjects, the implementation of the curriculum is at an earlier stage. As a result of this, pupils do not learn as well. For example, in history, pupils know lots about the topics they have learned this year, however they have not gained a deep understanding of the subject over time. 22 June 2023

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Leaders prioritise reading. Their approach to teaching reading and phonics is well planned. From the early years, staff focus on language, which means that children learn to communicate well. Effective delivery of the new phonics curriculum ensures that pupils become fluent readers. Pupils enjoy reading and do so regularly. Staff use assessment well to spot pupils who fall behind and put targeted support in place. As a result, weaker readers become more fluent.

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Leaders ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in school life. Pupils with SEND follow the same broad curriculum as their peers. Individual pupils have precise targets for their achievement. They receive skilful support in class when needed.

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The routines to support good behaviour begin in the early years. Children happily tidy up, listen to adults and take turns when answering questions. They settle quickly into Reception Year. Strong care and nurture ensure that children swiftly learn the structures of daily school life. Adults work well with children to help them improve their communication skills and enhance their personal development.

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In other year groups, many pupils continue to follow the school rules. This ensures that classrooms are mostly calm and purposeful. However, a few pupils’ attitudes to learning are less positive. This means that sometimes these pupils can disrupt the learning of others. Some staff are not applying the school’s behaviour policy consistently.

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Leaders have prioritised the wider development of pupils. They have planned a curriculum for personal, social and health education (PSHE) to make sure pupils are ready for the future. Pupils know about British values and respect diversity. Pupils enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular activities. After school clubs, including cricket, football, tennis and crochet enable pupils to hone their skills and talents.

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Governors work closely with leaders to support them to drive their priorities forward. Governors use their expertise to challenge leaders effectively when needed. For instance, governors have ensured that leaders have improved pupil attendance and persistent absence.

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Staff are overwhelmingly positive about working at Werrington. They describe feeling supported, knowing leaders consider their workload, professional development and their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff are aware of the central importance of keeping pupils safe. There is a culture of vigilance and a strong understanding of safeguarding among the staff.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that training enables staff to identify pupils who may be at risk and report any worries promptly. Leaders follow up these concerns swiftly, taking action where 22 June 2023

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necessary to ensure pupils are safe. Leaders work well with external agencies to seek advice and protect pupils and families in need.

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Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including online. They know how to recognise and avoid situations when they might be at risk.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not ensured that the curriculum is fully embedded in some subjects. As a result, pupils do not learn as well as they could. Leaders need to ensure that the curriculum is securely and consistently embedded across the school, so that pupils develop a deeper understanding over time.  Some pupils’ attitudes to their education are not as positive as they could be. This leads to a few pupils engaging in low-level disruptive behaviour. Leaders should ensure that all staff are consistent in terms of expectations of behaviour for learning and consistently apply the behaviour policy.

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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 predecessor school, Werrington School, to be good in July 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. 22 June 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. 22 June 2023

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School details

Website www.northpetherinandwerringtonschools.c o.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14 March 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of a federation with one other primary school. The headteacher is the executive headteacher of both schools.  The school has recently completed major renovation and extension works which had reduced the capacity for all play areas and space for interventions.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The school has a nursery with provision for two- and three-year olds.

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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 held discussions with the headteacher, assistant head of school, special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, curriculum leaders and teachers, a group of governors and the chief executive officer of the trust. 22 June 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors 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 lead inspector listened to pupils read to an adult.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, inspectors spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  To inspect safeguarding, an inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead, looked at the single central record of recruitment checks, and safeguarding records, and talked informally to pupils and staff.  Inspectors examined a range of documents provided by the school, including the school’s self-evaluation document, the improvement plan and documentation relating to safeguarding.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents and carers,

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Parent View, including free-text comments. Inspectors also considered responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Gavin Summerfield, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Lizzie Lethbridge Ofsted Inspector 22 June 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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