The Welbourn Church of England Primary School

Inspection of The Welbourn Church of England Primary School High Street, Welbourn, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN5 0NH

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 20 and 21 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at Welbourn Church of England Primary School. They enjoy their learning and talk with enthusiasm about school life. They understand and meet the high expectations set by staff. Pupils say that they feel safe. They like the rewards they earn for doing their best. They enjoy making a positive contribution to the school. They like being school councillors, junior road safety representatives and sports leaders.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between pupils and adults are very positive. Pupils are polite and respectful. They behave exceptionally well. They know that staff quickly sort out any problems and that bullying is not tolerated. Bullying rarely occurs. Pupils know that if they have concerns, staff are always available to talk to them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a wide range of experiences during their time at the school. They learn to play musical instruments, take part in woodland activities and learn to swim. They attend sports clubs and the cookery club. Visits to a farm, a nature reserve, and an aquarium, and visits from a theatre company, have a lasting and positive impact on pupils. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. One parent typically commented, ‘I’m so happy that my children attend this school, it’s got such a lovely community.’

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better?

Leaders have constructed an ambitious curriculum for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have successfully adapted the curriculum for mixed-age classes. Curriculum plans identify the key knowledge that pupils need to learn and the order in which they need to learn it. For example, fractions are taught before decimals, then percentages. Leaders have provided training to develop staff’s subject knowledge. Teachers implement the curriculum effectively in most subjects. However, in a few subjects, the work given to pupils is not ambitious enough. In these subjects, lessons do not always build on what pupils know. As a result, pupils make slower progress in those areas.

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better?

Teachers regularly check what pupils know and are learning. Teachers recognise when pupils have not understood concepts, and they provide the necessary support. Teachers provide pupils with regular memory tasks to revisit and check what they have learned. There is a strong focus on key vocabulary and language in all subjects to support and build learning.

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better?

Leaders are ambitious for pupils with SEND. Leaders ensure that teachers adapt their teaching for pupils with SEND according to their needs. Leaders identify pupils with SEND as soon as possible. Teachers receive training to support and meet these pupils’ needs. Leaders’ plans to support pupils’ learning are clear, and teachers use them well. The school seeks external support for these pupils when necessary. 20 and 21 June 2023

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Leaders have made reading a priority. Pupils learn to read from when they start in Reception. All staff are trained to teach the systematic phonics programme well. The daily phonics sessions are highly structured and are delivered effectively. Teachers make sure that books are matched to the letters and sounds that pupils are learning. Teachers read daily to pupils. Leaders identify pupils who may be falling behind in their reading. These pupils receive extra support to catch up. Pupils practise reading regularly to become fluent readers. Pupils appreciate the new library and enjoy visiting it.

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Leaders’ high ambition for pupils begins in the early years. A well-sequenced curriculum ensures children learn well and are ready for their next phase of learning. Teachers assess children regularly to identify their learning and next steps. Leaders ensure that there is a sharp focus on developing children’s communication and language skills. Children enjoy learning through well-planned activities. They play happily together and demonstrate well-developed social skills.

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Pupils have consistently positive attitudes toward their learning. Many make a significant contribution to the life of the school. They demonstrate high levels of respect. Pupils support the well-being of other pupils. They attend school regularly. Leaders monitor attendance closely and work with families to reduce pupils’ absence.

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The curriculum strongly supports pupils’ personal development. Leaders are keen to extend pupils’ experiences beyond the local community. Pupils visit places of interest, such as York and the National Space Centre. Pupils learn about a wide range of issues that prepare them well to become healthy, safe and responsible citizens. Pupils learn how to debate important issues. Collective worship and assemblies play a key role in developing pupils’ character. Pupils develop an understanding of fundamental British values. They learn about world religions and understand the importance of respecting different faiths. They learn about difference and diversity. Pupils have opportunities to be active citizens, for example by raising money for charity.

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Governors know the school well. They support and hold leaders to account to bring about improvements in the school. Leaders work very well with staff. They consider staff’s well-being and workload. Staff enjoy working at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding at this school. Leaders and governors regularly check the school’s safeguarding procedures. Staff are clear about their responsibilities for safeguarding pupils. Leaders ensure that staff have regular training. Staff report any concerns they may have about pupils’ welfare immediately. Record-keeping is comprehensive. Leaders take prompt actions to follow up on any concerns. Leaders work with outside agencies to make sure that pupils receive the help they need to stay safe. 20 and 21 June 2023

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Pupils learn about healthy relationships. Pupils learn about online safety. They are aware of the importance of keeping themselves mentally well.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have designed and implemented a curriculum that matches the breadth of the national curriculum. However, in a few foundation subjects, the curriculum is not ambitious enough. As a result, pupils do not learn as well as they could in those areas. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is suitably ambitious, enabling pupils to know more and remember more in all subjects.

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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. 20 and 21 June 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 November 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use 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.

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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 meetings with governors, senior leaders, including the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, curriculum leaders and the early years leader.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics, French and history. To do this, they met with curriculum leaders, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and met with teachers and pupils. The lead inspector also listened to pupils reading to an adult. 20 and 21 June 2023

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 Inspectors took account of the responses to the Ofsted online surveys for staff and parents. Inspectors spoke to parents during the inspection.  Attendance, behaviour logs and safeguarding records were scrutinised. This included the school’s single central record. The lead inspector also conducted a meeting with a leader to discuss the safeguarding of pupils.  Inspectors considered pupils’ behaviour at various times of day, including in lessons, around the school site and at lunchtime.  The lead inspector spoke with the school’s local authority school improvement adviser on the telephone.

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Inspection team

Stephen Long, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Karen Slack Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 June 2023

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