Warmingham CofE Primary School

Inspection of Warmingham CofE Primary School School Lane, Warmingham, Sandbach, Cheshire CW11 3QN

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 September 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

The principal of this school is Kate Appleby. This school is part of the Rural Church Schools Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chair of directors, Piers Ingram Bostock, and overseen by a board of directors. The chief executive officer (CEO) is Nicola Badger, who is also an executive headteacher. She is responsible for this school and two others in the trust. 26 and 27 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy to attend this small, nurturing school. They see themselves as part of one big caring family. Pupils embody the school ethos by being kind, respectful and safe. Older pupils look after younger pupils and take pride in being their ‘buddies’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the moment that they start school in Reception class, children are encouraged to let their ‘light shine’. The school has high expectations for all pupils’ achievement, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils enthusiastically strive to reach these goals. They are avid learners who achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The atmosphere in school is calm and pleasant. Pupils appreciate the school’s positive approach to helping them behave well. They are respectful towards each other. Pupils feel that staff care about them. They trust that staff have their well- being in mind. Pupils know that there is someone to go to if they are worried or upset.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have many opportunities to develop beyond their academic achievement. They take on various leadership roles in school, such as play leaders, librarians and house captains. Pupils help to promote the values of the school through acting as ethos councillors.

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

The school has carefully designed a curriculum that enables pupils to build their knowledge from the early years to Year 6. In the main, the school has made sure that teachers know how to deliver the curriculum well. Teachers design suitable learning activities that enable pupils to deepen their thinking. Pupils can connect knowledge between different subjects and topics. This helps pupils to make sense of what they have learned. Over time, most pupils build a secure body of knowledge across a range of subjects.

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

In most subjects, teachers check that pupils have understood and can remember previous learning before they move on to something new. However, the school does not make sure that this happens in some subjects. From time to time, some teachers do not check that pupils’ learning is secure. This means that, on occasion, teachers do not identify and address pupils’ misconceptions as quickly as they could.

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

The school prioritises the teaching of reading. Children start learning the phonics programme right at the start of the Reception Year. Knowledgeable staff deliver this programme consistently well. They identify pupils who are at risk of falling behind in the phonics programme and help them to catch up quickly. Most pupils develop into fluent, confident readers by the end of Year 2. The school fosters a love of reading. For example, pupils run the school library while older pupils run an outside ‘reading shed’ for younger pupils. 26 and 27 September 2023

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Pupils with SEND are identified right from the start of their time in the early years. The school works purposefully with teachers, parents, carers and outside agencies to enable pupils with SEND to access the same learning as their peers. This helps pupils with SEND to progress well through the intended curriculum.

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Pupils behave well around school. They respond to leaders’ high expectations of them. Within lessons, pupils are highly motivated and enthusiastic about their learning. On a few occasions, this enthusiasm can lead to small amounts of low- level disruption. Where this is the case, teachers redirect pupils effectively so that no learning time is lost.

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Pupils can attend a range of clubs to suit their interests. The school teaches pupils about different religions and cultures. Pupils understand the ways in which people might be different to themselves, for example through race. They are adamant that being different does not matter and that everyone should be treated with equal respect. Pupils know how to keep themselves healthy. They also understand that it is important to be ‘mentally safe’. The school also promotes online safety well, with pupils and with their parents.

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The local governing committee knows the school well. It uses this knowledge to support and challenge school leaders effectively. Trust directors take a strategic approach and maintain a clear overview of the school.

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The school engages purposefully with staff and supports them with managing workload. This means that they are able to focus on teaching and learning.

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Parents are highly supportive of the school. They appreciate the way that the school communicates regularly about their children’s learning and progress. Parents of pupils with SEND feel that the school meets the needs of their children effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, teachers do not check whether pupils have learned the intended curriculum as effectively as they should. This means that occasionally pupils’ misconceptions go unnoticed. The school should ensure that, in these subjects, teachers are suitably equipped to use assessment strategies consistently well to inform future learning. 26 and 27 September 2023

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 26 and 27 September 2023

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School details

Website www.warminghamce.cheshire.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 25 and 26 February 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Rural Church Schools Academy Trust.  The school is a Church of England School. It is part of the Chester Diocese. The school’s last section 48 inspection took place in February 2023.  The school does not make use of alternative provision for pupils.

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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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of the school’s educational provision.  This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school. 26 and 27 September 2023

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 During this inspection, inspectors met with the principal, the executive headteacher and a wide range of other staff.  The inspectors met with members of the local governing committee and the chair of directors of the multi-academy trust.  The inspectors spoke with pupils about their work and their wider school life.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during playtimes and while in lessons.  The inspectors spoke with parents to gather views about the school. They considered the views of parents submitted through Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses.  The inspectors carried out deep dives into early reading, mathematics and

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geography. They spoke with the staff who lead these subjects, visited lessons and spoke with teachers. They also spoke with pupils about their learning and viewed examples of their work.  An inspector observed pupils in Years 1 to 3 reading to a familiar adult.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.

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Liz Davidson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Patrick Rayner Ofsted Inspector 26 and 27 September 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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