Wool Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Wool Church of England Primary School High Street, Wool, Wareham, Dorset BH20 6BT

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Inspection dates: 17 and 18 October 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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Eleanor Griffiths. This school is part of The Coastal Learning Partnership, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Paul Howieson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Louise Ellis. 17 and 18 October 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to Wool Primary School. Relationships matter. This is because adults know the pupils well and care for them. Pupils say that everyone in their school is ‘special’. Parents talk positively about the school’s communication, the way in which it keeps their children safe and the role the school plays in the local community. The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils understand how the school values of faith, perseverance, respect, aspiration and love help them to learn and behave well. They are proud to receive the ‘best seat in the house’ award. In class, pupils listen to their teachers and follow instructions. On the playground, pupils play together well. The atmosphere across the school is calm and purposeful. Pupils feel safe. Adults listen to them and are there for them if they need to share any worries. Pupils appreciate the way that adults notice their efforts and celebrate them in

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What is it like to attend this school?

assemblies. Pupils enjoy the clubs and outside learning experiences that the school provides for them. They enjoy becoming school councillors, eco councillors, sport leaders and members of the worship committee. Pupils say these roles make them feel proud and enable them to make a difference.

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better?

The school is ambitious for all pupils. Pupils benefit from a curriculum that builds their knowledge well over time. Pupils who need extra help receive the support they need. In subjects where published outcomes are below national expectations, the school has taken swift action to strengthen the curriculum. For example, they have made sure that staff implement the reading curriculum effectively.

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better?

Reading is prioritised across the school. Children begin learning phonics from the moment they start school. They learn new sounds well. Pupils read books that are well matched to the sounds they know, which helps them to gain confidence and fluency. Staff use their training well to identify pupils who fall behind. Extra support means that these pupils catch up quickly. Across the school, pupils enjoy listening to a range of exciting stories.

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better?

The school has put in place a well-structured mathematics curriculum. In the early years, teachers develop children’s mathematical vocabulary well. This means that children recognise and talk confidently about numbers. As pupils move through the school, teachers present new information clearly. Pupils become confident and build their understanding well because of this.

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better?

In some wider curriculum subjects, the learning that teachers provide does not always focus precisely enough on what pupils need to learn. As a result, some pupils become confused about what they are expected to learn and do not build on what they know and can do. For example, pupils struggle to use the correct techniques to create their artwork. This slows the progress that some pupils make. 17 and 18 October 2023

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The school supports pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively. Teachers know these pupils well. Staff are well trained to adapt the way these pupils learn the important knowledge they need. For example, in mathematics, some pupils with SEND use equipment to help them to deepen their understanding of number.

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Pupils show positive attitudes to their learning. This starts in the early years, where children are eager to learn. Pupils understand the school rules and follow them well, both inside and outside of the classroom. Staff support pupils who struggle to manage their emotions well.

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The school has high expectations for pupil attendance. It tracks the attendance of pupils closely. Procedures in place for managing and improving attendance are effective. The school fosters a strong culture of belonging. As a result, pupils attend school regularly.

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The school supports pupils’ personal development well. Pupils understand that relationships can be different. They know the way in which they should be treated when they are with people physically and when they are online. Pupils talk confidently about protected characteristics and why it is important to be accepting of different peoples’ faiths and beliefs.

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Local governors and trustees know the school well. They hold the school to account for their actions. Staff are proud to work at the school. They benefit from the training and collaboration with colleagues from other trust schools.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The learning that some pupils are given to complete is not focused precisely enough on what they need to know. This means that sometimes pupils are not learning the most important things identified in the curriculum design. This makes it more difficult for pupils to build their knowledge well. The trust should make sure that learning supports pupils to learn the intended curriculum more precisely.

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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. 17 and 18 October 2023

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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). 17 and 18 October 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Wool Church of England Primary School converted to become an academy school in February 2021. When its predecessor school, Wool Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate overall.  The school is a smaller-than-average primary school. The school is designated as having a religious character. The most recent section 48 inspection of the predecessor school was in July 2016, when the school was judged to be satisfactory.  The school does not use any alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 17 and 18 October 2023

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 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art. 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.  Inspectors spoke with school leaders, subject leaders, parents, pupils, governors, representatives from the trust and a representative from the diocese.  An inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to a trusted adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single

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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.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, inspectors spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey for parents, and comments made by parents online during the inspection. They also evaluated responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire and responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Jayne Keller, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sean Millar Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 October 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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