Whitchurch Community Primary School

Inspection of Whitchurch Community Primary School School Road, Whitchurch, Tavistock, Devon PL19 9SR

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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 Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Kerry Bargewell. The school is part of The First Federation Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Paul Walker, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Alexander Walmsley. 17 and 18 October 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud and happy to attend their caring school. They use their ‘ACE’ values to help them to behave respectfully. Pupils are kind and polite towards everyone. They welcome new pupils and visitors with a warm smile.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a thirst to learn new things. They study an ambitious curriculum that prepares them well for their next steps in learning and beyond. Pupils use the area in which they live to explore important themes. In science, for example, pupils consider environmental and conservation issues in their locality.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop their talents and interests through extra-curricular clubs and experiences. Many pupils take part in sporting competitions and events, which develops their confidence and resilience. For example, pupils who play a musical instrument proudly perform in the jazz summer festival.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils describe themselves as ‘ACE students’. They understand how to ‘aspire, create and explore’ successfully. Pupils also find out about future opportunities and careers, which helps them to ‘create their own journeys in life.’

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better?

The school, alongside the trust, has worked with determination to make sure that pupils’ experiences of school are positive. At the heart of this work is pupils’ personal development. Through a well-planned curriculum, pupils learn about ‘who they are as pupils at Whitchurch Community Primary School.’ Pupils develop their spiritual, moral and social understanding well. They understand the importance of being physically and mentally healthy. They learn about different faiths and beliefs and make links with their own beliefs and values. Consequently, pupils are well informed about issues pertinent to life in modern Britain.

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better?

In most subjects, the school plans carefully what pupils should know and by when. This takes into account the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND benefit from careful adaptations to their learning. There is a focus on the development of pupils’ understanding of subject- specific vocabulary. For example, in physical education, pupils understand terms such as core stability and why this is important to improve performance in different sports. As pupils get older, they become adept at using sophisticated language to explain what they have learned, both in spoken and written form.

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better?

Where the curriculum is new, the trust, along with the school, has provided staff with helpful professional development. This has improved staff’s knowledge and expertise. However, in some subjects, the school does not have an overview of how well the curriculum is taught or how well pupils learn it. This results in some pupils not learning key content securely before they move on. 17 and 18 October 2023

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The school emphasises the importance of reading. From the very beginning of the Reception Year, children learn how to crack the alphabetic code. Highly skilled staff follow the school’s phonics curriculum to support pupils to learn the sounds that letters make. Pupils become confident, fluent readers, who read high-quality texts. Carefully selected books support pupils to learn about how people are unique and to respect each other for who they are. Pupils are keen to read for pleasure.

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The school has a renewed focus on attendance. Most pupils attend well and are punctual. They enjoy learning and being part of their school community. Pupils value the pastoral care they receive from staff. For some pupils with SEND, ‘the ark’ provides additional support to help them manage their feelings and emotions successfully.

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Staff recognise that leaders at all levels are warm and supportive. They are proud to be part of a team in which they are ‘valued, respected and seen’.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the school’s use of assessment does not identify how successfully pupils learn over time. This hinders improvements to the curriculum and therefore how well some pupils learn. The school needs to ensure that assessment informs subsequent curriculum planning so that all pupils learn successfully.  In some subjects, the school does not have sufficient oversight of how well the curriculum is taught. At times, pupils do not learn important content securely before they move on to new learning. The school and the trust should ensure that they know the quality of teaching and learning 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. 17 and 18 October 2023

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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

Website www.whitchurch-primary.devon.sch.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Whitchurch Community Primary School converted to become an academy in July 2022. When its predecessor school, Whitchurch Community Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school is part of The First Federation Trust.  The head of school was appointed in September 2021.  The school does not use any alternative providers.  The school has a breakfast club and after-school club 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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 17 and 18 October 2023

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 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 met with the head of school and the assistant headteacher, who is also the special educational needs coordinator. Inspectors also met with the CEO of the trust, the director of school improvement and the school improvement officer. An inspector met with the chair of the trust board, other trustees and representatives of the hub board.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in other subjects.

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 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.  Inspectors spoke with staff and pupils throughout the inspection to gauge their views of the school.  Inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. Inspectors also considered responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Donna Briggs, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah Jane Tustain 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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