Wilburton CofE Primary School

Inspection of Wilburton CofE Primary School Carpond Lane, Wilburton, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB6 3RJ

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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 Good 8 and 9 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud and happy to attend this school. It is a warm and welcoming place. Pupils display the school values of ‘excellence, love and well-being’ during learning and at social times. They care for, look after, and show respect towards each other. For example, older pupils play happily with younger children at breaktimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Due to the strong relationships between pupils and staff, pupils feel safe and a part of the school. They are confident about sharing any worries that they might have with staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Routines and expectations are clear from the start of the Reception class. Pupils understand the importance of behaving well and working hard. They learn with minimal distractions. This helps pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), grow in confidence and learn successfully.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy taking up leadership roles. For example, house captains take part in celebration assemblies. These acknowledge pupils in their houses that have done well. Pupil ‘ministers’ are proud to take an active role in collective worship. Organising events, such as the harvest festival, develops pupils’ confidence and independence.

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better?

The school has put an ambitious curriculum in place for all pupils, including those with SEND. It clearly identifies the important information that pupils should know and remember in all subjects. Leaders regularly use information on how well pupils are learning alongside teachers’ evaluations to improve the curriculum. Consequently, many pupils progress well, from the early years through to Year 6.

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better?

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They frequently check how well pupils understand what is being taught. Most of the time, they use these checks to adapt their lessons to meet pupils’ needs and to address gaps in their learning.

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better?

Teachers help pupils to break down learning into small steps. For example, in computing, pupils use their mathematical knowledge to confidently solve problems. However, occasionally, teachers’ explanations and presentation of new information are less clear. This includes when they introduce new vocabulary to pupils. This means that pupils sometimes find learning new knowledge harder, and they struggle to build on what they already know.

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better?

Staff know pupils well. This helps them to quickly identify additional needs. This ensures that the right support is in place. Staff support pupils well. They use effective approaches and appropriate resources which help pupils with SEND to learn well. This includes children in the early years. 8 and 9 November 2023

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The school ensures that reading is a high priority. This begins at the start of the Reception Year. Well-trained staff teach reading effectively. However, there are instances where staff do not always use consistent terminology linked to expected behaviours and routines. This means that, as pupils move from one phonics group to another, they encounter different language from staff. When this happens, pupils may not be as quick to respond to the expected routines. Reading books are well matched to the sounds that pupils know. Pupils who struggle to read are quickly identified. Staff provide effective support to help them to catch up quickly.

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The school is a calm and settled place in which to learn. Pupils behave well in lessons and at social times. In the early years, children learn to develop their independence and take responsibility for their own learning. The school takes effective action to promote positive attendance. Staff have established positive relationships with parents. These have helped to improve pupils’ attendance and punctuality.

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There is an effective programme which supports pupils’ personal development. This helps pupils to understand important issues, such as relationships and safety, in an age-appropriate way. Pupils talk about aspects of the programme, such as different faiths and healthy eating. However, their knowledge of fundamental British values, such as tolerance and democracy, is less secure. The school is aware of this and has started to teach these values during collective worship. Pupils enjoy the opportunities they receive to learn outside the classroom. This includes at social times. The school has put a wide range of structured activities in place to engage pupils and help them learn during play.

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The governing body members regularly monitor the school to understand the impact of leaders’ actions. They provide appropriate support and challenge. The school takes staff’s workload into account when making decisions. Staff are positive about this. They feel valued and respected.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, teachers do not present new information or vocabulary to pupils as clearly or consistently as they might. This includes in some phonics lessons. When this happens, pupils do not routinely secure their understanding of this knowledge or make links with what they already know. The school should ensure that it continues to provide teachers with the guidance and knowledge they need to teach the curriculum and the phonics programme consistently well. 8 and 9 November 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). 8 and 9 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website http://www.wilburton.cambs.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 9 May 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new headteacher has been appointed since the last inspection.  The school operates breakfast and after-school provision.  This is a Church of England school which is within the Diocese of Ely. The most recent inspection of its religious character under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 was in January 2018. The next inspection will take place within eight years of that date.  The school does not use any 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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 8 and 9 November 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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with senior leaders to discuss and scrutinise documentation relating to safeguarding, behaviour, attendance, pupils with SEND and pupils’ personal development.  The lead inspector met with six representatives of the governing body and held telephone conversations with the school improvement partner from the local authority and a representative from the local diocese.

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 Inspectors spoke formally and informally to pupils throughout the two days and to parents at the start of the school day.  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 lead inspector considered the 24 responses and 13 free-text responses received to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. He also considered the 23 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. There were no responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Wayne Jarvis, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Judith Sumner Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 November 2023

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