Wickham Common Primary School

Inspection of Wickham Common Primary School Gates Green Road, Coney Hall, West Wickham, Kent BR4 9DG

p.1

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

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Rebecca Williams. This school is part of Compass Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Stuart Ellis, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Ann Medhurst. There is also an executive headteacher, Sue Robertson, who is responsible for this school and three others. 1 and 2 November 2023

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this warm, friendly and caring school. They say their teachers are kind and help them to learn a lot in lessons. Pupils are also kind to each other, for example supporting new pupils to settle in when they join the school. Pupils are happy and safe here.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave very well in class and are polite and courteous around the school. Children in Reception cooperate with each other and focus well on what they are doing. The school has high expectations of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have recently made changes to the curriculum, so that it is now more ambitious.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

There are many opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests, particularly in sport and music. For instance, pupils can attend after-school clubs in football, cooking or karate. They can also participate in one of the two well-attended choirs.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers commented on how well the school prepares their children for secondary school.

p.2

better?

Leaders have created a broad and ambitious curriculum. The school has carefully selected the key knowledge that pupils must learn and decided the order in which they must learn it. For example, in art, Reception pupils learn about printing through the work of Andy Warhol. They experiment with their hands and sponges to make patterns. In Year 3, pupils learn to use materials to make a stamp for printing. Pupils in Year 6 use their earlier knowledge to create a multi-layered print.

p.2

better?

Teachers present subject content clearly. They help pupils to know and remember more over time. For example, teachers enabled Year 6 pupils to recap and deepen their knowledge and understanding about light. Teachers choose carefully selected activities to support pupils’ subject-specific understanding. Staff use resources skilfully to help pupils with SEND. In most subjects, the school has clear assessment systems to check how well pupils are learning. In some foundation subjects, the school’s work to identify what content to assess is still developing. This means that teachers do not identify the important knowledge that pupils need to know in these subjects.

p.2

better?

Leaders are equally ambitious for pupils with SEND. They identify the needs of pupils with SEND quickly. Staff support these pupils to be able to access subject content successfully. They adapt the learning for pupils with SEND effectively.

p.2

better?

Pupils become confident and fluent readers. Leaders make this a priority from the moment children start school. Staff deliver phonics teaching effectively. They have regular training which helps them to develop pupils’ reading well. The books that 1 and 2 November 2023

p.2

3

pupils read match the phonic sounds that they are learning. In a few instances, staff’s subject knowledge of the reading programme is developing. This means that, occasionally, some pupils are not improving their reading skills as well as they could.

p.3

3

Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. There are very clear routines in classrooms and around the school. This means there is almost no low-level disruption in lessons. Pupils develop resilience, resourcefulness and responsibility. They learn to accept failure as a key part of the learning process. Children in Reception concentrate well on their learning. They take turns and follow instructions.

p.3

3

Pupils’ attendance was affected by the pandemic. Leaders work very hard to ensure pupils attend school regularly. They talk to pupils about the importance of education regularly and have robust systems when pupils do not attend.

p.3

3

Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. They visit places of worship such as the local mosque and hear faith leaders talk in school. Pupils recently took part in a workshop about Buddhism. Older pupils take on positions of responsibility, such as student councillors, house captains and subject ambassadors. They also support other pupils as trained ‘peer mediators’.

p.3

3

Leaders at all levels work proactively to improve the school. Staff, including support staff, really enjoy working here. They feel supported with their workload and well- being. The trust has helped the school with curriculum planning, teacher training and central services. However, there has been much change recently, and some leaders are new in post. This means that many of the improvements have not been fully embedded.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, the school does not identify how to assess what pupils know and remember clearly. This limits leaders’ and teachers’ oversight of the impact of subject content on pupils’ learning. The school should continue to develop an assessment framework for foundation subjects that informs them systematically about pupils’ learning.  Leadership in some subjects is new and does not check systematically the impact of recent curriculum changes. The school should ensure that subject leaders have the required knowledge and skills to implement and embed the changes successfully in all subjects. 1 and 2 November 2023

p.3

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 1 and 2 November 2023

p.4

School details

Website www.wickhamcommonprimary- compass.org Date of previous inspection 6 February 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school is part of Compass Academy Trust.  The school uses one registered alternative provision.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.  There have been several changes in senior leadership since the previous inspection. The current headteacher was appointed in January 2023. Other members of the senior leadership team were appointed in September 2023.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 1 and 2 November 2023

p.5

6

 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 senior leaders, a selection of subject leaders, teachers and the safeguarding and attendance officers.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and art. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  Inspectors also considered the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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

p.6

6

culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector met with those responsible for governance, including the vice chair of the trust, and the chair of the local governing body, and the CEO.  The views of pupils, parents and staff were considered through discussions and looking at information collected from Ofsted’s online surveys.

p.6

Inspection team

Christian Hicks, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Teresa Neary Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 November 2023

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7