St Werburgh's CE (A) Primary School

Inspection of St Werburgh’s CE Primary School Holt Lane, Kingsley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST10 2BA

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 November 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 lead teacher of the school is Natalie Ainsworth. This school is part of The Moorlands Primary 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, Jared Eccles, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Nicholas Chesters.

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Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected St Werburgh’s CofE Primary School as an academy under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 as, until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection of the predecessor school. 21 and 22 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at St Werburgh’s thoroughly enjoy school and learning. They can all recite the school’s motto of ‘love to learn, love God, love one another’. They believe it is important and say love is the ‘beating heart’ of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff want the very best for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Relationships are strong across the whole school community. Parents are extremely supportive of the school. One parent’s comment was typical of many when they said, ‘this is a happy and welcoming school where parents are treated as part of the family’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get on well with one another. They know the school rules and think they are fair. They have confidence that adults and the pupil ‘well-being champions’ will help them if they have any problems including with friendships.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a variety of experiences for pupils to develop their talents and interests. This is particularly the case with regard to sports and the creative arts. Pupils are particularly proud to become school, eco and sports councillors or head boy and head girl. Pupils work hard to earn these responsibilities.

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better?

Pupils follow an ambitious curriculum. This begins in Reception and prepares children well for key stage 1. Pupils enjoy their learning and study a broad range of subjects. Leaders plan visits to local areas of interest to support and enhance the curriculum.

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better?

The school has identified the important knowledge that pupils need to learn. The curriculum is then organised in a way that supports pupils to build their understanding over time. Staff regularly revisit topics and plan activities to help pupils remember previous learning. This helps pupils to build well on what they know already. Subject leaders know their subjects well. They have carried out a range of activities to check on the quality of their curriculum. However, in some subjects, subject leaders have not had a chance to act on what they have found as part of these checks improve pupils’ learning further.

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better?

Children in the early years learn well. Adults model how to speak in full sentences. This contributes positively to children’s language development and their ability to share their ideas. Children are prepared well for their next steps in key stage 1.

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better?

The school gives reading a high priority. Children in Reception get off to a strong start, learning phonics quickly. This continues into key stage 1. Those pupils in key stage 2 who still need support in learning phonics receive it. Staff’s subject knowledge is strong and secure. Staff use assessment well to swiftly spot and offer extra help to pupils who are not keeping up. Staff accurately match pupils’ reading books to their phonics knowledge. This helps pupils to read with increasing fluency 21 and 22 November 2023

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and accuracy. The school’s librarians and reading champions help to promote a love of reading across the school.

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Pupils with SEND are fully included in school life. Their needs are identified early. The school works closely with parents and outside agencies to make sure they receive extra support. Staff receive useful training and additional advice when needed. However, on occasion pupils with SEND do not receive the exact support they need in lessons. This means that they do not always learn as well as they could.

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The school works hard to make sure that all pupils attend school. It works closely with families to make sure those pupils who need to improve their attendance do. In lessons, pupils focus on their learning and work hard because they want to learn. The atmosphere in classrooms is calm. Pupils get on well together. Playtime behaviour is equally harmonious.

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Pupils show respect for one another. They understand their own uniqueness and difference compared to others. They discuss issues involving fundamental British values. For example, they can talk knowledgably about the slave trade and how this affected individual liberty. In considering this, they understand that racism is still an issue in today’s society.

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Trustees have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. They provide appropriate support and challenge to school leaders. Staff value 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 evaluation and monitoring of some subjects are still at an early stage of development. Subject leaders have carried out checks on their subjects but have not had a chance to act on what they have found in order to further improve pupils’ learning. The school should ensure that subject leaders receive the support needed to carry out their roles effectively and bring about improvement in these subjects.  Sometimes learning is not always adapted well enough for pupils with SEND in lessons. Consequently, these pupils do not always learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that support for pupils with SEND is closely matched to their needs to help them to learn consistently well in lessons. 21 and 22 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). 21 and 22 November 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative providers.  The school is within the Diocese of Lichfield. Its most recent section 48 inspection took place in June 2017. Section 48 inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They restarted in September 2021. The next section 48 inspection will be within eight years of the most recent one.  The school is part of The Moorlands Primary Federation, which consists of seven schools.

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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.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 21 and 22 November 2023

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 During the inspection, the lead inspector held meetings with the senior teacher and executive principal. He also met three members of the board of trustees, including the chair of the trust.  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 carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, music and languages. They met with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils and viewed examples of pupils’ work. An inspector also spoke to the subject leaders for art and design, computing and physical education.  An inspector observed children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 read to a trusted adult.  The inspectors spoke with members of staff about their workload and well-being.

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 The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school.  The inspectors considered the responses, including the free-text comments, to Ofsted Parent View. They also considered the responses to the staff and pupil surveys. An inspector spoke to parents at the end of the school day.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation provided by the school. This included the school’s improvement priorities, school policies, curriculum documents, SEND records, behaviour records, attendance records and minutes of meetings held by the trust board.

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Inspection team

Barry Yeardsley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Joanne Harrison Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 November 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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