Princecroft Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Princecroft Primary School Princecroft Lane, Warminster, Wiltshire BA12 8NT

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 December 2023

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Outcome

Princecroft Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish at Princecroft Primary School. The school’s values of ‘achieve, respect and believe’ are at the heart of everything the school does. Pupils are proud of their school and report that ‘everyone is happy here at Princecroft’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils are polite and well mannered. They hold doors open for visitors and show high levels of respect for one another. Pupils understand the school rules and follow them well. They listen carefully and are eager to learn. There is a calm and purposeful environment in classrooms and around the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. Relationships are strong between adults and pupils. This means that pupils trust adults if they have a problem. The school’s ‘family lunch’ each day is an example of how these relationships are enhanced. The school community comes together to sing, eat and socialise. Older pupils support younger pupils by serving lunch and leading table conversations. They enjoy taking on this leadership opportunity and state, ‘In this school, we help each other out.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the wide range of extra-curricular experiences that the school provides. The school’s ‘11 by 11’ programme enhances its curriculum offer. Pupils develop a curiosity about the world around them.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has designed a broad and ambitious curriculum. Staff have the expertise to implement the curriculum well. The school is ambitious for every pupil. It has considered the local context when deciding on the content of the curriculum. For example, in history, pupils visit Stonehenge to learn about how life in the Stone Age was different to today. Trips and visitors enrich learning. Consequently, pupils build a strong cultural capital that expands their understanding of the world they live in. 13 and 14 December 2023

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Assessment is used to identify any gaps in pupils’ knowledge. For example, in phonics and mathematics lessons, ‘in the moment’ checks are used to spot misconceptions, which are subsequently addressed. This helps pupils to build their knowledge well. Pupils recognise the importance of recapping on their prior learning. They say, ‘We learn things again and again, and then build on this.’ However, in some foundation subjects, assessment is not always used with enough precision to check what all pupils know and remember. As a result, some pupils develop gaps in their knowledge. This makes it harder for them to build on what they already know.

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The school prioritises pupils learning to read. In Nursery, children are introduced to nursery rhymes and stories. Children in the early years start to read as soon as they start school. They learn early sounds well. The books they read match the sounds they have learned. All staff benefit from the training they receive to teach phonics well. They use assessment effectively to check pupils’ phonics progress. If pupils fall behind, they receive the support they need to help them to catch up quickly. The school ensures that pupils develop an understanding of diversity and world issues through careful selection of texts to read. Pupils develop their fluency and reading skills as they move through the school.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. Staff know pupils’ needs accurately. Learning is adapted to meet the needs of all pupils. This means that pupils with SEND are supported well to learn and progress through the curriculum as well as their peers.

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Pupils are passionate about respecting and celebrating others. They state, ‘We respect people’s beliefs as long as everyone is happy.’ The school is inclusive and promotes diversity. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in the community, including when online. There are many enrichment opportunities for pupils beyond the academic curriculum. Pupils value these opportunities, which help them to understand the world and themselves.

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Leadership opportunities for pupils are meaningful. An example of this is the development of the eco-council. This was established by pupils who have a passion for protecting the environment. Pupils raise money to make the school more environmentally friendly. The eco-council consults with pupils on how best to spend this money, for example on new compost bins. The school has a strong pastoral offer to support pupils’ physical and mental health.

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The school values the importance of developing staff expertise. This ensures the curriculum is implemented well. Staff appreciate the training they receive, and they feel well supported by leaders and governors. Morale is very high.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 13 and 14 December 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, assessment is not used effectively to check whether pupils learn and remember the curriculum as intended. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and cannot recall their prior learning well. This makes it harder for these pupils to secure and deepen their knowledge. The school needs to ensure that assessment is used to check what pupils know and remember in order to identify and rectify any gaps in pupils’ learning.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2018.

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How can I feed back my views?

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). 13 and 14 December 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 28 February and 1 March 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school currently uses one registered alternative provider.  The school has provision for two-, three- and four-year-olds in its nursery.

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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 inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, curriculum leader and special educational needs coordinator for the school. The lead inspector also met other school leaders and with a range of teaching and support staff.  The lead inspector met with representatives of the governing board.  The lead inspector held a phone conversation with a representative from the local authority. 13 and 14 December 2023

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 The lead inspector held a phone conversation with the alternative provider.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the lead inspector: 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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector 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.  The lead inspector listened to pupils in Year 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult.  The lead inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  The lead inspector gathered parents’ views by considering the responses to Ofsted’s

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online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and by talking to parents before and after school. The inspector also evaluated responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Matt Fletcher, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 13 and 14 December 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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