Wheatcroft Community Primary School

Inspection of Wheatcroft Community Primary School Holbeck Hill, Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO11 3BW

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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 5 and 6 December 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are part of a nurturing community at Wheatcroft School. They benefit from effective pastoral support. Staff at the school know them well. Pupils are safe and happy. They are proud to live up to the school’s motto of ‘Learn and Care’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils receive a high-quality education. They study a wide range of subjects. Pupils make good progress through the curriculum, helped by dedicated staff. Children in the early years follow an ambitious curriculum. Staff help them develop emotionally and academically. As a result, the ‘Bluebells’ are ready to make a confident start to Year 1.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn in a positive environment. The school places a strong emphasis on a culture of relationships. Careful and encouraging communication supports this. Most pupils behave well in and out of the classroom. They are polite and courteous to others. Instances of bullying and discriminatory behaviour are rare. Staff teach important values in assemblies. Pupils receive positive recognition when they show these values in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning beyond the academic curriculum. This includes joining in with sporting and musical events. Pupils also take part in learning linked to their wider community. They appreciate the opportunity for ‘Beach School’ lessons. This enriches their learning within the school’s seaside location.

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better?

The school has made improvements to the quality of education. The curriculum is broad and balanced. Leaders are ambitious for what pupils can achieve. Children in the early years benefit from planned milestones. This makes the important early stages of learning clear. For example, writing development is thoroughly mapped out. This helps children build strong foundations for future learning. Older pupils also enjoy subjects that have the essential knowledge and vocabulary clearly defined. However, checks on pupils’ understanding of the curriculum are not fully developed. These checks are not precise enough. Leaders do not have a clear understanding of the curriculum’s effectiveness. Some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not have subject-specific targets that are well matched to their needs.

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better?

Children in the early years begin their reading journey straight away. They enjoy their daily phonics sessions. Pupils build on these as they move through Year 1 and Year 2. They read suitable books with increasing fluency. Any pupils who fall behind catch up quickly. They receive support from well-trained staff. The school helps parents to understand how they can support reading at home. Parents value this input. Older pupils sustain a love of reading. They enjoy reading a variety of fiction and non-fiction books. They also enjoy listening to adults read stories to them. Pupils in Year 6 help to run the library for their peers. 5 and 6 December 2023

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The school has high expectations for pupils’ punctuality and attendance. Most pupils attend well. However, rates of persistent absence are too high. Thoughtful and determined action from the school is beginning to have a positive impact for these pupils.

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The school has implemented a behaviour and relationships policy. This puts positive language at the centre of leaders’ expectations. Pupils and staff have a clear understanding of the policy. They feel that it is fair. Staff swiftly address low-level disruption in the classroom. For the small number of pupils who continue to dysregulate, leaders take appropriate action. Pupils are positive about the school’s ‘reflection’ space. They value the chance to reflect on their choices with a trusted adult. The school gathers information about behaviour incidents. However, it does not use this information well to test the impact of its actions.

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The school teaches pupils how to be healthy and happy. Children in the early years talk confidently during lunchtime about making healthy eating choices. Older pupils enjoy taught sessions focusing on mental health. They learn about the importance of sleep. They also learn about the impact that diet has on their well-being. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships and risk-taking behaviour. They are clear about how to keep themselves safe.

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Leaders are relentless in driving the quality of education further forward. Governors know the school well. They use their broad knowledge and experience to help the school improve. Staff are proud to work at the school. They value the way leaders listen to them and consider their workload. Parents are highly complimentary about the school. They recognise that the caring environment helps their child to thrive. The school does not review the impact of its work precisely enough. However, leaders have a sound understanding of the improvements they need to make.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Monitoring and evaluation strategies are not precise enough, including for pupils with SEND. The school does not clearly understand the impact of its work in some areas. Leaders should continue to sharpen systems to support school improvement.  Assessment is not fully developed across the curriculum. The school does not have a precise understanding of the impact of the curriculum. Leaders should intensify actions to ensure assessment is closely matched to the aims of the curriculum and informs future teaching. 5 and 6 December 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). 5 and 6 December 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18 July 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up post in September 2022.  The school does not use providers of alternative provision for its pupils.

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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.

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Information about this inspection

 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 headteacher and other senior leaders over the course of the inspection. The lead inspector also met a representative from the local authority. 5 and 6 December 2023

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 The lead inspector held a meeting with the chair of the governing body and three governing body members. They reviewed documentation relating to governance, including minutes from governing body meetings.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, physical education and music. 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.  The lead inspector discussed provision in the wider curriculum, including history and design and technology.  An inspector met with the special educational needs coordinator and considered the support given to pupils with SEND during lesson visits.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and

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considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors met with leaders responsible for personal development.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils formally throughout the inspection and spoke with them informally at social times and in lessons.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents, including the school’s self- evaluation and the school’s improvement plans.  Inspectors considered the views of pupils, parents and staff gathered through Ofsted’s questionnaires, including Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also spoke to parents during pupils’ arrival to and departure from school.

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Inspection team

Hannah Millett, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Darren Marks Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 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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