Willand School

Inspection of Willand School Gables Road, Willand, Cullompton, Devon EX15 2QL

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Inspection dates: 23 and 24 January 2024

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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 Requires improvement 23 and 24 January 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Willand school is inclusive and welcoming. It provides a safe and happy environment for pupils. Pupils, including those in Reception Year, talk positively and confidently about the school and their learning. Many pupils say that one of the best things about the school is the supportive and kind staff. Pupils know that if they have a worry there are adults that they can talk to.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are high expectations for behaviour. Most pupils know and understand the expectations. In the early years, children quickly learn the rules and routines. They develop increasing independence through their learning and play. Pupils recognise how the school rules, ‘be respectful, be safe and be ready’, help them to know how to behave.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a strong sense of community at the school. Parents and carers appreciate the dedication and care their children receive from school staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are a range of leadership opportunities for pupils. These include librarians, sports leaders, school council and eco-council. These opportunities help pupils to learn about responsibility and to be active citizens in the school. Pupils enjoy a range of trips and visits, such as the Year 6 residential trip. These experiences beyond the classroom help to extend and enrich pupils’ learning.

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better?

The school is ambitious and committed to providing a high-quality education for all pupils. The school has considered the essential knowledge it wants pupils to know and remember. In many subjects, such as mathematics and science, the curriculum provides opportunities to revisit prior learning. This helps pupils to build on what they already know and have learned. Consequently, in these subjects, pupils’ knowledge and understanding is secure.

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better?

Since the last inspection, there has been a strong focus on reading. Pupils enjoy reading. Older pupils talk confidently about books that they have read and enjoyed. They recommend books and authors to their peers. There is a structured reading curriculum that starts in the early years. Staff are well trained to teach the phonics curriculum. As a result, pupils are quick to apply the strategies they have learned to help them when reading. However, sometimes misconceptions are not addressed quickly and when this occurs, some pupils do not catch up swiftly enough. Pupils read books that match the sounds that they know and have learned. This helps them to read with increasing fluency and confidence.

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better?

In a few subjects, the school is still reviewing the curriculum and how it assesses pupils’ learning. In these subjects, curriculum content is not yet precise. As a result, sometimes teaching does not check with precision what pupils know and remember. This means that pupils’ misconceptions are not always addressed in a timely way. 23 and 24 January 2024

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The school has developed a new writing curriculum to support the quality of pupils’ written work. This is not yet embedded. Consequently, expectations for the quality of written work and handwriting are inconsistent across year groups. Nonetheless, key stage 2 pupils are enjoying the recent introduction of writing in pen.

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There are robust processes in place to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Support plans for individual pupils are clear and identify the steps in learning that pupils need to take. However, these are not always reflected well in provision in class. When this occurs, learning is not adapted sufficiently well and as a result, some pupils with SEND have gaps in their learning.

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Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. Interruptions to learning are rare. However, a small minority of pupils do not behave well. Staff provide appropriate guidance to pupils who need additional support to behave well.

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The school’s values of tolerance, equality, respect, resilience and trust thread through the school and help build pupils’ moral and social development. The school has a strong focus on equality and anti-discrimination. Pupils understand differences and the importance of treating one another fairly. Pupils learn about the difference between right and wrong.

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The school offers a range of clubs. However, some pupils and parents would like there to be more clubs available.

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Staff are very positive about the school. Teachers, including those in the early stages of their careers, value the support they receive from leaders. Staff appreciate the thought and consideration of their workloads and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not checked that some areas of the curriculum are implemented as planned. As a result, in some subjects, the curriculum does not have the intended impact. For example, assessment is not used effectively. This means that pupils’ understanding is less secure. The school must strengthen subject leadership to better support staff, including in the use of assessment, so that pupils know more and remember more in the longer term.  In some subjects, teaching does not make effective use of information about pupils with SEND. As a result, some pupils with SEND do not develop their knowledge well enough across all subjects. The school must ensure that the information about pupils with SEND is used consistently well to ensure that the curriculum meets the needs of all pupils. 23 and 24 January 2024

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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). 23 and 24 January 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 November 2021

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up the position in January 2024.  The school uses no 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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. They held meetings with the special educational needs coordinator, curriculum leaders, staff and governors, including the chair of the governing body.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative from the local authority. 23 and 24 January 2024

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography 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. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in writing, science and art.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the view 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.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey. They also spoke with parents at the start of the school day. Inspectors considered the responses to the staff survey.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.

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Additionally, the inspectors spoke to pupils to discuss their views of the school.

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Inspection team

Nicky McMahon, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jo Hicks Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 January 2024

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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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