Watermore Primary School

Inspection of Watermore Primary School Lower Stone Close, Frampton Cotterell, South Gloucestershire BS36 2LE

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Inspection dates: 20 and 21 February 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 Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 11 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act 20 and 21 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Watermore Primary is a happy place, where pupils enjoy learning. The six ‘gem powers’ lie at the heart of everything that happens in the school. Pupils understand how they help them to be kind, respectful and resilient. Parents speak highly about the school’s welcoming ethos and the care it shows to both pupils and families.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school promotes pupils’ positive behaviour. Pupils respond well to the high expectations that are in place. They move around the school calmly and sensibly. Pupils are polite and welcoming. Children in the early years settle to new routines well. They take turns and are eager to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. They have warm relationships with one another, and with staff. Pupils appreciate the support they receive from adults to help them to manage their emotions. They know that adults listen to them and help them with any worries or concerns they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the range of activities on offer to them such as netball, sign language, singing and dance. They have many opportunities to contribute to the life of the school. They are proud to become members of the eco committee, school council or to represent the girls’ football team.

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better?

The school has high expectations for what all pupils can achieve. An ambitious curriculum has been designed well. It considers what pupils need to know and when they need to know it.

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better?

The school has established systems in place to monitor and evaluate the impact of its actions. In many areas, these are well used to further improve the quality of education that pupils receive. However, at times, the school does not use these systems as effectively as it could. For example, the gaps that exist between groups of pupils are not yet considered with enough precision. This prevents the school from fully understanding what is working well and addressing any shortcomings that may exist.

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better?

Staff benefit from the training they receive to develop their subject knowledge and expertise. This helps them to deliver the curriculum well. In mathematics, for example, teachers explain new information clearly. They probe pupils’ understanding of mathematical concepts well. As a result, younger pupils can confidently describe patterns in number. Older pupils build on what they have learned before to solve more complex problems involving algebra.

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better?

The school promotes a love of reading. Pupils enjoy reading a wide range of texts. They talk confidently about the way in which reading expands their imagination and develops their understanding of concepts such as diversity. Children in the early years learn and remember new sounds well. Pupils who fall behind quickly receive 20 and 21 February 2024

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the help they need to catch up. As they move through the school, pupils become increasingly confident and fluent readers.

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Pupils learn well in most of the wider curriculum subjects. In art for example, the school has identified the important knowledge that pupils need to learn. Younger pupils use words such as horizon and scenery when describing the features of paintings by artists such as Monet. Older pupils recall their previous knowledge on proportion when talking about sculpture. However, in some subjects, pupils’ knowledge is less secure. This is because the checks on what pupils know, before moving on to new learning, are not always effective. This makes it difficult for pupils to build their knowledge.

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The school has effective and timely systems to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff know these pupils well. The school works closely with external agencies to ensure that pupils with SEND receive the help they need. As a result, most pupils learn the same curriculum as their peers.

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Pupils talk eagerly about their favourite lessons. They behave well in the classroom and during social times. Children in the early years are kind and caring to one another. The school manages attendance effectively. It works well with parents to ensure that if attendance dips, it is addressed quickly.

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Pupil’s personal development is a strength. The school ensures that pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities which develops their understanding of the world around them. Pupils enjoy visiting different religious buildings and learning to play a musical instrument. They know why it is important to treat everyone equally and talk confidently about some fundamental values such as democracy.

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Governors are ambitious for the school. They have an accurate understanding of what the school does well and where it needs to improve. They use their expertise well to hold leaders to account.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teachers do not check well enough what pupils remember. Subsequent learning does not take into account pupils’ prior knowledge. As a result, some pupils do not build their knowledge well over time. The school needs to ensure that teachers check what pupils know and remember across all subjects and use this to inform future learning. 20 and 21 February 2024

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 In some areas, the school is still embedding systems to monitor and evaluate its actions. As a result, it is not yet clear what impact these actions are having on pupils. The school needs to ensure that all aspects of its work is evaluated effectively so that it can address any short comings and build on the strengths that already exist.

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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). 20 and 21 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 10 and 11 May 2012

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has been in post since September 2021.  The deputy headteacher has been in post since September 2023.  The school uses two unregistered alternative providers.

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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 inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, subject leaders, the inclusion manager, staff, pupils, and representatives from the governing body. The 20 and 21 February 2024

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lead inspector also held telephone discussions with a representative from the local authority and the school’s external improvement partner.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics geography and art. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, looked at samples of pupils’ work and spoke to pupils about their learning.  Inspector spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  The lead inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.

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 Additionally, the inspector spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also took into consideration the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Ben Jordan, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Shona Swan Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 February 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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