Wadsworth Fields Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Wadsworth Fields Primary School Wadsworth Road, Stapleford, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG9 8BD

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Inspection dates: 20 and 21 February 2024

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Outcome

Wadsworth Fields Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Wadsworth are warm, welcoming and polite. They greet everyone with a genuine smile. Pupils are inquisitive and have a strong sense of moral purpose. They have a clear understanding of right and wrong and a compassionate understanding of the challenges that some pupils face. Consequently, pupils are tolerant and respectful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils to achieve well, including those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It has a clear understanding of its strengths and what needs to improve. At the forefront of improvement, and guiding the school’s work, are its values: be kind, be respectful, be aspirational, be confident and be resilient. Pupils understand the importance of these values and do their best to live them out. They know that if they work hard, they create the best chance for themselves in the future. Pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of the responsibilities they hold in school. The school parliament makes a contribution to improve experiences for all pupils. Pupils hold the anti-bullying ambassadors in high regard. Pupils know these ambassadors will help them with friendships and any disagreements that occasionally may occur. Pupils say bullying is rare and always dealt with. Pupils behave well.

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

Learning to read is a priority at Wadsworth. There is a rigorous approach to teaching pupils to read. Skilled staff correct any mispronunciations and misconceptions. Staff move quickly to support pupils should they need help to learn to read. Regular practice enables pupils to catch up should they fall behind. Beyond the teaching of phonics, there is structure to helping pupils understand texts, explore the author’s meaning and learn new vocabulary. Challenging texts further expose pupils to a wide range of vocabulary.

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

Leaders ensure that promoting a love of books is prominent throughout the school. Texts are carefully chosen to link with curriculum subjects and topics. The ‘recommended reads’ 20 and 21 February 2024

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list guides pupils to a broad range of books. These cover a wide range of topics, including race, gender and equality. The texts are ambitious for pupils to read. The library is a calm yet stimulating place. Pupils enjoy their time there. The rewards for reading regularly are eagerly sought. Pupils say they enjoy reading.

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In all other curriculum subjects the school identifies the precise knowledge pupils need to know and remember. This knowledge links together as pupils move up the school. This helps them to remember what they have been taught previously. However, in a few subjects, these plans are not yet being fully implemented in the way the school would like. This means that some pupils cannot recall all they have learned. Where there are strong links with prior learning, pupils’ recall of their knowledge is strong. For example, in mathematics, pupils recognise how learning about place value earlier on in school supports an understanding of decimals. Teachers make clear adaptations to lessons and activities to support pupils with SEND. However, in a few subjects, not all lessons are as ambitious as they can be for all pupils. Not all pupils achieve as well as they could, particularly those who previously attained highly. However, pupils’ attitudes to their

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Children settle well into the early years foundation stage (EYFS). Staff establish regular routines and have high expectations for children’s behaviour. Well-planned and ambitious activities enable children to concentrate for sustained periods of time. Children work well together. They support each other to solve problems and understand the importance of teamwork. Adults model language well. They encourage pupils to use the vocabulary they have learned. For instance, one child talked enthusiastically about a chicken being the same as a hen and that they had red combs on their heads.

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The school supports pupils with SEND well. Their needs are swiftly identified. Individual plans provide the details needed to ensure these pupils receive appropriate support in lessons. Pupils with SEND talk positively about their experiences in school. These pupils achieve well.

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There is a calm yet purposeful feel around the school. Pupils’ attitudes to their learning are positive. They are respectful to one another and play well together on the playground. Pupils enjoy coming to school and attend regularly.

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Pupils enjoy the range of clubs and activities available to them. This helps them to experience new sports, such as frisbee, and play a range of musical instruments. Pupils in Year 5 and 6 look forward to their careers day. Visitors come and talk about their careers, such as personal trainers, neuroscientists, marketing managers and website designers. Pupils say this helps them think about what they want to do in the future.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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 Recently, there have been changes in the curriculum documentation for a few subjects to provide greater clarity regarding the knowledge pupils need to know and remember. However, in a few subjects, these plans are not yet being fully implemented in the way the school would like. This means that some pupils cannot recall all they have learned. The school should make sure it checks on the impact of the recent changes to the curriculum and make any necessary amendments so that all pupils remember what they have learned.  In a few subjects, not all lessons are as ambitious as they could be for all pupils. Not all pupils achieve as well as they could, particularly those who have previously attained highly. The school should make sure that all pupils achieve as well as they could to enable more pupils to achieve at greater depth.

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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 February 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). 20 and 21 February 2024

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Judith Hart and Liz Sanders, (co-chairs)

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School details

Website www.wadsworthfieldsprimaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 February 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative providers.

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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.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator.  The inspector carried out deep dives in three subjects: reading, mathematics and geography. To do this, they met with curriculum leaders, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work, listened to pupils read and met with teachers and pupils. They also looked at curriculum documentation for modern foreign languages, science and personal, social, health and economic education. 20 and 21 February 2024

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 The inspector met with two members of the governing body, including one of the co- chairs.  The lead inspector met with a local authority representative.  The inspector took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. The inspector spoke informally to parents at the beginning and end of the school day.  The inspector considered records of attendance, behaviour and safeguarding, including the school’s single central record. The inspector met with leaders to discuss the safeguarding of pupils and to take into account the views of staff and pupils. The inspector considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector considered pupils’ behaviour at various times of day, including in lessons, around the school site and at lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Mark Anderson, lead inspector His Majesty’s 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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