White House Farm

Inspection of White House Farm Mallard Way, Norwich NR7 8DN

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 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 Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Lisa Cannell. This school is part of Sapientia Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Jonathan Taylor, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Peter Rout. 14 and 15 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know and live out the school values to ‘be respectful, be resilient and to be reflective’. They enjoy school and are happy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They are polite, friendly and kind towards others. Incidents of bullying are rare. Pupils are confident of adult help with any problems that they may face. As a result, pupils feel safe and are ready to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop an understanding of what it means to belong in their community. They know the difference they can make by helping people in a variety of ways. For example, pupils work with local groups to grow and provide fresh produce to families in the local area.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school believes that it is every pupil’s right to have their voice heard. Leaders are making changes to ensure that all pupils have this opportunity. All pupils can share their feelings and opinions and know that the school will listen. New activities, such as an assault course, are now offered due to pupil requests. This means that pupils feel valued and develop the confidence to speak up for what they believe in. School leaders have an ambition to take this further by giving pupils a voice around global issues, such as sustainability.

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better?

Children make a flying start in early years. There is a highly effective curriculum based on a wealth of information about how children learn. Staff learn about the children before they start school. Once children start school, checks on learning take place regularly. Staff then skilfully adapt learning by considering children’s progress and their interests. This enables children to become fully immersed in their learning. The next stage in learning is also considered. For example, children create maps in their current dinosaurs topic to provide them with early place knowledge. This prepares them for the more structured map work they complete in Year 1. As a result, all children achieve exceptionally well in early years. They are fully prepared for future learning.

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better?

Reading is a priority across the school. Pupils start learning to read in a structured way as soon as they start. Pupils practise reading daily and follow the planned curriculum. All pupils read books that are matched to their stage in learning. The school checks on how well pupils are achieving regularly. If any pupils fall behind, extra support helps them to keep up. This means that pupils learn to read fluently.

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better?

The curriculum is ambitious. The school sets high expectations when identifying the knowledge that it wants pupils to learn. In the core subjects, lessons proceed in a structured way. Pupils learn the planned curriculum effectively. Learning is routinely checked, and adaptations ensure that pupils progress successfully through the curriculum. This means that pupils perform consistently well in the core subjects of learning. 14 and 15 February 2024

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An equally ambitious curriculum is in place across the foundation subjects. The knowledge and vocabulary pupils that learn are clear. Learning builds over time. While there is a structure that leaders want lessons to follow, this is not yet fully consistent across all subjects. This means that some knowledge is learned by pupils successfully, but some is not. Leaders recognise the need for greater consistency and have plans in place to focus on this.

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Pupils’ learning is not always checked in all foundation subjects. There is an inconsistent approach to checks on pupils’ achievement across different classes. This means that gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not always identified by staff. Consequently, some pupils do not learn the planned curriculum as well as they could.

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Systems to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are effective. Precise plans identify the adaptions that pupils with SEND need in order to be successful. These are set by teachers and carefully checked by leaders. As a result, pupils with SEND are well supported to access the full curriculum and achieve well alongside their peers.

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Pupils behave well. Staff manage behaviour clearly and consistently, which means that learning proceeds without disruption.

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As this is a new school, leaders have prioritised developing a close partnership with the local area. They have welcomed the community into school in various ways, for example by offering cookery classes to parents and carers. These initiatives contribute well towards pupils’ personal development. This helps to support pupils in being ready to learn.

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The trust supports and challenges the school effectively. It understands the many strengths of the school but also recognises what the school needs to do next. School staff appreciate the support and challenge offered by school and trust leaders. Staff feel valued and know that leaders consider their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There is an inconsistent approach to the way in which learning is assessed in foundation subjects. This means that pupils’ learning is not always checked consistently. As a result, some pupils develop gaps in their knowledge. The school, including the trust, should ensure that assessment systems are implemented that clearly identify the progress pupils are making through the planned curriculum in all subjects. 14 and 15 February 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). 14 and 15 February 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 June 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school opened in September 2019.  The school is growing year on year and will reach its full age range of four to 11 years in September 2025.  The school does not currently make use of any 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.  This was the first routine inspection the school had 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. 14 and 15 February 2024

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 Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, subject leaders, staff, trustees, members of the trust’s central team and the CEO of the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, geography and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also listened to pupils reading with a familiar member of staff.  The lead inspector also considered curriculum documentation and spoke to pupils about their learning in science, music and art.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: 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

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culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including behaviour logs, attendance records, pupil records, records of trust and governor meetings, school development plans and school self-evaluation documents.  The inspection team considered the views of parents through responses to Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors gathered the views of pupils and staff through Ofsted’s pupil and staff surveys, as well as in interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Jonny Wallace, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ryan Freeman Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 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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