Willoughton Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Willoughton Primary School Northfield Lane, Willoughton, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire DN21 5RT

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Outcome

Willoughton Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Willoughton Primary say they enjoy coming to school. In the words of one pupil: ‘We like how it has a community feel.’ Pupils are polite and respectful to each other and to visitors. They take great pride in their school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know and understand the school’s values of ‘Courage, Excellence, Determination, Respect, Inspiration and Compassion’ (CEDRIC). They often refer to CEDRIC when explaining what they are doing, and why. By Year 6, pupils are confident and thoughtful individuals. They talk fondly of their school and the importance of being the most senior pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. Older pupils understand and value being positive role models for younger pupils. Playtimes are happy and harmonious. Pupils of all ages share the playground, showing consideration towards each other. Pupils say that they feel very safe and cared for by the adults in school. Bullying and disagreements between pupils are rare. On the very rare occasion when they do happen, pupils trust adults to sort things out quickly and for good.

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

Children entering the early years settle into routines quickly. They are eager to take part in lessons, such as phonics, where they sit attentively and are ready to learn. They have benefited from improvements in the quality of the outdoor provision since the last inspection. The school has focused a lot of its recent attention on improving early years, and this is paying off. Teachers know much better how well children are progressing and what they need to learn next.

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

Pupils attain well in phonics. Teachers and other adults are skilled at teaching early reading skills. They stick closely to the school’s chosen phonics scheme and are quick to deal with pupils’ misconceptions. Teachers help pupils who fall behind to keep up and catch up. They make sure that pupils’ reading books are well matched to their ability. 5 March 2024

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Teachers are good at checking what pupils know, and do not know, in mathematics. This helps them to plan lessons that build on pupils’ prior learning. For example, in Years 5 and 6, the teacher has spent additional time on statistics and algebra to ensure that pupils’ understanding is secure.

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In a small number of subjects, including art and design, the school is not clear about what pupils must know. In these cases, the curriculum lacks precision about the key information that pupils need to learn. This makes it harder for teachers to check if pupils have remembered what they have been taught. As a result, there are some minor gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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The school is ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders and teachers know what each pupil needs to help them thrive at the school. They work closely with external agencies to provide specialist support. Parents of pupils with SEND are positive about the school’s impact on their children’s development and progress.

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The school equips pupils well for the next stage of their education. It understands the need for pupils to experience life beyond a small rural community. Pupils are tolerant of others. They learn about people and families who are different to their own heritage. Pupils visit places of cultural and religious significance. Visitors to the school give an insight into practices and celebrations such as Chinese New Year.

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The school has high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils behave well in and out of class. They are courteous and thoughtful towards others. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They say they can get on with their work because there is virtually no low-level disruption to lessons.

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Pupils’ attendance is higher than the average. The school is tenacious in checking on pupils who are absent. This helps to make sure that pupils are kept safe. It reflects the culture of care towards pupils and their families. Parents appreciate this aspect of the school’s work. One parent, typical of many, commented: ‘The staff are always readily available to listen and good at contacting you if they have a concern.’

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Leaders and governors have a very good understanding of what the school does well and what can be improved further. The school benefits from the additional expertise it gets from being federated with another local school. It also allows leadership roles to be shared. Staff appreciate that this helps to make their workload more manageable.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 5 March 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Not all subjects are as well developed as early reading and mathematics. In some subjects, the plans are not clear enough about the precise knowledge that pupils need to learn. As a result, their knowledge of key information is not always secure. The school needs to define more precisely what pupils must know and remember, and by when. This will help teachers to more accurately assess what pupils need to learn next.

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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 September 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). 5 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 September 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There have been changes in leadership since the previous inspection.  Since November 2022, the school has been part of a hard federation with Hemswell Cliff Primary School. This means the schools share the same headteacher and governing body.  The school does not use any form of alternative provision.

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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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspectors met with the headteacher, other school leaders and school governors. Inspectors also spoke with a representative of the local authority. 5 March 2024

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 Inspectors spoke with parents at the start of the school day and considered the responses of parents to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including comments gathered through the free-text facility.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; reviewed documents; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Stephen McMullan, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jeremy Spencer Ofsted Inspector 5 March 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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