Wirksworth CofE Infant School

Inspection of Wirksworth CofE Infant School Greenway Croft, North End, Wirksworth, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 4FG

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 14 and 15 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Wirksworth Church of England Infant School is truly at the heart of its local community. Pupils are proud of their small, rural school. They are happy, polite and kind to each other. They enjoy spending time together. Relationships between adults and pupils are nurturing and kind. Pupils know that staff will listen to them and help with any worries that they have. As a result, pupils feel very happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour. Across the school, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well. Pupils live up to the school’s high expectations for their behaviour, typically behaving well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have many opportunities to help others in school and in the local area. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school, with one comment typical of many being: ‘This is a caring school that goes above and beyond for their pupils. Pupils are always supported and are involved in lots of activities. Parents and carers are involved in these too, making it feel like a community. The teachers are all exceptional; they are kind and understanding to their pupils’ needs.’

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better?

The school has designed a broad and ambitious curriculum that enables pupils to achieve well. It has clearly defined the sequence of learning from the early years to the end of key stage 1. Staff have good subject knowledge as a result of the regular training they receive. Occasionally, some activity choices that staff make do not help some pupils to deepen their knowledge and skills. This means that, at times, the delivery of the curriculum does not ensure that all pupils learn as well as they could.

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better?

The school checks that pupils know, and remember, key knowledge over time. Staff use assessment information well to shape future learning in key stage 1.. In the early years, staff do not use assessment robustly enough. This means that staff cannot always check with precision what children know and can do.

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better?

The school identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND quickly. It works well with parents and specialist professionals to ensure that these pupils get the help and support that they need. Plans to support pupils and children in the early years are detailed and precisely match their needs as outlined in their EHC plans. Professionals provide training so staff feel well informed about the different needs of the pupils they teach. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well.

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better?

The school prioritises reading. As soon as children start in the Reception Year, they rapidly learn to read. Staff quickly spot any pupils who start to fall behind. These pupils receive the support they need to help them to keep up. As pupils move through the school, they read with increasing fluency, accuracy and expression. This includes pupils who receive additional support. 14 and 15 May 2024

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Starting from the early years, clear routines are taught so that pupils know how to behave. Pupils typically behave well. They demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and are keen to participate in lessons.

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The opportunities for wider development are exceptional. The opportunities to develop pupils’ character, and develop their talents and interests, are wide-ranging. Pupils are proud to hold positions of leadership in school. For example, they enjoy being eco-councillors and mini leaders, as well as members of the values team. These roles means that pupils make a tangible contribution to the positive and caring culture of the school. Pupils relish the ‘sense of adventure’ challenges and ‘trails and tracks activities. They raise money for charities and craft with residents in the local care home. Pupils take an active part in the town well dressing and create collaborative art works with pupils from other schools to display in the town arts festival. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of different faiths and cultures, for example they celebrate Diwali and Chinese New Year.

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This school has recently undergone a period of substantial transition, with the merger of two schools. The governing body and school leaders have kept a sharp focus on maintaining high standards of education during this time. Their keen oversight has ensured that this transition has been successful. Governors fulfil their statutory duties and take an active role in school life. Leaders are mindful of the workload challenges that staff can face working in a small school. Staff are happy and proud to work in this school. Every member of staff has an unwavering commitment to supporting pupils to thrive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, some activity choices that staff make do not help some pupils to deepen their knowledge and skills over time, particularly where the curriculum is new and embedding. This means that, at times, the delivery of the curriculum does not ensure that all pupils learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that the curriculum is implemented consistently well, to enable pupils to develop a deep understanding of the intended curriculum.  While the school has assessment systems in place to check how well children have developed their knowledge and skills in many areas of the early years framework, these are not all assessed robustly enough as a whole to see how well children are progressing. This means that staff cannot always check with precision what children know and can do, and therefore ensure interventions are in place to meet emerging needs. The school should continue to refine their

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assessment procedures to ensure that staff can reflect on what children know and thereby further improve the curriculum and its delivery.

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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 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.wirksworthcofeinfantschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8 December 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school merged with Wirksworth Infant School in September 2023.  The chair of governors took up their role in September 2023.  The school is a member of the Diocese of Derby and has a Christian character.  The school’s last section 48 inspection of Anglican and Methodist schools took place in December 2023. This is an inspection of the school’s religious character.  The school runs a breakfast club managed by the governing body.  The school does not use any 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. 14 and 15 May 2024

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 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.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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 culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading; mathematics; and science. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work where available.  To explore the wider curriculum, the lead inspector also discussed the curriculum

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in some other subjects with curriculum leaders and looked at pupils’ work.  Inspectors visited the school’s breakfast club and observed social times in the school, such as breaktime.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leader and curriculum leaders.  The lead inspector met with representatives of the governing body, including the chair and vice-chair of governors, and held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation on the school website and documentation relating to the governance of the school.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents and records linking to attendance and behaviour, and school improvement documentation.  Inspectors considered the views of pupils, parents and staff through discussions and a consideration of their responses to the online surveys, including the free- text facility in Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Anne Maingay, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah Fielding Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 May 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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