Walpole Cross Keys Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Walpole Cross Keys Primary School 28 Sutton Road, Walpole Cross Keys, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE34 4HD

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Outcome

Walpole Cross Keys Primary School continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The executive headteacher of this school is Joanne Borley. This school is part of West Norfolk Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Andrew Johnson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Roger Livesey.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Walpole Cross Keys is a small, friendly school which serves the local community well. There is a strong sense of camaraderie and pupils benefit from being part of this close- knit environment. Older pupils and their younger peers learn well together. They demonstrate high levels of respect for each other and towards the adults.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From Reception, pupils demonstrate positive attitudes towards their learning. If they find something tricky, they use the strategies that adults have taught them to overcome any challenges. Adults ensure that pupils are given appropriate opportunities to excel in their learning. Pupils are proud when they do well. They listen attentively while adults explain things to them. Strong learning routines are well established across all classes, and low- level disruption is uncommon. On the rare occasion that a pupil struggles to manage their emotions, adults are skilled at providing prompt support. This quickly helps them settle back to their work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils really enjoy the wide range of different clubs that they attend to keep fit and healthy, or to develop their interests. The offer regularly changes so pupils can try many interesting new activities. Football and table tennis are popular, as well as band club and choir.

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

The school’s curriculum is expertly designed to meet the needs of all pupils. Leaders have precise plans in place that support pupils in mixed-age classes to develop their skills and knowledge. Staff receive high-quality training that enables them to deliver the curriculum 5 June 2024

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well. Collaboration with trust staff allows adults to share their expertise and ensure that pupils are well supported to achieve highly.

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Teachers deliver new information clearly. They plan lessons carefully and give pupils the skills and opportunities they need to complete ambitious work. Teachers are experts at using a wide range of methods to check if pupils have understood their learning. They question pupils to see what they know, or to help them develop their understanding. Teachers are well trained in providing pupils with prompt guidance while they are completing tasks. This immediate feedback from teachers helps to ensure that pupils do not develop misconceptions. Teachers allow pupils enough time to tackle difficult work independently, while helping them along the way. Pupils really appreciate the support they receive. It builds their confidence, and they achieve well.

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Staff are confident in delivering the phonics programme effectively. They give pupils the right support to become fluent readers. Pupils enjoy learning new words. They regularly read with adults and swiftly become confident readers. If anyone falls behind, teachers quickly intervene and support them to keep up.

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Although readers in the early stages of learning to read are positive about reading, this is not always the case for pupils who have completed the phonics programme. The wider reading curriculum is not always well matched to what pupils enjoy reading. Many pupils lack enthusiasm and do not demonstrate a love of reading as the books they are given do not interest them.

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The school and trust work closely together to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). An increasing number of pupils with SEND have joined the school. Staff are well trained and confident in adapting work, if necessary, to meet these pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils with SEND achieve well from their starting points.

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Children in Reception benefit from a high-quality curriculum. They are very happy in school. The indoor and outdoor environment is very well designed to engage children and support their development. Adults are skilled in providing interesting and varied activities to meet children’s different needs. Children develop important social skills and learn well together.

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Adults have high expectations for how pupils should behave. Pupils consistently meet these standards. They enjoy learning and push themselves to achieve highly. When needed, the school provides effective support to families to ensure that pupils attend school regularly.

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Pupils benefit from a well-planned personal development programme that prepares them well for the future. It includes regular visits, and visitors, that deepen pupils’ knowledge about important topics such as different religions. Recent trips include a visit to the Houses of Parliament. Pupils can develop their leadership skills by joining the junior leadership team or by becoming anti-bullying ambassadors. Pupils learn about being safe, tolerance and respect. 5 June 2024

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Leaders, including trust staff, have a secure oversight of the school. They know the strengths and areas for further development. They take effective action to ensure that all pupils benefit from a high-quality education. Staff are very happy and are well supported by leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s reading curriculum, for pupils who have moved beyond the phonics programme, is not well designed to promote a love of reading. Many pupils are not engaged by the books they read in school. They do not find them relevant or interesting. The school needs to review the reading curriculum to ensure it supports all pupils to develop their enjoyment of reading.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2019.

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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. 5 June 2024

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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 June 2024

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School details

Headteacher Joanne Borley (executive headteacher)

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School details

Website www.walpolecrosskeysprimary.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 March 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any 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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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 5 June 2024

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extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector met with the chief executive officer (CEO), governors and trustees and reviewed documentation relating to governance and school improvement.  The lead inspector scrutinised documentation relating to quality assurance.  Inspectors reviewed attendance records and observed pupils’ behaviour around the site.  The lead inspector scrutinised documentation and met with leaders to discuss the school’s approach to pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors met with the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCo) and reviewed documentation relating to pupils with SEND.  The lead inspector reviewed responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. There were fewer than 10 responses to the parent survey, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Bessie Owen, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ryan Freeman Ofsted Inspector 5 June 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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