William Levick Primary School

Inspection of a good school: William Levick Primary School Smithy Croft, Dronfield Woodhouse, Dronfield, Derbyshire S18 8YB

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Outcome

William Levick Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, staff, and parents and carers all play their part in ‘Team Levick’. Parents praise how well staff care for and nurture their children. As one parent typically explained, ‘My child is always happy and excited to go to school and cannot wait to find out what they are learning next.’ Another parent simply said, ‘My little girl would go to school at the weekend if she could.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils try to uphold the school’s ‘five star’ values. They know that they are expected to work hard and do their best. They are keen to engage and eager to learn. Pupils appreciate that, while they may not be able to do something ‘yet’, if they keep trying, they will be successful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils respond positively to the school’s behaviour expectations. They conduct themselves well and feel safe. They use their manners routinely and speak respectfully to others. Pupils love getting rewards for behaving well and doing the right thing. They readily celebrate the achievements of others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils play together happily and enjoy each other’s company. The oldest pupils buddy up with the youngest ones to look after them. Staff make sure that every pupil feels supported, included and accepted.

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

There has been a strong focus on improving the curriculum since the previous inspection. The school has carefully mapped out the important knowledge and skills that pupils need to know in each subject so that they build on what has gone before. Subject-specific vocabulary has been clearly identified. Opportunities to enrich the curriculum have been highlighted. These changes mean that the curriculum in each subject is suitably ambitious and thoroughly planned, starting in the early years. 26 and 27 June 2024

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Teachers use their strong subject knowledge to present new information to pupils clearly. They ask questions that encourage pupils to think more deeply about their answers and explore alternatives. Pupils are keen to discuss their ideas with their peers to help them clarify their understanding. Teachers anticipate pupils’ misconceptions so that they can correct any errors. In some subjects, teachers often check that pupils have secured the intended knowledge. However, these checks are not as rigorous in subjects in the wider curriculum.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from close support. Teachers often adapt activities for these pupils so that they can complete the same work as their peers. They track the progress that these pupils make against suitable targets to ensure that these pupils’ needs are being met.

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The school has done a lot of work to improve the early reading curriculum. Staff have had suitable training to deliver the new phonics programme. Daily sessions help pupils learn new letters and sounds, as well as revisiting ones they know already. Teachers often check pupils’ phonic knowledge and identify any gaps that need to be filled. Any pupils who fall behind get the help they need to catch up.

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Reading is prioritised and commonplace around school. Pupils enjoy listening when teachers read stories aloud and like to anticipate what might happen next in the story. The books staff choose to read often introduce pupils to different contexts and cultures. Pupils enjoy reading books they have chosen, often at playtime. They know why reading matters.

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The early years provision offers children a rich learning environment. There are plenty of opportunities for them to practise their literacy and numeracy skills. They love learning about the world about them, for example by building a runner bean den. They cooperate effectively, share and take turns. Adults celebrate children’s successes and encourage them to learn more. Children in the early years are well cared for and safe.

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Most pupils get on well together and enjoy each other’s company. When pupils occasionally struggle to meet the school’s behaviour expectations, they are given suitable support. Most pupils attend school often. When this is not the case, staff work hard to remove any barriers that may prevent a pupil from coming to school.

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There are plenty of opportunities for pupils to get involved in wider curriculum activities. Pupils enjoy visiting local sites of interest and learning about different jobs. They value taking on leadership roles, for example organising charity events as a member of the school council. Pupils learn how to look after their mental health and well-being, and how to stay safe. However, their knowledge of different faiths and cultures, and of important British values, is quite limited.

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Staff enjoy working at this school because they feel very well supported and valued. Recent changes to the curriculum have had a positive impact on their workload. 26 and 27 June 2024

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Leaders are proud of the school’s strong links with parents and the local community. Governors know the school very well and provide leaders with valuable guidance and support. Help from the local authority has had a positive impact on the curriculum.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculums in the foundation subjects are well planned. However, teachers do not check carefully enough that pupils’ knowledge and skills in these subjects are secure. Pupils cannot always recall what they have learned in these subjects. The school needs to ensure that there is a consistent approach to checking what pupils can remember in the foundation subjects.  Teachers do not always make it clear to pupils when they are learning about different faiths and cultures, or about what it means to live in modern Britain. Pupils confuse what they know about different religions. They cannot easily explain values such as democracy or tolerance. The school should make sure that pupils gain a rich understanding of different faiths and cultures, and of British values and why they matter.

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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 May 2016.

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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. 26 and 27 June 2024

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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). 26 and 27 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body John Higginbottom

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 9 and 10 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school’s two assistant headteachers were promoted to their positions in September 2023.  The school has a before- and an after-school club that are managed by an external organisation.  The school does not use 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 met with the headteacher and the assistant headteachers.  The inspector met with five members of the governing body, including the chair and the vice-chair. 26 and 27 June 2024

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 The inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, and design and technology. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with leaders, spoke with teachers and pupils, looked at samples of pupils’ work and visited lessons. She heard some pupils read to a familiar adult. The inspector also considered the curriculums in a wider range of subjects.  The inspector met with pupils from different year groups. She spoke with pupils informally and observed the behaviour of pupils during social times.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff, parents and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation

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and improvement plan, information about governance. The inspector also considered information about pupils’ attendance and behaviour, as well as the wider curriculum.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, and the results of Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Rachel Tordoff, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 26 and 27 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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