St Mary's Wavendon CofE Primary

Inspection of St Mary’s Wavendon C of E Primary Wafandun Lane, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK17 7AA

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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 Good Previous inspection grade Good 18 and 19 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish in this caring and friendly school. The school’s values are seamlessly interwoven and understood by pupils. Pupils feel happy and are kept safe. They know there is always someone to talk to if they have any worries. Pupils enjoy playtimes, where they have fun together with their friends. They appreciate the pupil playleaders, who make their breaktimes more enjoyable by organising exciting activities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in the early years make a great start to their education. They form secure friendships and thrive in the well-organised environment. Teachers present learning in informative and engaging ways, encouraging pupils’ interest and keenness to achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are respectful towards each other, and towards adults. The school has high expectations of what pupils can achieve, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils work hard and achieve well. There is an inclusive ethos, in which everyone is treated equally. Pupils are polite, courteous and behave positively. They know that you should treat people how you want to be treated.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the wide range of activities, including sporting, arts and literature events. These experiences support pupils to develop confidence, helping them to become well-rounded individuals and citizens.

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better?

The school has an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum starting from the early years. The curriculum is carefully designed to ensure that pupils’ knowledge builds on their earlier learning. In mathematics, for example, children in the early years develop a secure understanding of numbers. This supports them well for later year groups, in which pupils solve more complex calculations involving decimals. The school’s work to refine the curriculum in some subjects is ongoing. In these subjects, staff are identifying the precise knowledge pupils need to learn and remember over time.

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better?

The school has developed the writing curriculum, including responding quickly to the lower national outcomes for the end of Year 6 in 2023. Currently, pupils learn more successfully in writing than published results might suggest. The school has many pupils who join the school throughout the school year as it grows to full capacity. It supports these pupils successfully, and it identifies those who have additional needs, and gives precise support to help them catch up quickly.

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better?

Teachers check pupils’ knowledge effectively. They model learning and use their secure subject knowledge to explain new ideas clearly. Teachers select tasks carefully that support pupils to develop their skills and knowledge. Pupils experience a rich and engaging environment to explore and learn new things. 18 and 19 June 2024

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Pupils show positive attitudes to learning and show respect for one another. This enables pupils to learn well. The school identifies pupils’ additional needs swiftly. It has high expectations for pupils with SEND. Pupils receive targeted and precise support. Staff adapt their teaching and learning activities precisely so pupils with SEND can access the full curriculum successfully.

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Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. The books that younger pupils read closely match the sounds that they are learning. The teaching of phonics is consistent and ensures that pupils have many opportunities to practise and consolidate their phonics knowledge. Staff are quick to provide support if a pupil does not pronounce a sound correctly. In the early years, children are introduced to a wide variety of stories to help extend their vocabulary. This learning begins in Nursery with children identifying sounds and singing songs.

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The school promotes pupils’ wider development effectively to help them grow beyond their academic learning. Pupils learn about different types of families and healthy relationships. They are encouraged to take on leadership roles, such as becoming eco-warriors, mathematics ambassadors and school councillors. These responsibilities enable pupils to make a valued impact on the school. Pupils know how to keep healthy and active.

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Pupils behave well in class and as they move around the building. There is a strong culture of treating others as you would like to be treated. The school prioritises good attendance to ensure that pupils attend school regularly. Pupils understand what it means to be a good citizen. Pupils think about others’ needs and fundraise for national charities and the local community. The school supports pupils’ mental health and pastoral needs very well. There are many enrichment opportunities, including a range of clubs to develop pupils’ interests and talents.

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The school is dedicated to ensuring that all pupils can participate fully in school life and achieve well. Staff appreciate the training they receive to refine their practice to best support pupils. Governors have sharp oversight of the school’s work. This enables them to hold the school fully to account for the quality of education that pupils receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, some of the precise knowledge that pupils need to know is not yet fully identified. This hinders pupils’ development of understanding over time. The school should continue to develop all subjects to help pupils achieve well across the full curriculum. 18 and 19 June 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 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). 18 and 19 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.stmaryswavendon.milton- keynes.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 23 October 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school moved to a new building to accommodate significantly more pupils in September 2019.  The school is part of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford. The school’s last section 48 inspection was carried out in July 2017.  The school offers a breakfast and after-school club, led by an outside provider.  The school currently uses one unregistered alternative provider.

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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. 18 and 19 June 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, staff and pupils.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative from the local authority and the diocese.  The inspectors met with a range of pupils to discuss their views about the school and talked to pupils during playtimes and in lessons.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, music and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also looked at samples of pupils’ work across some other

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subjects.  Responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey for parents, including parents’ free-text comments, were considered. The inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff and pupils.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; evaluated safer recruitment practices; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; met with the designated safeguarding lead; 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

Darren Aisthorpe, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Ian Elkington Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 June 2024

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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