Wimborne First School and Nursery

Inspection of Wimborne First School and Nursery Campanula Way, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 4FW

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Sarah Hartley. This school is part of Hamwic Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Robert Farmer, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Gary Plummer. 2 and 3 July 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish at this school. They thrive academically and emotionally. This is due to warm and caring relationships throughout. From the youngest children in the Nursery to older pupils joining mid-year, staff quickly get to know them. This helps new arrivals to settle well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning. They work hard and take pride in their learning. Pupils enjoy saving for rewards in the ‘headteacher’s shop’. They display impeccable manners when talking to visitors. Pupils play well together in the extensive school grounds. Bullying is not an issue. Pupils say staff help to resolve their worries through the 'chatterbox' system.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has continued to strengthen its quality of education. However, it has not stopped there. It has created a high-quality offer beyond the academic. Pupils have a range of leadership roles such as play leaders and library monitors. The school council make a wider contribution to the community through their attendance at town council meetings. This helps to deepen their understanding of democracy. Older pupils develop their independence through the annual residential visit.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The overwhelming majority of parents and carers would recommend the school. They value how staff listen to their views.

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better?

The school has sensitively managed change in recent years. It has moved to a new building in a different location. The number of pupils admitted to each year group has increased and a new nursery provision has opened. The school has converted to an academy. All of this has occurred against the backdrop of the pandemic. Throughout this period, the senior leadership team, expertly led by the headteacher, has ensured that Wimborne has not lost its close-knit, family-feel. This is because they take decisions in the best interests of pupils. As a result, the school has continued to go from strength to strength.

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better?

The trust has supported the school well throughout this transition. It has provided extensive curriculum training for staff. This has helped to develop a well-sequenced, ambitious curriculum bespoke for the school. It details the specific knowledge pupils should learn. This starts in the early years. The trust checks the impact of this so that it can make further improvements when necessary. The trust and local governing body have an accurate view of the quality of education.

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better?

The high level of detail and clarity in the curriculum supports teachers to typically implement the curriculum well. As the school continues to grow, leaders ensure new staff know their expectations of how the curriculum should be taught. Pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have adaptations made as necessary. As a result, pupils learn well across the curriculum. This is reflected in the high outcomes at the end of key stage 1. Pupils also display impressive knowledge 2 and 3 July 2024

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in the wider curriculum. For example, in art and design pupils use technical vocabulary accurately when describing their finished pieces. In history, pupils can describe the impact of the Roman Empire.

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Reading is the foundation of the school’s academic success. The school has trained staff rigorously in the teaching of the phonics code. This means they implement the curriculum to the high standards that the school expects. Staff are adept at quickly spotting any gaps or misconceptions. Pupils who do fall behind, including those with SEND, catch up rapidly. This is because staff accurately address the specific gaps they have. Consequently, outcomes in the phonics screening check are well above national averages.

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In the early years and beyond, adults share stories to encourage a love of reading. The school carefully selects these books to ensure pupils encounter a rich range of material. Pupils describe how this inspires them to read more of a particular author or genre.

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However, beyond the subject of reading, systems for checking what pupils have learned need further work. In some subjects, the assessments are too restrictive for pupils to fully show what they know. On some occasions teachers do not use the assessment information well enough to plan tasks that take into account what pupils can already do. Consequently, pupils do not develop their knowledge as extensively as they are capable of.

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The school has a strong focus on pupils knowing how to keep themselves safe. For example, they learn how to keep themselves safe near water or online. The school has a rich range of trips to further enhance the curriculum. For example, pupils visit a synagogue as part of understanding different faiths. They gain an appreciation of the environment through the onsite forest school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some of the school's assessment systems need further precision. Teachers do not always use assessment information well enough to adapt the tasks they give to pupils. As a result, some teaching tasks do not build on previous learning and pupils do not deepen their knowledge as extensively as they could. The trust should support the school to ensure assessment is used precisely, gives a full picture of how well pupils are achieving and that the information from it is used to plan teaching tasks that deepen pupils’ knowledge more extensively. 2 and 3 July 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 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). 2 and 3 July 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school became part of Hamwic Education Trust in 2021.  The school moved to a new building, and site, in 2020.  The school opened a nursery provision in 2020. This admits children from two- years-old.  The school has increased its roll to three classes per year group.  The school runs its own breakfast and after-school club.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provision.

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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. 2 and 3 July 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.  Inspectors met with trust executive leaders, the headteacher and other senior leaders, groups of staff, groups of pupils, the chair of the trust and the chair of the local governing body. The lead inspector also held a telephone call with a representative from the alternative provision.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics, computing and art and design. For each deep dive, 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.  Inspectors also spoke to pupils and looked at samples of work in other curriculum areas.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central

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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 observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  An inspector spoke to parents at the start of the school day. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, as well as the staff and pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Jason Edge, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Hester Millsop Ofsted Inspector 2 and 3 July 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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