West Park Primary School

Inspection of a good school: West Park Primary School Devon Road, Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV1 4BE

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Outcome

West Park Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff are justifiably proud of how inclusive their school is. Everyone is made to feel welcome. Through the school’s ‘THRIVE’ values, pupils demonstrate genuine respect for each other and togetherness. Those who are new to the school or the country are helped to settle quickly into this caring community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are clear about the high expectations of their behaviour and meet these standards. They use their ‘fantastic walking’ to move sensibly around the school. They play well with each other at social times. From Nursery onwards, they demonstrate impressive levels of self-management. Pupils learn how to manage their emotions and use the ‘emotion flowers’ to discreetly signal when they would appreciate some support from staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In lessons, pupils are attentive and do their best. They enjoy working with each other and take pride in the work they produce. They achieve well by the time they leave Year 6.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides pupils with many cultural and personal development experiences and opportunities. These include trips to a local mosque, outdoor education residentials and performing at a national arena. Pupils are keen to support fundraising for charities chosen by the school council. Many older pupils contribute to the school community as reading, digital and sports ambassadors.

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

The school has brought about further improvements since the previous inspection. As a result, there are now many areas of strength in the school’s work.

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

Provision in the early years has been an area of focus. Because many children start with lower than typical English language levels, the school rightly prioritises the development of language and communication from the outset. The curriculum is well sequenced and based around quality stories and books. Appropriate learning activities are designed to help children apply their language and mathematical knowledge, as well as develop their 16 and 17 July 2024

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independence. Most children enjoy using their new words during these activities. However, there are some occasions when staff do not make the most of opportunities to maximise language development in their interactions with children.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs identified. Staff are provided with a user-friendly overview so they know what adaptations to make in lessons. Pupils with SEND access the same broad curriculum as their peers and achieve well.

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The school has designed its own programme for teaching children to read. Staff deliver the programme effectively, but there are moments of inconsistency in how children are supported in applying their phonics knowledge. The curriculum to support pupils’ reading comprehension as they get older is strong, but there are not always enough opportunities for pupils to develop their reading fluency in lessons. The school monitors closely any pupils who are not reading at an age-appropriate level. Interventions are used well to help close any gaps for these pupils.

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Mathematics is an area of strength. Staff deliver the curriculum consistently well. Pupils of all ages learn and achieve well. However, this high standard is not yet realised across the whole curriculum. There are small pockets of variation in how effectively staff match the learning activity to the key knowledge to be mastered, or in the pace at which pupils move on to the next step in their learning. The school is aware of these issues and is already working on refining the variation in practice.

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As the curriculum continues to strengthen, so do outcomes. Most published outcomes are at least in line with national averages. The learning demonstrated in pupils’ books and conversations reflects that they are learning the curriculum well.

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This is a school that cares deeply about its pupils. Pupils know how to manage their behaviour and emotions. As a result, behaviour is excellent. The pastoral team works very well to support pupils and their families. The school’s work to create a positive culture around attendance is exceptional. Attendance of all pupils, and specific groups, is markedly better than national averages. Pupils want to be in school. There is a strong curriculum in place to help pupils learn how to keep themselves safe and healthy. They are well prepared for the future and career aspirations are fostered.

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Parents and carers appreciate the education their children receive. One parent, representative of many, described how the school has ‘always gone above and beyond’ for their children. Staff feel valued and know the school does what it can to make their workload manageable.

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Leaders and governors know their school well. They are robust in holding themselves and each other to account. They are fully committed to ensuring that the school and its pupils continue to thrive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 16 and 17 July 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum is not always implemented to the same high standard across the school. These small pockets of variation mean some pupils are not learning in the same depth as others. The school should ensure that the good practice is shared and built on so that the quality of education is of a consistently high standard across all subjects and year groups.  The development of language is a priority in the early years. However, there are times when staff do not make the most of opportunities to extend children’s language. This means that some children do not practise using new words or extending their talk as well as they could. The school should ensure that children are enabled to develop their language and communication skills more effectively through the interactions they have with adults.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in April 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.

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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 16 and 17 July 2024

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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). 16 and 17 July 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 April 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher took up their roles in September 2022.  The school has a Nursery for children from three years old.  The school provides before- and after-school provision on site.  The school does not make use of 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.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, other school leaders, the chair and members of the governing board, and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, physical education and mathematics. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited 16 and 17 July 2024

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a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult and visited other lessons, including those in the early years.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. They considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including comments submitted via the free-text facility.

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Inspection team

Nicola Beech, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 16 and 17 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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