Wyvern School

Inspection of a good school: Wyvern School Aylesbury Street, Wolverton, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK12 5HU

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Outcome

Wyvern School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Wyvern School’s ‘three rings’ values are at the core of every aspect of school life. These values are well known by pupils, and they proudly show them as they learn together and strive for success. The school has high standards for how pupils will behave and work. Pupils keenly focus on meeting the high expectations that adults have of what everyone can learn and achieve. Consequently, pupils are motivated and happy learners. They behave with high levels of respect for others and feel safe and well supported.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The environment during break and lunchtimes is delightful. Staff integrate with pupils well and build positive and trusting relationships with them. The playground is well resourced with a range of equipment and a reading corner. Pupils share and play together extremely well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the excellent enrichment opportunities provided. Lunchtime clubs are inclusive for all pupils and well attended. Clubs such as science, mindfulness, drawing and dodgeball match the range of interests that pupils have. Pupils learn to be positive members of the wider community. They go on walks to learn about their local area as well as learning how to behave well when in the community. Leadership opportunities as school councillors or library and register monitors help pupils learn how to be responsible.

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

The curriculum is highly ambitious and well sequenced. The school has identified precisely what they want pupils to learn to help pupils confidently build their knowledge from Nursery to the end of Year 2. In early years, leaders and staff have also carefully considered what children need to know and do. Consequently, in Nursery and Reception, children build secure foundation knowledge in mathematics and phonics and are ready for learning in Year 1.

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

Staff know the subjects that they teach well. They are provided with expertly designed lesson activities and resources. The design of lessons helps pupils remember prior 25 and 26 June 2024

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learning and build on it successfully. The school continues to embed the changes it has made to the curriculum. As a result of this, while most teaching is effective, in some lessons it does not help pupils to learn as much as they could.

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Assessment is used well by staff to spot when pupils are falling behind in the development of their reading knowledge and skills. In phonics, staff check pupils’ knowledge daily. When they spot that a pupil needs additional support, help is quickly given. This means that pupils are learning to read well. However, while teachers check what pupils know and can do across the rest of the curriculum, this assessment is not always as precise. As a result, any gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not always carefully identified and then resolved to ensure pupils build their understanding.

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This is an inclusive school. Staff understand the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and support them well. All pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, achieve well in the school. This is clear to see in the school’s highly positive published outcomes.

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The school has prioritised ensuring pupils attend well. Effective action to tackle absence has resulted in notable improvements in whole school attendance. However, persistent absence of some of the most vulnerable pupils remains high. The school is refining strategies to further improve attendance for these pupils.

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Pupils’ behaviour is exceptional. Staff are well trained to create a calm and purposeful learning environment. Due to this, low-level disruption in lesson is very rare and does not impact on how well pupils learn.

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The provision for pupils’ personal development underpins all aspects of school life. Through the curriculum, pupils explore activities which build their cultural awareness. They meet local religious leaders, artists and take part in community festivals. Early on in Nursery, circle time provides a valuable chance for children to consider their views and listen to others. These skills develop through to Year 2, where pupils discuss and debate a range of topics. Pupils are taught about protected characteristics. They show an impressive understanding and respect for difference. In personal, social, health and economics education lessons, pupils learn about right and wrong. They develop an understanding of the consequences that their behaviour and actions can have. Pupils are being well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Leaders at all levels prioritise the well-being of staff in the school. Staff feel well valued by school leaders. They recognise the importance of their work in providing the best provision for pupils. Governors provide effective oversight and support to the school. They work effectively with leaders to ensure that they meet their statutory duties.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 25 and 26 June 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not fully embedded all the changes made to the curriculum. This means that pupils are not yet learning as well as they could through the entire curriculum. The school should make sure that its pedagogical approaches are consistently implemented, and that staff have clarity on how they are assessing pupils across the entire curriculum.  Persistent absence of the most vulnerable pupils remains too high. These pupils are not fully benefitting from all that school has to offer. The school should now further consider what additional strategies and support, both within and external to the school, that the most vulnerable families need to further improve attendance.

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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 May 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 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, 25 and 26 June 2024

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looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 25 and 26 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Steve Springett-McHugh (Executive headteacher) Steve Weston (Associate headteacher) Website www.wyvernschool.org

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 May 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Wyvern School is part of the Viaduct Federation. The executive headteacher and associate headteacher lead across both schools.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector carried out this ungraded inspection under section 8 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.  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. 25 and 26 June 2024

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 The inspector met with the headteacher and other members of the leadership team. They also met with the chair and another member of the governing body.  The lead inspector also met with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, and art and design technology. For each deep dive, the inspector 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.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons. They also spoke to pupils in lessons and during play and lunchtimes.  The inspector considered a range of documents including leaders’ evaluations of the school, their school improvement plan, and minutes from governors’ meetings.  The inspector spoke to parents and carers and considered their responses to Ofsted

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Parent View.  The inspector took account of the views of staff through conversations and the responses to the online staff survey.  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.

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Inspection team

Nina Marabese, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 25 and 26 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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