Wymeswold Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Wymeswold Church of England Primary School Brook Street, Wymeswold, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE12 6TU

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Outcome

Wymeswold Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thoroughly enjoy coming to school. The school’s vision, ‘dream and believe, learn and achieve’, reflects pupils’ experience during their time at Wymeswold Primary School. They value highly the wide range of opportunities they have for their personal development. These range from the school residential experience to participating in litter picking, helping to develop a strong sense of the village community. Pupils build their independence and the ability to think for themselves during their time at this school. This begins in the early years where children begin to develop their talents and learn to work and play together, both indoors and out.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They listen attentively and produce high-quality work. Pupils know adults’ expectations of them and are successful in meeting these. Rewards and sanctions are used fairly and consistently across the school. Pupils feel happy and well cared for. Bullying is rare and pupils know that adults will deal effectively with any worries they may have. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, this includes learning about road safety, for example. This supports pupils when crossing the busy main road and visiting the local church.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers value the clear communication from school about their children’s learning and school events. They appreciate the extra-curricular activities on offer to pupils. A large majority of parents would recommend the school to others.

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

The school is ambitious for all its pupils. It has implemented a new curriculum in several subjects. Leaders have carefully considered the content of the curriculum to ensure that pupils develop an understanding of global issues as well as their locality. The ‘French café’ encompasses the use of language, character building and an understanding of locality and culture. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), learn the full breadth of the curriculum. 9 July 2024

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In the early years, children experience all areas of the curriculum through carefully planned activities. Staff provide a broad range of activities to develop children’s vocabulary and communication. Clear routines are well established and followed diligently by children. Children listen carefully to adults. They gain a strong start to school life.

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In most subjects, pupils learn well. They remember what they have been taught. In these subjects, pupils are highly motivated. However, in a few subjects, particularly those where the curriculum is new, the implementation of the curriculum is not as strong. Sometimes staff do not revisit pupils’ prior knowledge as well as they do in other subjects. In these cases, gaps in pupils’ knowledge and misconceptions are not addressed and this hinders their progress through the curriculum.

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The school has prioritised reading. There has been significant investment in training and resources for teaching the phonics programme. Pupils begin to learn to read as soon as they start at school. The school promotes a love of reading. Pupils talk enthusiastically about reading for pleasure and about books recommended by adults across the school. Younger pupils, and children in the early years, who are at the early stages of reading, quickly develop the knowledge and skills needed to be able to read fluently. Older pupils study carefully chosen texts and can recall characters and events in detail.

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The school is ambitious for pupils with SEND to learn the same curriculum content as their classmates. The school works well with parents and pupils to identify the needs of pupils with SEND. However, while in some subjects the curriculum is suitably adapted to help pupils with SEND succeed, this is not the case in every subject. When this happens, these pupils do not learn as well as they could. Pupils with social and emotional needs are well supported. Leaders work well with external agencies to support pupils and their families.

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The curriculum is designed to give pupils a good understanding of a range of cultures and faiths. For example, through the art curriculum, pupils learn about female artists, living artists and those from other cultures such as Kumari Singh Burman. Pupils understand diversity and show respect for people and ideas that are different from their own.

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There is a calm and respectful atmosphere around the school. There are clear routines and high expectations. Pupils demonstrate responsible attitudes towards adults and their peers.

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The school benefits from working in a collaborative group of schools. Governors regularly evaluate information about the work of the school and seek assurance of the impact of the quality of education. They take account of staff well-being and workload and have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas for further development.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 9 July 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, pupils are not always given the most appropriate support. This means that some pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school must ensure that the curriculum in each subject is adapted suitably to meet the needs of all pupils, including pupils with SEND, so that they can become independent, successful learners.  In a few subjects, staff do not check carefully enough what pupils can recall from previous learning. Pupils do not build on what they already know as effectively as they do in most subjects. The school should ensure that staff check carefully what pupils know and can do, checking on misconceptions and understanding systematically to provide pupils with the next steps in learning that they need.

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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 December 2018.

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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, 9 July 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). 9 July 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 December 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a smaller-than-average-sized primary school. Pupils are taught in mixed- age classes.  The school is designated as having religious character. It is in the Diocese of Leicester. The most recent section 48 inspection of the school took place in June 2019. This is an inspection of the school’s religious character.  The school does not use any 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject 9 July 2024

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leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, curriculum leaders and teaching and support staff.  The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the vice chair.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read to an adult.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. In addition, they met with pupils informally and formally to hear their views.  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.  Inspectors examined a range of documentation provided by the school, including

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documentation in relation to school development and safeguarding.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also took into consideration responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Ian Toon, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Ceri Hathaway Ofsted Inspector 9 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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