Wittering Primary School

Inspection of Wittering Primary School Church Road, Wittering, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE8 6AF

p.1

Inspection dates: 24 and 25 September 2024

p.1

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

p.1

The headteacher of this school is Charlotte Blake. The school is part of the Soke Education Trust, which mean other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Cathy Carlisle, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Laura Holland. 24 and 25 September 2024

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a friendly school, where everyone receives a warm welcome. Many pupils join the school at different points and only attend for a short period of time. Some of these pupils are new to the country or have not attended school before. They settle in quickly and make friends. Pupils enjoy coming to school every day and feel safe.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils focus on their learning and want to do well. They engage with the tasks that they are doing and will ask for help when they need it. They know that the staff want them to do their best and are there to support them when they need it. Pupils take pride in their work and achieve well. The majority of pupils understand behaviour expectations and they meet them, in lessons and at playtime.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a variety of trips and visits that link to the work that they are doing within the curriculum. They enjoy the additional opportunities that they have available to them, for example singing and bicycle safety sessions. Sporting opportunities are vast; these include yoga, boccia and table tennis. There are also competitive and non-competitive sporting opportunities, which the school is successful in, and pupils enjoy.

p.2

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

The school has developed a broad and balanced curriculum. It is well sequenced and suitable for the pupils who attend the school. In most subjects, the key knowledge and vocabulary that pupils will learn are identified clearly. Pupils know and remember this knowledge, enabling them to achieve well in these subjects. However, in a few subjects the precise knowledge that pupils should know and remember has not yet been identified. In most subjects, staff check what pupils know and understand. When pupils need more practice on a topic, staff ensure that they do this. However, in some subjects, staff do not check what pupils know and so do not build on pupils’ knowledge as effectively or address any misconceptions that they might have.

p.2

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

Phonics is consistently taught following the chosen programme. In Reception, children enjoy sharing books and discussing them in depth. The sharing of high-quality texts with their teachers continues as the pupils move through the school. Children in Reception start to learn phonics soon after they start at school. They practise their sounds by reading books that are well matched to what they know. The school encourages parents and carers to read with their children. It supports parents with how to do this effectively. Staff check pupils’ reading knowledge carefully and adapt their support as needed. Pupils enjoy accessing the school library and the wide range of texts that their teachers share with them.

p.2

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

The school quickly identifies pupils’ needs and puts support in place. This includes for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). More recently, this also includes the level of spoken English that pupils have, or how much previous schooling they have received. Staff know how to adapt learning so that pupils are fully included in the curriculum. Some pupils with SEND have a more personalised approach to their 24 and 25 September 2024

p.2

3

learning in the Rainbow Room or Happy Hub, rejoining their class when appropriate. This enables all pupils to be able to learn in the way most appropriate to their needs.

p.3

3

Well-established routines and expectations are set from the early years. Behaviour around the school is settled. For those who need additional support to meet the high standards the school expects, staff are effective at helping them make the right choices. The school monitors pupils’ attendance carefully. The school works hard to ensure that all pupils attend regularly and overcome any barriers they might have to attending school. This ensures that attendance levels are high.

p.3

3

From the early years, pupils learn about differences and the importance of including everyone. In Reception, children start to learn about different types of families and throughout the school they learn about different religions and cultures. Democracy is an important part of school life. The school council is an active voice in decision-making. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including online. Pupils have a variety of leadership opportunities available to them around the school, including supporting the younger pupils. For example, pupils who are known as ‘sheepdogs’ support pupils in the lunch hall.

p.3

3

Leaders work collaboratively with the trust. The school ensures that staff have regular guidance and training. A focus has been on subject leadership. This has enabled a high- quality curriculum to develop, in most subjects. Staff are well supported to manage their well-being and workload. Most parents are positive about the experience that their children receive at the school.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, assessment processes are not yet in place. In these subjects, teachers and leaders do not check what pupils know and can remember and therefore cannot build on pupils’ knowledge or address misconceptions successfully. The school should ensure that effective processes are put in place to check what pupils have understood and use this information to inform next steps in learning.  In a few subjects, the key knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to know are not clearly identified. Therefore, pupils are not taught the subject-specific knowledge or vocabulary in detail. The school should ensure that key knowledge and vocabulary are clearly identified in all subjects so that teachers know what to teach and when. 24 and 25 September 2024

p.3

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 24 and 25 September 2024

p.4

School details

Website www.wittering.peterborough.sch.uk

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 21 and 22 June 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school is part of the Soke Education Trust.  The headteacher has been in position since September 2022.  The school uses an unregistered alternative provision.  The school runs the family centre which is on the same site.  The school has high mobility due to its location. Over the past few years, the number of pupils who speak English as an additional language or have not been in schools has increased.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 24 and 25 September 2024

p.5

6

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s educational provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector spoke with governors from the local governing body, trustees, including the chair of trustees, the CEO of the trust and the director of education.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, physical education, computing and science. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered

p.6

6

the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors gathered and considered the views of pupils, parents and staff.

p.6

Inspection team

Katie Devenport, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Bryony Surtees Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 September 2024

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7