Wrekin View Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Wrekin View Primary School North Road, Wellington, Telford, Shropshire TF1 3ES

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Outcome

Wrekin View Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Fiona Atherton. This school is part of Learning Community Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Jane Hughes, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Kevin Bartin.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending Wrekin View Primary School. The school works hard to ensure pupils attend regularly and achieve well. The vast majority of pupils do. Pupils behave well and feel safe. Each day they live the ‘Wrekin View Way.’ They work hard in lessons and do their best. Pupils’ work is of a high standard. They achieve well in lessons and over time. Pupils enjoy spending time with their friends at social times. Play leaders help pupils to play well together.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school offers a vast range of opportunities to widen pupils’ interests. Clubs such as choir, dance, football skills and dodgeball help pupils to develop new talents. Pupils regularly compete in sports activities in the local area including water polo, gymnastics and cross country. They enjoy residentials which help them to develop important teamwork and independence skills. However, there is work to do to ensure that more pupils consistently benefit from this offer, particularly disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

The vast majority of parents are very positive about the school. They value the recent developments in communications, such as the school newsletter. However, they would like to receive more timely information about the school’s work. 15 and 16 October 2024

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

The school has created an ambitious curriculum for all its pupils. The curriculum is carefully sequenced so that learning builds up over time. Pupils have regular opportunities to recall and revisit previous learning. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They present learning clearly and engage pupils well in their learning. Misconceptions are quickly identified and addressed. Pupils know where they have gone wrong and how to correct it. Trips and visitors help pupils to deepen their learning. For example, a Stone Age day and a trip to Ironbridge strengthened their historical knowledge. The school does all it can to ensure pupils attend school regularly, and do not miss out on valuable learning time. All this means that pupils learn and remember more of the curriculum over time.

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

Children in the early years get off to a great start. Well-skilled staff prioritise language and communication. Children enjoy singing nursery rhymes and songs. Early number is well taught. Warm and positive relationships help children to settle well. Children learn about self-care, such as good oral hygiene. They enjoy making new friends. Staff teach children how to take turns and share. Children are well-prepared for the next stage of their education.

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

Early reading is exceptionally well taught. Highly skilled staff teach phonics effectively. Pupils apply their phonic knowledge when reading books that match the sounds they learn. Pupils read regularly in school and at home. Workshops help parents support reading in the home. The school identifies pupils who fall behind quickly. Staff ensure these pupils receive effective tailored support to help them to catch up quickly. Pupils learn to read with at least with the accuracy and fluency expected for their age, many exceed this.

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

The school is inclusive. Everyone is welcome. Staff and pupils develop positive and respectful relationships. Pupils learn about healthy and safe relationships. Workshops help them to learn about keeping safe when out and about. Pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils achieve well in school. Work is carefully tailored to meet their quickly identified needs. Additional staff skilfully support as required. External professionals such as speech and language therapists provide effective additional support to those pupils who need it. However, some of these pupils miss out on wider opportunities which could be of interest to them. For example, learning a new talent or interest. This is because the school do not monitor and encourage participation as well as they could.

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

Pupils learn about different faiths including Christianity, Islam, Sikhism and Hinduism. They learn about the importance of celebrations to different cultures. This helps them to respect difference. Pupils value the opportunities they have to become members of the school council. They know this gives them a voice and helps them to understand concepts, such as democracy. Pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities in school. For example, eco-warriors and mental health and well-being ambassadors. Pupils are well- prepared for life in modern Britain. 15 and 16 October 2024

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The new headteacher has quickly secured an accurate understanding of the school. Along with the leadership team and trust leaders, she has set the right priorities for the school. A current focus on reinforcing routines and behaviour so that pupils come to school ready to learn and on time is having a positive impact. Oversight of the school’s work by the trust is rigorous and effective. Teachers are very positive about the support from leaders to manage their workload and well-being.

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Most parents speak highly about the school. Many comment on the school’s role in the local community and the positive start children make. However, some parents feel that the school does not communicate with them well enough.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the school need to do to improve?

 Some pupils are not attending wider activities which could benefit them. This means that some disadvantaged and pupils with SEND miss out on the strong school offer to broader pupils’ interests. The school should monitor this closely, and encourage further participation so that the most vulnerable pupils benefit as much as possible from the school’s wider opportunities.  A small number of parents do not feel that communication from the school is as detailed or timely as it could be. This means that they are not always sufficiently informed to support or engage in activities or events, or to prepare their child to do so. The school should continue to improve communication systems between home and school so that parents and carers receive relevant and timely information about the school’s work.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the 15 and 16 October 2024

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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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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Wrekin View Primary school, to be good for overall effectiveness in November 2016.

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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, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 15 and 16 October 2024

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School details

Website https://wrekinview.lct.education/

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School details

Dates of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school converted to become an academy school in December 2019. The headteacher has been in post since September 2024.  The school has pre-school provision for two and three-year olds.  There is a before- and an after-school club, which the governing body manages.  The school offers a specialist speech and language provision for 8 pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 15 and 16 October 2024

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 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 have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector reviewed a range of school documents. These included information about pupils’ behaviour, attendance, the school’s curriculum and improvement planning. The school’s website was also checked.  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 observed informal times of the day as part of their evaluation of

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safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour.  The inspector held meetings with head teacher and other senior leaders; teachers, support staff and pupils. The lead inspector met with the chief executive officer, trustees and members of the local governing board. The inspector also talked informally to pupils, staff, parents and carers to gather information about school life.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted Parent View and the free-text comments. The inspector also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Lorraine Lord, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 October 2024

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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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