Wyndham Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Wyndham Primary School Wyndsail Place, Kenton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE3 4QP

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that aspects of the school’s work may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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Outcome

The Executive Headteacher of this school is Kate Chisholm. This school is part of Smart Multi Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Colin Lofthouse, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Sandy Christie.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have positive relationships with staff at Wyndham Primary School. They receive high-quality pastoral support. Staff know pupils and families well. Pupils know that they must be kind and respect others. They know they can speak to a trusted adult about any worries or concerns. They enjoy attending school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite, friendly and welcoming. Around the school, most pupils conduct themselves well. In lessons, the vast majority of pupils behave well. They are mostly calm and settled. Where this is not the case, staff are not clear and consistent in their expectations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There have been some significant changes to leadership of late. The school has high aspirations for pupils’ achievement. However, due to weaknesses in the previous curriculum, some pupils have gaps in their learning. They do not achieve as well as they should.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate differences and welcome everyone to their school. They learn about democracy by electing school councillors. Pupils enjoy participating in school events, such as the upcoming Halloween disco. Pupils also take opportunities to join clubs and activities, such as football, tag rugby and art club, that develop their interests outside of 8 and 9 October 2024

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the classroom. Visits are used to enhance the curriculum and pupils discuss with enthusiasm their enjoyment of these.

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

Leaders have rapidly identified work that needs to be done to bring about improvements at the school. They are further ahead in some respects than others. Subjects now have well-sequenced curriculums in place. Leaders have identified the essential knowledge pupils should learn and the order in which it will be taught.

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

However, there is variation in the quality of education. In some lessons, teachers check pupils understand important knowledge before moving on. In other lessons, this does not happen. Staff are not using assessment effectively to check how secure knowledge is and what pupils already know. This hinders pupils from making connections between what they have learned already and new subject content. Pupils are not securely ready for the next stage of their learning. Some pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not achieve as well as they should.

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

Leaders identify the wider needs of pupils with SEND but there is more work to do to ensure that pupils’ needs are rapidly identified. Pupils with SEND are not supported well enough in lessons. Staff do not always provide pupils with the help and resources they need to help them fully access the curriculum.

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

Pupils are interested in reading. The school provides them with a diverse range of texts, which are accessible in classrooms and the library. Pupils enjoy visiting the library. The school makes sure that staff who deliver the phonics curriculum are consistent in their approach. However, sometimes staff do not effectively target pupils to check precisely what they know. This means that some pupils move on too quickly before they are ready. Older pupils who find reading more difficult receive appropriate support. In these sessions staff do effectively check exactly what pupils know.

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

The school has rigorous systems to monitor and track attendance. These systems ensure that pupils with low attendance are quickly identified. There are some highly personalised approaches to improve attendance. These approaches are helping these pupils attend school more often.

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

Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Leaders carefully consider pupils’ wider development. Pupils are aware of the school values and know that these help them to be caring, respectful and resilient. Pupils learn about different cultures and communities. Pupils understand some of the differences and similarities between various faiths and religions. They discuss their friendships with those of other faiths. The school ensures that disadvantaged pupils access after-school opportunities. Pupils can contribute to school leadership by becoming part of the school council. However, currently too few pupils have access to leadership opportunities. The school is already working on ways that more pupils can have access to leadership opportunities. 8 and 9 October 2024

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Trustees and members of the local governing body have a strong vision and high expectations for the school’s future. The trust provides meaningful opportunities for staff development. However, curriculum leadership in the school has been less effective. Not every subject is being monitored carefully enough. This means there is not an accurate understanding of where the curriculum is effective and where it needs improving. The school prioritises staff well-being and manages staff workload carefully. Staff feel supported.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some teachers do not provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to recall what they already know and can do. This hinders some pupils’ progress through the curriculum. The school should ensure that teachers know how to check effectively that pupils have the secure knowledge they have previously learned.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Staff do not consistently provide pupils with SEND with the support that they need in lessons. This means that pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they should from their starting points. Leaders should ensure that staff are well trained to help all pupils with SEND to achieve well.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not effectively monitored the impact of its curriculum. This means that there is an inaccurate view of the impact of curriculum areas. The school should ensure that all curriculum leaders are fully trained to monitor their curriculums so that any weaknesses are identified more promptly.

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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 8 and 9 October 2024

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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 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 school to be good for overall effectiveness in June 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, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 8 and 9 October 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 18 June 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school’s headteacher has changed since the previous inspection. The current headteacher took up post in October 2024.  The school uses no alternative provision for any pupils.  The school has nursery provision for two- and three-year-olds.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 her evaluation of the school.  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 8 and 9 October 2024

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture of safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector met with the executive headteacher, the deputy headteacher, several subject leaders, the attendance and welfare officer, the senior business manager and the designated safeguarding leader.  The inspector held a meeting with the chair of governors. The inspector also met with the chair of the board of trustees and the CEO of the Trust.  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 documents, including behaviour logs, attendance records, school development plans and school self-evaluation documents.  The inspector considered the views of parents through responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View.  The inspector gathered the views of pupils and staff through Ofsted’s pupil and staff

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surveys, as well as discussions conducted throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Jessica McKay, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 8 and 9 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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