Walmore Hill Primary School

Inspection of Walmore Hill Primary School Walmore Hill, Minsterworth, Gloucester, Gloucestershire GL2 8LA

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 5 and 6 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Willmore Hill Primary is a school where the ethos of ‘All different, All equal’ shines through. Warm and nurturing relationships exist between staff and pupils. As a result, pupils are happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for its pupils. It is an improving school. Staff want pupils to do well, and pupils are keen to learn. Executive Leaders have brought about positive change. Expectations of pupils are now much higher than before. However, some improvements are in their infancy. They still need time to fully embed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour in school is impressive. They demonstrate high levels of respect and kindness towards one another. Pupils are polite and well mannered. They enact the school’s core values, such as resilience.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The provision for pupils’ wider development is well considered. Pupils enjoy the opportunities on offer, including music and sports. These activities develop pupils’ interests and talents.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides high-quality pastoral support to pupils and their families. It teaches pupils how to stay safe, healthy and keep active. Pupils talk openly about differences and how it is important to celebrate diversity.

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

The school has been through significant change since the previous inspection. However, the school is on an upward trajectory of improvement. Senior leaders provide a clear sense of direction. They are working determinedly to bring about sustainable changes in a considered way. This means that some aspects are further developed than others.

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

The school has an ambitious curriculum in place. However, it is aware that further developments to the curriculum are required to ensure that all pupils, including children in the early years, receive a good quality of education. In some subjects, the curriculum is not implemented securely to enable pupils to gain the knowledge they need to achieve well. For example, checks on what knowledge pupils remember are not secure across all subjects. This means the school is not always clear about what pupils know and remember. The school is taking decisive action, and there is evidence of significant improvement since the previous inspection, for example, in reading.

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

Behaviour is impressive. Pupils, including children in the early years, very quickly learn the ‘Walmore Hill Way,’ which sets out the school’s high expectations of behaviour and conduct. Due to the unique character of the school’s cohort, published attendance data does not reflect the school’s successful work and strong relationships with the community that support pupils to attend well.

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

Staff are quick to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school works closely with other agencies to ensure that the appropriate checks are 5 and 6 November 2024

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undertaken and support is put in place. However, the school does not adapt work sufficiently well to meet the needs of some pupils with SEND. As a result, these pupils struggle to learn new concepts.

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As soon as children start in the early years, they learn how to socialise and work independently. They start to build their early reading, writing and mathematical knowledge. For example, children could use mathematical vocabulary to describe a circle. However, planned learning does not ensure that children always gain the knowledge they need for the demands of the Year 1 curriculum.

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The school is ambitious for pupils to develop a love of books and become fluent readers. Children begin their reading journey from the moment they start in the early years. Staff are skilled in the teaching of phonics and early reading. They carefully select books to ensure that they precisely match pupils’ phonic knowledge. As a result, most pupils develop into confident readers. Where pupils struggle with their reading, timely interventions are in place to enable them to catch up. Story time is a firm favourite with pupils. They enjoy a range of authors and texts that develop their vocabulary and awareness of the wider world. Visits to the Cheltenham Literature Festival enhance pupils’ love of books and reading.

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The school’s work to develop pupils’ personal development is strong. It provides pupils with rich developmental experiences, such as the residential trip to Wales. Alongside other opportunities, it develops pupils’ perseverance, resilience and leadership skills. Pupils relish the roles and responsibilities afforded to them. These include being reading buddies and classroom monitors. Pupils learn how to become thoughtful young people who respect and appreciate the diversity of the world in which they live.

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Leaders and governors have a detailed and accurate knowledge of the impact of the school’s work. Governors hold the school firmly to account for the quality of education and care pupils receive. Staff are extremely proud to work at the school and speak positively about the raised ambition.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects and areas of learning, the curriculum is not being delivered as intended. As a result, pupils do not gain the depth of knowledge they need to achieve well in these subjects. The school needs to ensure that the curriculum is implemented successfully so that pupils build their knowledge well.  In some subjects, checks on what pupils know and remember are underdeveloped. As a result, some pupils struggle to recall the essential knowledge they have previously 5 and 6 November 2024

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learned. The school should ensure that systems for assessments are implemented effectively so that pupils know and remember more.  The school does not adapt learning well enough to meet the needs of some pupils with SEND. As a result, pupils struggle to learn new concepts. The school should ensure that they provide staff with the support and guidance they need to make sure pupils with SEND are supported well to learn the curriculum.

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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). 5 and 6 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Kirsty Evans (Executive headteacher) Emily Price (Head of school) Website www.walmorehillschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4 July 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is federated with Blakeney Primary School and Pillowell School.  The executive headteacher and the head of school took up post in September 2023.  The special educational needs leader took up post in January 2024.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 5 and 6 November 2024

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 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the head of school, the senior leaders and the staff.  The lead inspector met with governors, including the chair of governors.  The lead inspector held a telephone conversation with a school improvement adviser from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector listened to some pupils from Years 1, 2 and 3 read to a member of staff. Pupils in Year 4 and Year 5 were also listened to reading. Story time was visited in key stage 1.

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 Inspectors sampled pupils’ work in English, science and religious education.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered key documentation, including the school development plan and governors’ minutes.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Inspectors met with school leaders to discuss and review how they respond to behaviour incidents and pupils’ attendance.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys. They considered the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text comments. An inspector also spoke to parents on the morning of the first day of the

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Inspection team

Jen Southall, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Steve Wigley Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 November 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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