Woolhampton C.E. Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Woolhampton C.E. Primary School Woolhampton Hill, Woolhampton, Reading, Berkshire RG7 5TB

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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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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils work hard to do their best. The school has ambitions for pupils to achieve their best. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils love learning. Most staff support pupils’ learning. However, sometimes, the examples and feedback staff provide is not totally accurate. Pupils need this instruction and feedback to flourish. As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and feel part of a close school community. This is a small rural primary school but lives up to its value of ‘koinonia’ (community). The school has fostered this with purposely chosen opportunities such as a focus on outdoor learning. Pupils enjoy school and rush through the gates in the morning. They have warm relationships with staff. Pupils feel safe and know they have adults they trust to listen to them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for behaviour and most pupils meet these. Pupils behave positively in most classes and reflect the school’s ambitions of ‘respect’ and ‘optimism’. Occasionally, there is some disruptive behaviour in lessons, but most staff address this appropriately. However, pupils recognise the inconsistency of expectations and do not always follow routines and rules as well as the school intends.

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

The school has a broad and balanced curriculum. It has decided what must be learned and when. Pupils receive a logical sequence of learning designed to help them remember key information over time. This starts with Reception and builds to suitable end points at the end of Year 6. The school quickly identifies and supports pupils with potential SEND. Staff have appropriate subject knowledge built through well-considered training. However, 12 November 2024

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staff do not accurately explain or show pupils their expectations consistently well. This means that pupils do not routinely have a chance to improve or consolidate their knowledge. As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge and skills. Pupils’ gaps in literacy undermine their learning in other areas. Pupils have not learned their spelling patterns and handwriting skills well enough. Consequently, pupils are not achieving as well as they should.

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Pupils love reading. The school uses an ordered early reading programme that supports pupils to learn the sounds they need. Pupils have access to a wide range of stories and other books that they enjoy reading throughout the school day and at home. The books pupils read are well matched to the sounds they know. However, some teaching is not as precise as the programme expects. The approach to supporting pupils who read less often is not yet fully coherent across the school. The teaching of pupils who need extra support is not entirely effective. This means that most, but not all, pupils are able to catch up and keep up with their peers.

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Pupils are kind and considerate. They play inclusively at playtimes and involve all age ranges and pupils. From Reception onwards, children are taught routines and kindness. However, adults are not consistent at following through on their expectations. Pupils are generally focused on their learning. However, in some lessons, pupils miss learning opportunities because of the behaviour of others. Pupils have no serious concerns about conduct and feel safe and cared for. The school has a thorough and coherent approach to managing attendance. As a result, attendance figures compare well with local and national averages.

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Personal development is a strength of the school. The school has clear plans to ensure that all pupils have the same breadth of experience as their peers. The school has a clear personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum. Pupils know how to be good modern British citizens. They understand how to embody tolerance and an open- minded culture of diversity. From Reception onwards, pupils have a clear understanding about maintaining healthy relationships. Pupils are confident in how to keep themselves heathy in body and mind.

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The school’s leaders have ambition and clarity about their next steps. The school has come through a recent turbulent period in leadership. Governors have been a consistent strength of the school throughout. They are effective at challenging and supporting the school in equal measure. Some of the school’s leaders are new to the school or new to their role. The impact of their training and development is too recent to be evident across the school. Staff believe in the school leaders and recognise the positive working relationships they have as a close-knit team. Staff feel that workload and well-being is a leadership priority and this has been well managed.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 12 November 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school lacks a sharp focus on ensuring that pupils, including those with SEND, gain the foundational literacy skills to enable future learning. This means that pupils do not achieve as well as they could across the curriculum, including in early reading. The school must secure consistent teaching that sharply focuses on the intended curriculum content. The school must also check that the activities chosen for pupils to apply these skills are appropriately adapted for all pupils.  Routines and expectations for conduct across the school are not consistently applied. As a result, pupils sometimes are confused about how they should respond to staff, what rules to follow or what the school expects of them. Consequently, valuable learning time is not routinely well used, and pupils do not concentrate on their learning sufficiently well. The school must ensure that expectations and routines are consistently followed by all staff to enable pupils to focus on their learning.

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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 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in December 2014.

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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. 12 November 2024

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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). 12 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 September 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school is a voluntary aided Church of England school and is part of the Diocese of Oxford and the last section 48 inspection was in October 2016.

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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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, inspectors spoke to leaders of the school, members of the governing body and representatives of the local authority and diocese. Inspectors also considered the staff and pupil surveys and Ofsted Parent View responses.  The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 12 November 2024

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 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 the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Toby Martlew, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Vickie Farrow Ofsted Inspector 12 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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