Great Wishford CofE (VA) Primary School

Inspection of Great Wishford C of E (VA) Primary School West Street, Great Wishford, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP2 0PQ

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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

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The headteacher of this school is Hannah Shillito. This school is part of The Acorn Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Sara Edwards, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by David Middleton. 3 and 4 December 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a small school with a big heart. It lives out its vision of ‘no challenge too big, no child too small’ in the way that it welcomes pupils and helps them to settle into school. Staff are kind and caring and they look after pupils well. Pupils feel happy and safe at school. They have positive relationships with each other and with staff. Pupils trust staff to help them with any concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for pupils to achieve highly. It has transformed the curriculum to ensure that it supports pupils to build their knowledge securely. As a result, most pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school environment is calm and orderly. Pupils are clear about the expectations staff have of them and most pupils respond well to these. Pupils play well together across year groups. Older pupils support younger pupils to have a happy playtime.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending after-school clubs, including musical theatre, gymnastics and football. Older pupils build their character by leading a drama club. Pupils organise and host events for the local community to raise money for national charities. This helps pupils to develop a sense of belonging and responsibility.

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

The school has implemented a well-sequenced phonics programme. This begins early in the Reception Year. Children know and follow the routines of the phonics programme well. This helps them to build their knowledge of sounds and how to blend them into words. Teachers check and correct any errors that pupils make. They make sure pupils who are at risk of falling behind with reading receive the help and extra practise they need to catch up with their peers. This helps pupils to secure their knowledge of sounds and to use them to write and spell words.

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

Pupils read a diverse range of texts, including books from around the world and books that teach them about qualities such as perseverance, service and respect. This supports pupils to deepen their knowledge of the wider world and the lives of others.

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

The wider curriculum is ambitious and carefully sequenced. It sets out the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils will learn as they move through the school. The school identifies any special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) that pupils may have. It ensures that staff have an accurate understanding of the needs of these pupils. Staff provide appropriate support and resources to help pupils with SEND access the curriculum. This helps pupils to learn successfully alongside their peers.

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

The majority of pupils learn the intended curriculum well. However, on some occasions, teachers do not check that knowledge is secure. This means that some pupils have misconceptions that teachers do not address. As a result, these pupils do not build their knowledge as well as they could. 3 and 4 December 2024

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Staff have high expectations of behaviour. They reinforce these expectations and remind pupils to follow them. This helps to ensure that most pupils remain focused and engaged in their learning.

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The personal, social and health education curriculum starts in the Reception Year, where children learn how to keep safe and live a healthy lifestyle. Pupils build on this learning as they move through the school. For instance, they learn to stay safe when crossing roads, riding bikes and when online. Pupils learn about healthy eating and the importance of sport and exercise. They enjoy opportunities to be physically active at lunchtimes and after-school clubs.

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Pupils learn about the lives of other people and they reflect on world issues. For instance, they reflect on equality when they consider the unfairness of girls not being able to attend school in some parts of the world. The school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. They can explain what the fundamental British values look like in everyday life. Pupils put democracy into practice by voting for school councillors and house captains and they show respect to adults and to each other.

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The trust and local academy council are knowledgeable about the school. They work in close partnership to ensure the school fulfils its statutory responsibilities. Trust-wide guidance materials and support are ensuring the school continues to improve. Members of the local academy council are a visible presence in the school. They offer appropriate support and challenge to the school.

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Staff value the support they receive to manage their workload. The guidance they receive from the trust helps them to accurately evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s curriculum.

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Parents and carers are positive about the school and the support their child receives.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasions, in some subjects, teachers do not identify and correct errors that pupils make. This means that some pupils develop misconceptions and do not build their knowledge as well as they could. The trust should ensure that assessment is used effectively in order to check for misconceptions and that these are addressed so that pupils secure their knowledge well across the curriculum. 3 and 4 December 2024

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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 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). 3 and 4 December 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 10 and 11 May 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has been in post since September 2024.  The school is part of The Acorn Education Trust.  The school is an Anglican school in the Diocese of Salisbury. The most recent section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in May 2017. The school’s next section 48 inspection will take place within five school years.  The school provides a breakfast club for pupils who attend the school.  The school uses one 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 3 and 4 December 2024

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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

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extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  An inspector spoke to some parents at the start of the school day. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments, and Ofsted’s survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Caroline Musty, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Laura Bennett Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 December 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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