Wilmington Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Wilmington Primary School Common Lane, Wilmington, Dartford, Kent DA2 7DF

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Outcome

Wilmington 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 Charlotte Scott. This school is part of Endeavour MAT, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Charlie Guthrie, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Suki Mattu.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Warm and positive relationships are the foundation of this friendly and welcoming school. Pupils are proud of their school. They are keen to share their successes. This goes beyond their academic success to include the way that pupils are determined to engage with their local community. The strong work by the trust around transition into secondary school supports this.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave exceptionally well. High expectations are set by all staff, and pupils aspire to exceed these. The school’s values are at the heart of the school and are known and understood by everyone. This starts right from the early years, where children are taught about resilience, positivity, teamwork, compassion and self-belief. Pupils feel safe at this school. All pupils are fully included in school life. Thoughtfully considered adaptions for the most complex pupils are providing effective support.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Wider curriculum opportunities enhance pupils’ learning. Educational visits carefully link to the relevant areas of the curriculum. The recent Paralympic event held at the school was highly regarded by the pupils. They talk with confidence about celebrating diversity and differences, inspired by this event. 3 and 4 December 2024

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

The school has developed a curriculum that is accessible and ambitious for all pupils. Teachers have a clear understanding of what pupils need to be taught and when. Learning is revisited regularly and built on to make sure that pupils know and remember what they are taught. The school has recently sharpened its focus on writing. Opportunities to reinforce writing skills are used in a meaningful way across the curriculum. Pupils achieve well, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, there are a small number of pupils who require more opportunities to deepen their learning and move on to more complex work.

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

There is a committed approach to reading that is shared by all staff. The newly implemented approach to phonics is supporting every pupil effectively to read fluently. Those pupils who find reading more difficult are expertly supported to catch up. Every member of staff is trained in the approach to reading. The school has fostered a culture where pupils enjoy reading. This starts in the early years. ‘Pupil librarians’ take pride in keeping the library well stocked. They have had opportunities to visit libraries in the trust’s secondary schools. This has supported them to choose challenging texts for their own library.

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

The mathematics curriculum is ambitious and pupils are highly engaged in their learning. In the early years, children have opportunities to engage with a range of mathematics activities. This is developing a solid understanding of basic mathematical concepts. The use of resources in the younger years is fundamental in ensuring pupils understand more complex mathematical ideas. Some pupils are not given enough practice before they move on to more complex learning, however. This means that they do not consistently have a solid understanding of what they are being taught. The school has started to embed the use of resources across the school to support all pupils to understand more complex mathematical ideas.

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

The relationships the school has with pupils’ families underpin high expectations around attendance. The school carefully analyses when pupils are absent from school and identifies any actions and support. As a result, pupils attend well. There is a calm, consistent approach to behaviour management across all classes. Staff set clear expectations. The children enjoy the ‘call and response’ routines. These help pupils to understand what is expected from them.

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

Wider curriculum opportunities, such as trips and visitors, have been thoughtfully considered and are woven throughout the whole school curriculum. These opportunities enhance what pupils are learning within different subjects. Pupils are passionate about their local community. For example, the recent fundraising for the local British Legion is spoken about with pride. The school has established an inclusive environment where pupils are respectful and sensitive towards each other’s differences. Pupils have been taught how to keep themselves safe. They understand risks and what it means to be healthy. 3 and 4 December 2024

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Staff feel extremely well supported. Staff workload is manageable and their well-being is reviewed regularly. For example, the approach that the school uses to check what pupils understand is highly effective and has been well designed to help reduce staff workload. This consistent approach enables staff to address any misconceptions quickly. An effective training plan has supported staff to develop subject curriculums in a planned and sequenced way. The governing body and trust know the school well. They maintain an effective balance of support and challenge. They take time to assure themselves of the effectiveness of leaders’ actions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, pupils do not consistently have opportunities to deepen their learning and move on to more complex work. This means that they are not gaining the depth and breadth of knowledge in these subjects. The school should support teachers to design activities that are expertly adapted to deepen learning.  Some pupils in mathematics are not given enough practice before they move on to abstract concepts. This means that they are not building on learning effectively to provide a solid understanding of some basic mathematical ideas. The school should ensure pupils have a secure grasp of their mathematical understanding before moving on to new 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. 3 and 4 December 2024

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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). 3 and 4 December 2024

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School details

Website www.wilmingtonprimaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 19 and 20 June 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Endeavour MAT, a multi-academy trust with three local secondary schools.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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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 their 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 3 and 4 December 2024

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also spoke to curriculum leaders and heard pupils read to a member of staff.  The inspector met with leaders, staff, pupils and those with responsibility for governance, including the chair of the trustees and the chair of the governing body.  The inspector observed breaktimes and lunchtimes and the start of the school day.  The inspector scrutinised minutes of the trustee and governing body meetings and other relevant documents.  The inspector met leaders to discuss the provision for pupils with SEND. The inspector visited lessons to look at the support these pupils were receiving.  The inspector considered the responses to the confidential staff and pupil surveys. The

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inspector also took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text comments.

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Inspection team

Emma Law, lead inspector 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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