Wheatley Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Wheatley Church of England Primary School Littleworth Road, Wheatley, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX33 1NN

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

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The headteacher of this school is Gillian Standing. This school is part of Oxford Diocesan Schools 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), Anne Dellar, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Kathy Winrow. 3 and 4 December 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy, safe and value the school’s nurturing and caring ethos. They understand and embody the school’s ‘thrive’ values. Strong relationships between staff and pupils are evident across the school. Parents appreciate the workshops and stay and play sessions that help them to find out how to support their children’s education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils study a curriculum that is well sequenced. However, some pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not get the right support to learn the school’s curriculum consistently. These pupils often have gaps in their knowledge.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for its pupils. Most pupils demonstrate positive attitudes and behaviour in class and around school. They enjoy their breaktimes, where they play nicely with their friends. Pupils are confident that adults will deal quickly with any incidents of unkindness.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ personal development is promoted effectively. They benefit from an extensive range of activities that develop their character and further their interests. Pupils enjoy the opportunities to attend school visits to museums, choir concerts or theatre visits that bring their learning to life.

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

The school’s curriculum is ambitious for all pupils. It clearly identifies what pupils should learn and in what order from Nursery to Year 6. Leaders, including from the trust, have an accurate view of the school. Together, they have prioritised providing the training that teachers need to deliver the curriculum well. The school’s checks on pupils’ progress across the curriculum are now in place. There are robust systems for accurately identifying pupils with SEND and appropriate plans for support are put into place. However, some of this work is in its infancy. This means it has not yet had the impact that is needed.

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

The school has rightly prioritised early reading, and this work has had rapid impact. Staff model how pupils should use sounds to read with precision. Pupils read books that are well matched to the sounds they know. Those who need additional support to keep up receive help quickly. Across the curriculum, pupils access a rich and diverse set of books. The focus on learning new vocabulary ensures they understand and enjoy reading.

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

In mathematics, work to improve outcomes has had less impact. Some pupils, particularly older pupils, have gaps in their learning and can struggle to recall previous learning. The school rightly recognises that pupils are not provided with sufficient opportunities to apply their mathematical knowledge to solve problems. As a result, pupils’ understanding in mathematics is not always where it should be. This means they are not as well prepared for the next stage of their education. 3 and 4 December 2024

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Furthermore, some pupils, including some pupils with SEND, do not learn the curriculum as well as they could. Staff do not always check pupils’ knowledge well enough. They do not consistently adapt their teaching to ensure that pupils with SEND can learn the curriculum. This means gaps in some pupils’ knowledge and skills persist. Staff sometimes move learning on before pupils are ready. At other times, those that find reading and writing a challenge cannot complete tasks, because they are too difficult. The school has not considered well enough pupils’ starting points and how to adapt teaching to ensure that pupils can build their knowledge.

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Children in the early years settle quickly. The curriculum in the early years is well structured. This helps children get off to a strong start from the moment they start in Nursery. Staff work hard to get to know children and ensure that they become used to the daily routines rapidly. Children begin learning about letters and numbers straight away. They enjoy learning and playtime in the outside spaces. Children are well prepared for Year 1.

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Positive behaviour and relationships are central to the school’s culture. The school uses these relationships and careful analysis of pupils’ attendance to ensure that pupils spend more time in school. Pupils generally behave well around the school and exhibit the school’s high expectations in what they do. However, on occasions in lessons they find challenging, some pupils can become distracted and do not meet the school’s expectations for behaviour in class.

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The school’s personal development provision is a strength. The school ensures that pupils know how to keep themselves healthy, including with regard to their mental health. Pupils are supported to identify their emotions and recognise how to get help if they need it. They talk positively about the support they get from adults. Pupils know that democracy involves everyone having the right to vote. They can relate this to the elections they hold for their school council. Pupils are accepting of one another. They know that everyone deserves to be respected.

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Adults feel well supported by the school. They appreciate the support they get to manage their workload. Staff value working with colleagues from across the trust.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In mathematics, pupils are not always provided with enough opportunities to problem solve and reason. As a result, some pupils do not learn to apply their mathematics in different contexts. The school must ensure that pupils routinely encounter opportunities to develop their ability to problem solve and reason. 3 and 4 December 2024

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 Teaching is not consistently adapted well enough to take account of pupils’ needs. This includes some pupils with SEND and other pupils who find reading and writing challenging. Sometimes, pupils struggle to get started or complete their learning tasks successfully because they are too difficult. The school should support teachers to adapt tasks so that they take account of pupils’ starting points and help them to build their knowledge.  Teachers do not check consistently whether pupils have secured new knowledge. As a result, pupils can develop gaps in their understanding. The school must ensure that staff check pupils’ understanding accurately to address gaps and help pupils gain knowledge securely.

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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

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

 This school is part of the Diocese of Oxford. Its last section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in July 2023. The next section 48 inspection is due by the end of 2029.  The school has a nursery, two Reception classes, six mixed-age classes and separate Year 5 and Year 6 classes.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.

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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. 3 and 4 December 2024

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 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. They also met with members of the local governing body and representatives from trust and diocese.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography, music and science. For each deep dive, 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.  During the inspection, inspectors met with a range of pupils to discuss their views about the school and talked to them informally during social times.

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 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 extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also took account of staff responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Laura James, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Linda Appleby 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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