Wolviston Primary School

Inspection of Wolviston Primary School The Green, Wolviston, Billingham TS22 5LN

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 January 2025

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is Susan Hawes. This school is part of Prince Regent Street 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), Julia Armstrong, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Kay Steven.

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Ofsted has not previously inspected Wolviston Primary School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Wolviston Primary School to be outstanding for overall effectiveness, before it opened as an academy. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 14 and 15 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils shape the warm, happy and safe ethos in their school. They suggest ways the school can improve, including creating a ‘wolf pack’, where pupils design games for younger peers to play during social times. This helps pupils of all ages to mix confidently. It also contributes to the impressive community spirit throughout the school. The school’s motto begins ‘Small school, big dreams’. Pupils are proud that the school helps them reach ambitious goals. Visiting speakers enthuse pupils about future careers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy exceptional pastoral care blended with high academic standards. Pupils achieve well. This is evident in published outcomes. The curriculum also prepares pupils well for their next steps in learning. The early years setting is vibrant, successful and a language-rich environment. Thoughtfully planned activities absorb children in learning. Children confidently share this learning with others. They use ambitious vocabulary linked to their current theme. This includes talking about how bears ‘hibernate’ in the winter. Strong foundations prepare children well for Year 1 and beyond.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their local community. They write to the local care home. Pupils also pick litter in the streets. Parents and carers refer to the school as being at the heart of their village.

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

Over recent years, the school has overhauled and improved the curriculum. Experienced staff with strong subject knowledge bring the curriculum to life. Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning. They enjoy connecting learning to local history. This includes studying the impact of the Second World War on nearby towns. Some subjects in the wider curriculum are still under review. Here, approaches to checking what pupils have learned are not embedded. This means the school is less clear about what pupils know, remember and can do in these areas. It can also slow pupils’ progress through the curriculum. Across all classes in the school, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) thrive. Skilful and personalised support helps pupils make strong progress through the curriculum.

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

Pupils become confident and fluent readers. This begins in the early years. Nursery children learn to distinguish sounds. They do this in the setting and outside in the school grounds. Children also listen to stories intently. They express awe and wonder as skilled adults discuss the books’ themes. This prepares children exceptionally well for Reception. Staff teach children phonics with precision. Children make excellent progress in their reading. Targeted intervention ensures that everyone keeps up. Older pupils continue to embed their passion for reading. They love to read aloud to others. Pupils have a mature understanding of equality. Well-chosen books help inspire this knowledge. These texts enable pupils to explore and debate life in modern Britain. Pupils’ sense of fairness and respect is deeply ingrained.

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

Pupils’ personal development is at the heart of the school’s work. The school teaches pupils to look after their own mental health and that of others. Pupils enjoy ‘chill-out club’ 14 and 15 January 2025

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at lunchtime if they want a quiet space. Staff in the early years teach children to share, take turns and play together well. This enhances their social development. Leadership opportunities are plentiful and varied. Pupils are proud of their roles as librarians, school champions and ambassadors. The school council is active in the school. Council members organise termly events that everyone enjoys. They also select and invite inspirational local speakers into school. Pupils are well prepared for their move to secondary school.

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The school’s commitment to developing pupils’ character has notable impact. Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are a significant strength of the school. Pupils hold doors open for visitors. They display impressive manners to peers and staff alike. Pupils also encourage their peers to take part in activities and learning. Staff instil these positive attitudes in pupils in many ways. Pupils love receiving rewards certificates from the head boy and girl. They are proud to collect ‘wolf tokens’ or take home ‘Wolfie’, the school mascot. This recognition of positive contributions links expertly to the school’s extended motto, ‘learning, caring, succeeding…together’. Pupils enjoy school, and their high rates of attendance are testament to this.

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Trust leaders and those responsible for governance support the school well. Staff are proud to work in the school. They know they make a difference. Staff are confident that the school considers their workload and well-being carefully. Parents are expansive in their praise for the school. Many parents comment on how the school develops their child’s confidence. Parents also enjoy opportunities to engage with the school. This includes family reading in the early years. Close links with the school help parents feel well informed about their child’s education.

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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, the school has not embedded a consistent approach to checking on pupils’ learning. The school does not currently have a clear enough picture of what pupils know, remember and can do in these areas, which could slow pupils’ progress through the curriculum. The school should ensure it has clear approaches in place to check that pupils have successfully learned and applied the intended 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. 14 and 15 January 2025

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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). 14 and 15 January 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Prince Regent Street Trust.  The school does not currently use alternative provision for its pupils.  The school provides before- and after-school wraparound care for its 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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 14 and 15 January 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher and assistant headteacher over the course of the inspection. The lead inspector also met with the CEO of the trust.  The lead inspector met with the chair of the board of trustees, two other trustees and four governors. The lead inspector reviewed governance documents, including minutes from governor meetings.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art. 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.  The lead inspector met with the leader responsible for early years. Inspectors visited

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the early years provision throughout the inspection.  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.  The inspectors met with groups of pupils and staff formally throughout the inspection and spoke with them informally at social times and in lessons.  The inspectors reviewed a range of school documents, including the school’s self- evaluation and the school improvement plan.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and for pupils.

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Inspection team

Hannah Millett, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Janet Sheriff Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 January 2025

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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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