Catherine Wayte Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Catherine Wayte Primary School Elstree Way, Abbey Meads, Swindon, Wiltshire SN25 4TA

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Outcome

Catherine Wayte 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 Kevin Shammas. This school is part of the Blue Kite Academy 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), Gary Evans, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Pauline Miller.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this inclusive and welcoming school. They describe it as a friendly place where adults know everyone for the individuals they are. The school has high expectations for what pupils can achieve. Pupils work hard and are motivated to learn. As a result, they achieve well across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils meet the high expectations that the school has for their behaviour. This starts in the early years where children listen carefully and follow the routines that are in place. Across the school, pupils are extremely polite and courteous. Pupils take pride in earning ‘gems’ for taking responsibility for their actions or by being a good friend to others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff take time to build warm and respectful relationships with pupils. Pupils know they can turn to one of their ‘trusted 5’ or use the ‘worry boxes’ if they have any concerns. This helps them to feel safe and cared for.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a wide range of clubs, including football, gardening and French. They value their leadership roles, such as school ambassadors and young leaders. Pupils say these roles make them feel proud, give them responsibility and help them to set a positive example to others. 18 and 19 March 2025

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

In all areas of its work, the school makes decisions that are in the best interests of pupils. With the support of the trust, it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the time of the previous inspection. The school has a clear vision for what pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, can achieve. A broad and ambitious curriculum is designed and sequenced well. It identifies the precise knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn and when.

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

The school promotes a love of reading. Pupils particularly enjoy how adults build suspense by pausing at ‘cliff-hangers’ during class reading sessions. The phonics programme begins when children start school. In Reception Year, staff present new sounds clearly. Children learn and remember new sounds well. Pupils who find reading difficult receive the support they need to catch up quickly. This helps them to become confident and increasingly fluent readers.

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

In most subjects, teachers design learning activities that help pupils build the knowledge they need and make links to what they have learned before. In mathematics, for example, pupils confidently use their prior knowledge of multiplication to solve more complex problems with fractions. In history, pupils link their understanding of concepts, such as civilisation, to different periods of time. However, in some subjects, learning activities are not as effective as they could be. Where this is the case, they do not allow pupils to secure the understanding they need or provide them with opportunities to apply their knowledge. This hampers the progress that some pupils make in these areas of the curriculum.

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

The provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a strength. Staff identify the needs of these pupils quickly and accurately. Support for individual pupils is precise. This means that pupils with SEND receive the support they need to achieve well. For example, younger pupils with SEND accurately name and describe the properties of shapes, using words such as square and hexagon.

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

Pupils behave well both in and outside the classroom. Disruption to learning is rare. The atmosphere during social times is calm and purposeful. Across the school, pupils develop positive learning behaviours. In Reception Year, for example, children play well together and eagerly share their learning with others.

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

The school has robust and effective procedures to track pupil attendance. It swiftly identifies any pupils and families where attendance is a concern. A wide range of support is in place to improve low attendance and persistent absence. As a result, most pupils attend school regularly.

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

The school’s personal development offer is an integral part of its work. A wide range of opportunities supports pupils to develop their interests and prepares them well for later life. Pupils debate topical issues confidently, which help them to recognise the importance of regular schooling. They understand why discrimination is wrong. Pupils develop their 18 and 19 March 2025

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character, such as by helping to organise a community book swap project or by raising funds for a local food bank.

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Trustees and local governors share the school’s ambitious vision. They use their skills and knowledge to hold the school to account effectively. Staff describe the school as a ‘family.’ They appreciate the school’s focus on their workload and the way in which leaders seek their views when managing change.

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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, learning activities do not support pupils to learn the most important knowledge in the curriculum as well as they could. This means that some pupils do not build their knowledge securely and struggle to remember the curriculum in the longer term. The school should continue to ensure that learning activities enable pupils to deepen their understanding so that they develop a secure body of knowledge over time.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Catherine Wayte Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in March 2015. 18 and 19 March 2025

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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). 18 and 19 March 2025

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School details

Website www.catherinewayte.swindon.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Catherine Wayte Primary School converted to become an academy school in December 2019. When its predecessor school, Catherine Wayte Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good for overall effectiveness.  The headteacher took up their post in September 2024.  There is a before-school club, which the governing body manages.  The school does not make use of 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. 18 and 19 March 2025

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 The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, subject leaders and the special educational needs coordinator. They also met with groups of staff and pupils, and representatives from the local governing body, including the chair of governors.  The inspector met with representatives of the trust, including the chief executive officer and the chair of trustees.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to a familiar adult.  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 the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.

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Additionally, the inspector spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  The inspector considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also took into consideration the online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Ben Jordan, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 18 and 19 March 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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