St William's Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St William's Primary School Williams Loke, Thorpe St Andrew, St. William's Primary School, Norwich, Norfolk NR7 0AJ

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Outcome

St William's Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is an inclusive community where staff and pupils support each other with respect and kindness. Pupils feel safe to share their worries or ask questions. They know the staff will be there to support them. Pupils enjoy opportunities to take on challenges and work hard. They demonstrate the school’s values and receive a ‘shout out’ in assembly for their efforts.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Lessons are positive experiences for pupils because teachers explain ideas well and aptly support pupils to build on their prior learning. Warm relationships ensure that pupils develop positive attitudes to learning and behave well in class. Pupils quickly become fluent readers. They learn important concepts successfully. For example, how to structure their writing or how to use their knowledge of multiplication tables to solve mathematical problems. The school’s high expectations ensure pupils feel and are well prepared for their next steps.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a wide range of activities to enrich pupils’ learning experiences beyond the classroom. Sports clubs, trips, competitions, singing assemblies and creative clubs spark new interests and broaden pupils’ horizons. All pupils are invited to take part, and the school helps pupils who find it more difficult to join in. A range of leadership responsibilities encourage pupils to make a difference in school life.

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

The curriculum is broad, balanced and carefully ordered to provide pupils with important skills and concepts. The school has ensured that teachers have the subject expertise and confidence to teach well. Staff check carefully how well pupils learn the curriculum. Teachers adapt their teaching of subject curriculums where needed. As a result, pupils 1 and 2 April 2025

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successfully learn curriculum content. They take pride in knowing about a range of important topics, such as the life of the Egyptians and the features of volcanoes.

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Staff explain new vocabulary to pupils and give them opportunities to answer questions and to show their understanding. Teachers aptly support pupils to add style, structure and purpose to their writing. However, teachers do not ensure that presentation in pupils’ books reflects the high standards the school expects. As a result, there is some variability in the quality and care of pupils’ work in a range of subjects.

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The school ensures that pupils quickly learn to read. It provides pupils with many opportunities to develop their love of reading. Phonics teaching effectively supports children from the Reception Year onwards to learn the sounds that letters make. The school quickly spots and then supports pupils effectively who need to catch up. The school’s choice of literature for older pupils supports their learning about the wider world and provides them with much inspiration for their writing. Pupils relish being able to read books with chapters.

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Staff in the early years know the needs of the children well. This helps staff to identify children’s needs at an early stage and then adapt their teaching of activities. For example, staff provide extra teaching and practice tasks to support children’s development of hand- eye coordination and pencil grip. Singing is an important part of children’s early learning experiences. Children enjoy the fun of singing as a group. They quickly learn the tunes, words and actions which, in turn, develops their communication and coordination skills.

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Where needed, the school works closely with external specialists to identify appropriate strategies for staff to use when teaching the curriculum. The support that the school provides for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is tailored and responsive to pupils’ needs. For example, pupils with social and emotional needs have access to quieter spaces when needed. Staff support pupils to identify and reduce situations that may cause them to feel unsettled or overwhelmed. Pupils with SEND achieve well from their various staring points.

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The school’s focus on positive, respectful relationships supports pupils to behave well, with older pupils demonstrating maturity and focus. In classrooms, pupils’ behaviour is calm and purposeful. Pupils are keen to learn. The school has established clear routines for staff to use to help pupils to develop positive behaviour. However, these routines are not always used consistently well. This occasionally causes some pupils to lose attention.

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Pupils’ persistent absences from school have fallen significantly. Their overall attendance is high. This is due to the school’s regular communication with families, visible leadership and tailored support where needed.

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Pupils benefit from the school’s wide-ranging personal development offer. For instance, this supports their understanding of different cultures and beliefs well. The school’s programme ensures that pupils learn about healthy relationships, personal safety and respecting differences between people. Pupils learn to show understanding and empathy, including towards peers with additional needs. 1 and 2 April 2025

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Leaders, including governors, prioritise high-quality education for pupils. Their work is grounded in strong relationships with families and an understanding of the community’s needs. For example, the school provides information and support to families by offering an innovative series of parent workshops on child development and SEND. Staff at the school feel valued and supported, with leaders mindful of workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers do not always ensure that presentation in pupils’ books reflects the high standards and quality the school expects. As a result, there is some variability in the quality of presentation of pupils’ work in a range of subjects. The school should ensure that there are consistently high expectations and that pupils work is consistently of a high quality.  On occasion, the school does not make sure that its agreed routines to help pupils to engage in learning are used consistently well. This means that, sometimes, staff do not help pupils to learn subject curriculums as well as they could. The school should ensure that staff help pupils to consistently engage in their learning and not lose focus.

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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. 1 and 2 April 2025

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in February 2020.

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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). 1 and 2 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Sarah Shirras (Executive headteacher)

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 February 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs an on-site nursery for three- and four-year-olds.  The school is federated with and shares a governing body with another school. The headteacher is responsible for both schools in the federation.  The school currently uses one unregistered alternative provider.  The school provides before- and after-school care.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector held a discussion with members of the local governing body, including the chair of governors. 1 and 2 April 2025

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 The inspector visited a sample of lessons in a range of subjects; spoke with pupils about their learning experiences and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during breaktimes and in lessons.  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 reviewed a wide range of documents, including leaders’ plans for improvement.  The inspector met with staff and considered the views expressed through Ofsted’s staff survey. The inspector also considered the views shared through Ofsted Parent View and Ofsted’s pupil survey, including the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Hannah Stoten, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 1 and 2 April 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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