Western Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Western Church of England Primary School Browning Drive, Winchester, Hampshire SO22 5AR

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 25 and 26 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff in this warm and welcoming school care deeply about the pupils. The school’s values of compassion, love and respect are embedded in the life of the school. Relationships between adults and children are respectful and nurturing. One pupil commented, ‘The school helps me learn to treat others how I would like to be treated.’ Pupils know that staff will quickly respond to any concerns they put in ‘the worry box’. They feel safe and happy in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and well behaved. In lessons, most pupils work hard and focus well on their learning. During breaktimes, pupils play together sensibly and show kindness when sharing the equipment. The ‘dragon’s den’ area provides a calm space for pupils who want to talk quietly with their friends. This ensures that pupils have happy and harmonious playtimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets high expectations of what pupils can achieve, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Most pupils rise to the challenges set by their teachers. However, the expectations of what children can achieve in the early years are not as high. This means that children are not always ready for the next stage of their education.

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

Across the curriculum, leaders have thoughtfully broken down the knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn and when. In most subjects, teachers plan activities that deliver the curriculum effectively. For example, in mathematics, teachers model how to solve word problems successfully. They also provide well-considered resources to support pupils to achieve well. However, at times, some tasks are not planned as accurately as they could be. In addition, teachers do not always check what pupils can do before moving on to more complicated work. Where this happens, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

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

Leaders have rightly identified the need to support pupils to improve their writing. There are clear plans in place to help pupils strengthen their handwriting and use grammar accurately. Teachers have also carefully considered how to teach pupils complex vocabulary. However, there are not enough opportunities for pupils to apply the skills of high-quality writing in the wider curriculum.

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

In early years, the curriculum is less precise. The accurate teaching of phonics and mathematical knowledge is effective. However, it is not clear how children will apply and build on what they know in continuous provision. Meaningful opportunities to use and apply new language are not deliberate. Staff do not routinely model language sufficiently to broaden children’s vocabulary. Consequently, children do not use this language in their play. The ambition for children with SEND is not high enough in the early years. Staff supporting children with SEND do not help pupils engage in learning as effectively as they could. Activities are not always adapted to make them accessible. 25 and 26 March 2025

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Reading is a high priority in the school. Children start learning phonics as soon as they start school. The school’s phonics programme clearly sets out the sounds pupils need to know when learning to read. Those pupils who need extra help with their reading have regular one-to-one support to develop their fluency. Texts are carefully adapted to meet the needs of pupils, including those with SEND. Regular practise of the sounds pupils have learned means they achieve well in reading. Leaders select exciting books to motivate pupils to read regularly for pleasure.

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The ‘Western Wellbeing’ curriculum provides pupils with the knowledge to lead healthy lives. Pupils understand online risks and how to keep themselves safe. The school has carefully considered a range of trips with links across the curriculum to ensure that pupils have meaningful and memorable learning experiences. Pupils are thoughtful when describing the importance of different faiths, cultures and beliefs. They are well-prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Classrooms are calm environments where most pupils learn without interruption. Occasionally, some pupils become distracted in their learning. When this happens, teachers manage this swiftly and effectively. In the early years, children are cooperative and considerate in their play. Regular celebration of pupils’ achievements motivates them to do well. Pupils enjoy coming to school and have high attendance. Sensitive adjustments for pupils with SEND are valued by parents. Settling-in time in the morning helps to reduce worries for some pupils so they can focus on their learning.

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Governors have a clear understanding of their role. They take steps to ensure they have the knowledge, skills and systems to monitor the school’s provision. This allows them to hold leaders to account effectively. The school regularly provides staff with high-quality professional development. Leaders are sensitive to the workload of staff. Staff are proud to be members of the school community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In early years, activities within continuous provision do not always have a clear learning focus. This means that children do not have well-considered opportunities to consolidate and deepen their learning. The school should ensure that all activities are designed to help children learn effectively.  There are variabilities in how staff identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge and how they design activities to address these gaps. This means pupils do not always learn as much as they could in some subjects. The school should ensure that teachers check what pupils can and cannot do, and design learning tasks that help pupils to learn the school’s intended curriculum. 25 and 26 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). 25 and 26 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 2 and 3 October 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a voluntary controlled school in the Diocese of Winchester. The most recent section 48 inspection, which is an inspection of the school’s religious character, took place in April 2024.  The school uses three unregistered alternative providers.

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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. 25 and 26 March 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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with senior leaders, representatives from the governing body, representatives from the diocese and the local authority, teachers and support staff.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and art and design. For each deep dive, the inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Other subjects were also considered as part of this inspection.  The inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluation of the school and priorities for school improvement.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text

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comments. They also spoke to pupils, parents and staff and took into consideration Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys.  The inspectors examined the school’s policies and records, including those related to behaviour and pupils’ wider development.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour across the school, including as they arrived and left the school.  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.

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Inspection team

Stephen Cattell, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Rebecca Mayman Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 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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