Walwayne Court School

Inspection of Walwayne Court School Brook Road, Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 9DU

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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 Requires improvement 29 and 30 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Walwayne Court is a school where the ethos ‘together we are stronger’ shines through. Warm and nurturing relationships exist between staff and pupils. As a result, pupils are happy and safe. They enjoy their time in school and attend regularly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school wants pupils to do well. Pupils are keen to learn. However, the pace of improvement made by the school since the last inspection has been too slow. The school does not ensure the curriculum meets the needs of some pupils. As a result, pupils do not receive a good quality of education across some subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils are polite and well mannered. They demonstrate high levels of respect and kindness towards one another. Pupils enact the school’s core values ‘be ready, be respectful and be safe’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The provision for pupils’ wider development is carefully considered. Pupils enjoy the opportunities on offer, including music and sports. These activities develop pupils’ interests and talents. The school provides high-quality pastoral support to pupils and their families. It teaches pupils how to stay safe, healthy and keep active. Pupils talk openly about differences and how it is important to celebrate diversity.

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better?

Since the previous inspection there is some evidence of improvement, for example, in reading and the identification of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, the school has been too slow to make the necessary changes needed to the curriculum to ensure that all pupils receive a good quality of education. In some subjects, the designed curriculum does not enable pupils to gain the knowledge and skills they need to achieve well. In these subjects, the school has not identified clearly enough the essential knowledge and skills it wants pupils to know and remember. Checks on what knowledge pupils know and remember are not secure across all subjects. This is reflected in some of the published outcomes which do not show the impact of the intended curriculum. This is especially evident in mathematics which are below national averages both at expected level in Year 6 and the Year 4 multiplication check.

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better?

The school has given priority to early reading. Its hard work and sound thinking are having a positive impact. The implementation of the school’s phonics programme is securely in place. Children begin their reading journey from the moment they start in the early years. Staff are skilled in the teaching of phonics and early reading. Pupils’ reading books closely match the sounds they know. This is helping them to get off to a great start with their reading. Pupils who find reading tricky get the right help to catch up quickly. Pupils enjoy story time with 29 and 30 April 2025

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books that are chosen to help extend their vocabulary and enhance their understanding.

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The mantra at this school is that all teachers are teachers of pupils with SEND. The school identifies pupils with SEND accurately. Adaptations are made to enable pupils to access the same curriculum as their peers. Nonetheless, the school know that, as with other pupils, the quality of education needs to improve to enable these pupils to achieve greater success.

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As soon as children start in the early years, they learn how to socialise and work independently. For example, children were able to make their own toast and spread their own butter using a knife safely. Children start to build their early reading, writing and mathematical knowledge well. The early years curriculum enables children to gain the knowledge they need for the demands of Year 1.

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The school’s work to develop pupils’ personal development is a strength. It provides pupils with rich developmental experiences, such as the residential trip to Wales. These experiences help develop pupils’ perseverance, resilience and leadership skills. Pupils relish the roles and responsibilities afforded to them. These include being reading ambassadors, sports leaders, school councillors and representing the school at the Trowbridge Youth Parliament. Pupils learn how to become thoughtful young people who respect and appreciate the diversity of the world in which they live.

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Staff are extremely proud to work at the school and comment how the school is a ‘welcoming, caring environment, a real community’. They welcome the support and consideration of leaders to manage their workload and well-being.

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Governors understand their roles and responsibilities. While they know the strengths and weaknesses of the school, they recognise the pace of improvement needs to accelerate and work is needed to ensure that the school provides a high- quality education for its pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The improvements needed to be made in the quality of education has been too slow. Consequently, in some subjects the quality of education pupils receive is not good. The school, with governors, should ensure that actions to improve 29 and 30 April 2025

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the school are timely and impacting fully on the quality of education pupils receive.  In some subjects, the school has not identified clearly enough the essential knowledge and skills it wants pupils to know and remember. In these subjects, pupils do not learn the depth of content needed to build their knowledge securely over time. The school should ensure that the curriculum in all subjects, identifies the important content clearly and is delivered effectively, to build and deepen pupils’ knowledge and skills over time.  In some subjects, teachers’ checks on what pupils know and remember are not effective. Consequently, pupils’ recall of prior learning is insecure. This makes it difficult for them build their knowledge. The school should ensure that assessment is used effectively in every subject so that pupils know and remember more.

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How can I feed back my views?

school, or to 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). 29 and 30 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 1 and 2 November 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school makes use of one registered alternative provision.

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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. 29 and 30 April 2025

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 This was the second routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, assistant headteacher and wider staff.  The lead inspector met with governors including the chair of the governing body.  The lead inspector met with two school improvement advisers from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: Reading, mathematics, history and physical education. For each deep dive, the 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.  The lead inspector listened to some pupils from Years 1, 2 and 3 read to a member of staff. Pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 were also listened to reading. Story time was visited in

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the Reception Year and Year 1.  Inspectors sampled pupils’ work in geography, science and music.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered key documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation, the school development plan and governors’ minutes.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. An inspector met with school leaders to discuss and review how they respond to behaviour incidents and pupils’ attendance.  Inspectors considered the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free- text comments. Inspectors spoke to parents at the beginning of the day.

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Inspection team

Jen Southall, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Kate Masters Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 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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