Malvern Wyche CofE Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Malvern Wyche CofE Primary School Lower Wyche Road, Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 4ET

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Outcome

Malvern Wyche CofE 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?

The Wyche is a caring and inclusive school. The school’s vision, ‘together we soar’, is clear to see across many aspects of the school’s work. The school and parents work well together for the benefit of the pupils. Pupils are highly motivated and enjoy coming to school to learn and play.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has built on the school’s successes since the last inspection. Staff are determined for all pupils to achieve well academically. Pupils achieve this ambition, and they achieve well. This enables pupils to leave the school ready for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ safety and their social and emotional well-being are a high priority at this school. Pupils understand the behaviours that are expected of them. Routines are set right from the very start in Reception. Therefore, pupils benefit from a calm and orderly environment, free from disruption.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides rich opportunities to enhance pupils’ experiences at school beyond the curriculum. Trips and visitors help bring learning to life for pupils. The school encourages pupils to use the school grounds and local area to foster a love of nature. Pupils benefit from opportunities to represent the school at local sporting competitions and musical events. 3 June 2025

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

The refined curriculum clearly sequences important knowledge and skills. This means that staff know what needs to be taught and in what order. It also enables staff to identify the most important information that they want pupils to know and remember. Staff training helps them to develop secure subject knowledge. This enables them to present information clearly and engage pupils. Pupils talk knowledgeably about their learning over time. The school is aware that handwriting and letter formation is less well developed for some pupils. They have introduced a new approach to developing pupils’ handwriting. This is in the early stages.

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

The youngest children learn well in the early years. This is because the school prioritises teaching children the key knowledge and skills that they need from the start. Children engage in activities to extend their social and emotional skills, such as sharing equipment and working together to solve challenges. Early years staff enjoy warm relationships with children. This allows them to successfully support children and establish routines quickly.

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

The school has made changes to how staff check what pupils know and remember. Pupils benefit from this because staff now know when to revisit previous learning and make careful use of questions to deepen pupils’ understanding. While some staff make careful checks on pupils’ learning within lessons, this is not consistently the case. This leads to some variation in how effectively staff identify and address any misconceptions or move pupils’ learning on further. When this happens, some pupils do not learn as well as they could.

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

The school accurately identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They then receive effective support and guidance to enable them to achieve their learning targets. Pupils with complex SEND needs benefit from a bespoke curriculum. This enables them to be ready for the next stage of their learning.

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

The school prioritises reading. Pupils encounter a love of reading from an early age and build their fluency through a well-organised approach to teaching phonics. The school’s systematic approach means that pupils learn the necessary sounds. This enables them to accurately blend words and develop their reading skills. Pupils who need additional support receive it in order to help them become more confident, fluent readers.

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

The school has high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and their attitudes to learning. Pupils rise to these expectations and are keen to learn. Staff are tenacious in improving pupils’ attendance. This has resulted in more pupils attending school more often.

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

The pupils’ personal development is a strength in this school. Pupils understand the ‘STRIVE’ values: ‘Safety, Trust, Respect, Inspiration, Value, Engagement’, which are the heart of the school. A carefully crafted programme enables pupils to appreciate diversity and respect for others. The school provides pupils with the chance to take on roles of responsibility. Pupils enjoy these opportunities, such as older pupils acting as role models to younger children on the playground. 3 June 2025

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The school utilises the expertise of the governing board. Governors work well alongside the school to challenge and support appropriately. Governors and staff are ambitious that pupils achieve academic excellence and become well-rounded citizens of the future. Staff appreciate the support from the school and value efforts to consider their 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)

 There is some variability in how staff check pupils’ understanding. When this happens, opportunities are lost to reshape the learning and address misconceptions. This means that on occasions some pupils do not learn as well as they could in lessons. The school should implement a systematic approach to how staff check understanding so all staff to become expert at responding to how well pupils know and remember their learning.

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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 school to be good for overall effectiveness in February 2020. 3 June 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). 3 June 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 26 and 27 February 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher, deputy headteacher and leader in charge of SEND have been appointed since the previous inspection.  The school does not use an alternative provider.

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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 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, deputy headteacher, the leader with responsibility for SEND, a group of staff including teachers and support staff.  The lead inspector spoke with the chair of governors and met other members of the governing body. She also spoke to the local authority school adviser and the deputy director of education for the diocese. 3 June 2025

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 The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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 examined a range of school documentation.  The lead inspector took account of responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text responses. She also considered responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys. The inspectors spoke to a range of parents, staff and pupils to gather their views of the school.

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Inspection team

Donna O’Toole, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jeremy Bird Ofsted Inspector 3 June 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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