Water Hall Primary School

Inspection of Water Hall Primary School Fern Grove, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK2 3QF

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

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The headteacher of this school is Emma Seabourne. This school is part of the Tove Education 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), Jamie Clarke, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Chris Watt. 8 and 9 July 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are starting to benefit from the school’s higher expectations of what they can achieve. They are now experiencing a more ambitious curriculum. Nevertheless, many of the improved curriculums are in the early stages of being implemented. As a result, pupils in key stages 1 and 2 have gaps in knowledge across a range of subjects. Pupils do not achieve as well as they should. Conversely, children in the early years benefit from well matched learning that prepares them well for Year 1.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and feel a strong sense of belonging in this friendly and welcoming school. The school is centred around kindness. This focus contributes strongly to pupils’ well-being and to their enjoyment of school. Staff encourage pupils to grow as people and learners. Pupils behave well and show kindness and empathy to each other. One said, representing the views of many, ‘We look after each other.’ Pupils feel safe and well cared for at the school. They say that staff help them when they have any concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is at the centre of the local community. It is a place where everyone is welcome. Pupils benefit from many leadership opportunities, such as being kindness ambassadors, who model and encourage others to notice when people show their care for others. Opportunities such as regular talks with the NSPCC and local police officers help pupils to engage with their community and understand the difference that they can make to others.

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

The school has tackled the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection with urgency, commitment and increasing success. The curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced form the early years to year 6. The provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) has also been improved. Pupils’ SEND needs are identified precisely. The curriculum is adapted increasingly effectively to meet these needs.

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

However, more work is needed to ensure that there is a greater impact on what pupils know, do and remember across the curriculum. These weaknesses were seen in the very low national test results in reading, writing and mathematics in 2023 and 2024 at the end of Year 6. The school supports staff to deliver the curriculum clearly. However, this work is at an early stage. At times, pupils are moved on to new learning without checks being made to ensure that they are fully secure with previously taught concepts. This impedes pupils’ ability to make sense of new curriculum content. As a result, gaps in pupils’ knowledge persist. They do not have a rich body of knowledge in these subjects.

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

The school’s phonics programme is well organised and provides the content required to support pupils’ reading. Historically, the programme has not been delivered systematically enough over time. The results of the Year 1 phonics check in 2024 were significantly below national average. Changes have been made to further improve phonics teaching. The consistency of phonics teaching has improved, expectations are higher. Daily support is given to pupils who need extra help. These steps have made a difference. More pupils in Year 1 are now reading fluently across the curriculum. 8 and 9 July 2025

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There have been positive changes made to the writing curriculum. Teachers are starting to implement the writing programme more consistently and effectively from early years to Year 6 than they were a year ago. However, errors in spelling, punctuation and handwriting often go unchecked, leading to repeated mistakes over time.

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Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning, and these develop well in the early years. Staff in these classes ensure that children learn the routines of the school. This prepares them well for Year 1. The school carefully tracks the attendance of pupils. Staff support families of pupils whose attendance is low with compassion and tenacity. This has helped pupils’ attendance improve over time.

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The provision for pupils’ personal development is a strength in the school. Pupils benefit from well-considered opportunities outside of the curriculum. Pupils’ talents are nurtured through the many clubs on offer to them. These include sports, arts and craft and singing. Pupils understand the importance of having positive mental health. They are taught strategies that they use for this, such as focusing on what they are grateful for.

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The school has the ambition and capacity to improve. Leaders across the school and trust have accurately identified the areas in need of improvement. Work on these areas is making a positive difference. Staff well-being and workload is carefully considered before any change is made. Governors and the trust work well together to support and challenge the school effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the school need to do to improve?

 The school does not routinely check that pupils are fully secure with prior learning before they move on to new content. This means that pupils do not build on their prior knowledge as well as they should. The school should make sure that the checks made on pupils’ learning identify misconceptions and gaps in learning so that these are quickly addressed before new learning is introduced.  ‘The school has not ensured that errors in pupils’ spelling, punctuation and handwriting are consistently identified and addressed. As a result, some pupils continue to make the same mistakes over time. The school should ensure that systems are in place to identify and address these errors effectively, so pupils are supported to develop greater accuracy and expertise in their writing across the curriculum. 8 and 9 July 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). 8 and 9 July 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 17 and 18 May 2023, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in September 2023.  This school is a part of the Tove Educational Trust. The school currently uses one 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). 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. 8 and 9 July 2025

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 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, deputy headteacher and subject leaders. The lead inspector also met with the representatives of the local governing body and the chair of trustees. Inspectors also met with the CEO.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, geography and computing. They discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, teachers and pupils. Inspectors also visited lessons and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors considered the responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire, including the free-text comments. They also took account of the responses to the confidential staff survey and gathered the views of both staff and pupils throughout the inspection.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central

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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.  Inspectors reviewed and scrutinised a range of the school’s documentation, including leaders’ plans for improving the school, minutes of the local governing board and trustee meetings and records of attendance and behaviour incidents.

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Inspection team

Neil Pilsworth, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Wayne Jarvis Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 July 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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