Wessington Primary School

Wessington Primary School

Address: The Green, Wessington, Alfreton, Derbyshire, DE55 6DQ Unique reference number (URN): 112646

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders and staff expect and promote high attendance with pupils and families. Leaders carry out regular checks on pupils' attendance. This enables them to understand and quicky respond to any patterns of poor attendance. Overall rates of attendance are consistently above the national averages, including for pupils who are disadvantaged. Persistent absence is well below the national averages. The school provides effective support for the small number of pupils who do not attend as well as they should, working sensitively with families to address concerns. This typically results in improved attendance for those pupils.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils flourish and have positive attitudes to their learning. They demonstrate self-discipline and behave with natural respect towards each other and adults. Pupils of all ages are unfailingly polite and considerate of others. Older pupils are proud to act as role models of good behaviour for the younger ones. Some pupils occasionally struggle to control their emotions, due to their additional needs. Those pupils can access a well-considered range of support and interventions delivered by trained and experienced staff. This has a demonstrable impact on pupils’ behaviour. Any allegations of bullying, although rare, are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly.

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Inclusion Strong standard

This is a highly inclusive school where leaders and staff know and understand the pupils very well. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils to succeed and achieve as highly as possible. There is an accurate oversight of key groups such as pupils who are eligible for pupil premium, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those known (or previously known) to children’s social care. As a result, leaders can quickly identify, assess and review the barriers that may affect pupils’ learning and wellbeing. Leaders meticulously check how well pupils are progressing in relation to their individual targets. Records show that pupils make consistently positive progress from their starting points. The additional funding that the school receives has a positive impact on those pupils for whom it is intended.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders have ensured that staff have the necessary skills and training to support pupils effectively. Staff adapt the teaching so that all pupils can access the curriculum. Helpful resources are made available to pupils as required, including the use of external professional advice. These adaptations are applied consistently across the school. As a result, disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND develop as confident learners.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have designed a full and effective programme to promote pupils’ wider personal development. This is taught systematically through the curriculum, assemblies, events and other activities. This includes the age-appropriate teaching of sex and relationships education.

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Expected standard

Leaders are rightly proud of their supplementary ‘enrichment curriculum’. This provision consists of a vast array of opportunities for pupils to learn about the wider world. It has been deliberately designed to reflect the school’s context and community and pupils’ experiences. Leaders have ensured that this programme is available to all pupils by making the activities available during the school day. Leaders carefully track and analyse pupils’ participation in the programme. This ensures that all pupils take full advantage of the wide range of experiences offered. Leaders’ over-arching ambition is for pupils to develop as ‘global citizens’. The impact of this provision is clear to see in pupils' actions and responses.

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Expected standard

A notable feature of the school’s enrichment provision is the frequent visits from members of society such as business owners and a local choir. Educational visits are organised to places of interest such as museums, outdoor activity experiences and an inner-city multicultural centre. Pupils speak enthusiastically about their learning from these activities.

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Expected standard

Pupils have a strong ‘voice’ in school. Their views are taken seriously and respected, for example through the provision of recycling bins and playground resources, at pupils' suggestion. They can serve as elected members of the school council, as ‘ECO leaders’ and ‘safeguarding leaders’, among other roles. These opportunities enable pupils to develop qualities of leadership and co-operation.

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Expected standard

Pupils demonstrate a detailed and sophisticated understanding of matters related to equalities and the fundamental British values. Pupils from a range of year groups, including disadvantaged pupils, spoke impressively about the meaning of discrimination. They could clearly explain why the rights of certain groups of people are protected by law. They understand that such values are not equally upheld in all parts of the world, showing a mature understanding of the consequences of discrimination. Similarly, pupils showed excellent recall of their learning in religious education, being able to describe some key features of various faiths.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils achieve well in the national tests at the end of Year 6. Achievement in reading, writing and mathematics, including that of disadvantaged pupils, is consistently close to, or above, the national average. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make suitable progress from their starting points, measured in relation to their individual barriers to learning. This shows that leaders and staff prioritise the essential knowledge and skills that pupils need. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils talk confidently about their learning across the curriculum. They can remember and apply prior learning. The quality of written work across the school is not as good as pupils’ verbal responses. Some pupils have not secured the necessary accuracy and fluency in handwriting, or in how to present their work. The school does not have a systematic approach to teaching those skills. This means that pupils do not have suitable opportunities to practise and improve.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders provide a broad and balanced, well-planned curriculum. Leaders’ ambition for pupils is reflected in the key values that underpin their curriculum: ‘Learning, enjoying, achieving’. The curriculum is designed to enable pupils to develop increasingly securing knowledge and skills across all subjects.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff have secure subject knowledge. This enables them to teach and adapt the curriculum well. There is a firm emphasis on all pupils securing the essential knowledge and skills in reading, writing, handwriting and mathematics. Leaders have ensured that early reading is a high priority. This is effective in ensuring that pupils quickly become secure, fluent readers.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders systematically check how well the curriculum is taught, to identify and address any areas needing development. Recently, leaders have reviewed how effectively staff use assessment to check pupils’ understanding. The renewed approach to providing verbal feedback is having a positive impact on pupils’ knowledge and skills in lessons. However, the school’s agreed approach to assessing pupils’ written work is not consistently applied in all parts of the school. As a result of this variation, pupils do not receive consistently clear feedback on how to improve their written work. Sometimes, this leads to errors being unnecessarily repeated.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders are committed to prioritising the early years as an important feature of the school’s provision. There is an appropriate, well-sequenced early years curriculum in place. Leaders are ambitious for children in the early years to make the best possible start to their education. Children enjoy the activities provided for them, for example through the current ‘pirates’ theme that engages their interests well.

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Early years Expected standard

Positive relationships and experienced, caring staff ensure that children are settled and happy. Across the Nursery and Reception classes, children follow routines and expectations. Staff promote early reading and language development effectively, by their questioning and careful interactions. Children make a positive start to learning phonics and mathematics.

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Early years Expected standard

In recent years, a higher proportion of children with additional needs have joined the early years. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and others who have barriers to their learning or wellbeing, receive bespoke support to access the curriculum. By the end of the Reception year, some children, including some with SEND, do not reach a good level of development. This means that they are less prepared for Year 1 than they might be. Leaders ensure that important information about children’s progress is shared with Year 1 staff, to ease the transition.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders understand the context of the school and its pupils very well. They are deeply committed to providing the best possible education for all pupils. They have acted effectively to improve the school’s provision over time. For example, leaders have strengthened the curriculum so that it is embedded and suitable for pupils. Subject leadership has been developed, through the effective harnessing of staff expertise across the 3 schools in the federation. In a small number of areas, for example in aspects of teaching and the early years, the impact of leaders’ actions is not fully realised. However, leaders clearly understand what needs to be done to ensure continuous improvement.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors are well placed to provide both support and challenge for the school. They check how well the school is performing across all key areas and fulfil their legal responsibilities effectively. Governors are ambitious for all pupils, especially the most disadvantaged, to achieve and thrive, ensuring that decisions are taken in pupils’ best interests. Governors are considerate of leaders’ and staff workload and wellbeing. Along with leaders and staff, they engage regularly with parents and carers to establish positive home-school relationships.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff appreciate the support that they receive for their workload and wellbeing. Leaders ensure that staff benefit from the rich and varied training programme provided for them, drawing on expertise and resources from across the federation of schools.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are happy at this school. Many speak proudly about the activities and opportunities provided for them. They have a strong sense of belonging to the small, close-knit school community. This enables them to thrive. Many parents and carers echo their children’s pride in the school. Pupils praise the care and kindness of staff, saying that this helps them to feel safe. The school provides a caring culture that puts pupils’ wellbeing, and their safety, first. Children in the early years are happy and settled at school. Children in the Nursery and Reception classes learn and play harmoniously alongside each other, supported by positive staff relationships.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils behave very well. They show kindness and respect for each other and for adults. They are thoughtful and conscientious learners who have positive attitudes in lessons. Around school, and at breaktimes, pupils behave sensibly. They form positive friendships and say that bullying is not a problem at the school. Pupils make the most of the opportunities provided to play energetically, socialise and promote their wider personal development.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

The school’s enrichment provision is a real strength. All pupils access and benefit from the very well-designed programme of activities, clubs and experiences. These opportunities enable pupils to develop skills such as resilience and co-operation.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Disadvantaged pupils, and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are a key priority for the school. Effective teaching and pastoral support enable those pupils to thrive and progress well from their starting points. Pupils who have barriers to their learning or wellbeing are very well integrated into the life of the school.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils achieve consistently well in reading, writing and mathematics. This is reflected in the above-average results in the national tests held at the end of Year 6. Disadvantaged pupils typically achieve better than other disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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Lead inspector:

Christine Watkins, His Majesty's Inspector

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Next steps

Leaders should take steps to monitor more closely and to rapidly improve children’s achievement in the early years, so that a greater proportion of children make rapid suitable progress and are well prepared for Year 1. Leaders should ensure that pupils systematically develop and improve their accuracy and skills in handwriting, so that the quality of pupils’ work in their books is consistently high across the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that staff consistently apply the school’s approaches to marking and assessment, so that pupils understand how to improve their work and respond appropriately.

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About this inspection

The co-chairs of the board of governors in this school are Judith Holt and Natalie Slater.

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About this inspection

The school is part of a federation called The Framework Federation.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty's Inspectors (HMI) or Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMI.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the executive headteacher, leaders, staff, pupils and parents and carers during the inspection. Inspectors also spoke with members of the governing body and representatives of the local authority.

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About this inspection

The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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About this inspection

At the time of the inspection, there were 99 pupils on roll, including those children in the Nursery.

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About this inspection

Executive headteacher: Karen Maycock This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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About this inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 7 July 2026

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational needs support at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English indices of deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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average

2022/23 (final) 67% 60% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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average

2022/23 (final) 78% 71% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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