Weeton St Michael’s Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, and children in the early years, told inspectors that staff make everyone feel part of the school community.

They said that everyone is treated with respect regardless of their differences. Pupils said that this makes them feel happy. They enjoy coming to school.

Pupils trust that staff will help them if they have any worries or concerns. This helps them to feel safe.

Pupils behave well in school because of leaders' high expectations.

If bullying does happen, leaders and staff deal with it quickly. Pupils get on well together and make friends easily.

Pupils value the opportunities that they have to take on responsibilities such as be...ing house captains or part of the ethos group.

That said, leaders do not make pupils' personal development a priority. Pupils are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they should be.

Pupils work hard in lessons and enjoy their learning.

However, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not achieve as well as they should. This is because leaders and teachers are not clear about what pupils should learn and when subject content should be taught.

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

Up until recently, leaders had not ensured that the curriculums for subjects other than English and mathematics were sufficiently ambitious or well organised.

They have started to take steps to remedy this situation. For example, subject curriculums are more aspirational in scope than they were previously. However, the important knowledge and vocabulary that pupils, and children in the early years, should learn continues to be unclear in some subjects and areas for learning.

As a result, teachers are not clear what should be taught and when this should happen. This means that pupils are not able to build a deep body of knowledge over time. Their achievement across subjects is variable.

Some subject leaders have not had the training or support that they need to carry out their roles effectively. This limits their ability to provide advice and guidance to teachers. The new approach to checking on what pupils have learned is having variable impact.

This is because leaders have not ensured that all staff have been trained to follow the new systems. As a result, teachers are not fully aware of what pupils do or do not know. This hinders some teachers in their efforts to design appropriate learning activities.

Leaders have prioritised reading. Staff are well trained in teaching phonics. Children in the Reception Year quickly learn the sounds that letters represent.

The books that pupils read closely match the sounds that they are learning. Pupils use effective strategies to help them to read new words. They are determined and focused when reading.

As a result, pupils experience the enjoyment that comes from reading a book. Leaders and staff carefully check to see if pupils need extra help with reading. These pupils benefit from the support that they receive from skilled staff.

This helps them to keep up with their peers.

Most pupils understand the importance of respect and model this in their own behaviour. They are attentive in lessons and keen to learn.

This means that pupils generally learn without interruption.

Leaders ensure that pupils play a positive role in their local community. However, pupils do not experience a sufficient range of high-quality personal development opportunities.

For example, leaders have not ensured that some pupils know and understand British values. In addition, teachers do not deliver some aspects of the relationships and health education curriculum effectively. Pupils are not as well prepared to grow up in modern Britain as they should be.

Leaders ensure that there are effective systems in place to identify the needs of pupils with SEND early. However, leaders have not assured themselves that pupils with SEND always get the support that they need. Some staff are not sufficiently trained to adapt their teaching to support pupils with SEND.

This means that pupils with SEND do not always access the same curriculum as their peers.

Governors ensure that they carry out their legal duties well. However, they have not received the training that they need to hold leaders to account effectively over the quality of education.

Leaders and governors are considerate of staff's workload when making decisions and take positive steps to support staff well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff are trained to spot the signs that a pupil may be at risk of harm.

Leaders provide staff with regular safeguarding updates. This reinforces the focus that staff have on pupils' safety and well-being. Leaders work well with other organisations.

This ensures that pupils and families get the support they need.

Leaders make sure that pupils know how to keep themselves and others safe. Pupils benefit from visits from organisations such as the fire service and road safety team.

This helps pupils to know how to keep safe outside of school.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not identified the key knowledge and vocabulary that children in the early years and pupils in Years 1 to 6 should learn. This hampers teachers from designing learning that builds up pupils' knowledge over time.

Leaders should ensure that they finalise their curriculum thinking so that it is clear what pupils should learn and when this should be taught from the early years to Year 6. ? Some subject leaders do not have the knowledge that they need to fulfil their roles effectively. This means they are not able to support staff to improve their teaching or subject-specific knowledge.

Leaders should ensure that all subject leaders receive the training and support that they require to be fully effective in their leadership roles. ? Leaders have not made sure that all pupils learn all that they should to be ready for life in modern Britain. Leaders should ensure that all pupils experience a range of high-quality personal development opportunities that prepare them for the diverse society in which they live.

• Some staff have not received sufficient training on how they deliver the curriculum to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. This means that some pupils with SEND struggle to access the same curriculum as their peers. Leaders should ensure that teachers are trained to adapt their pedagogical approaches to meet the needs pupils with SEND so that these pupils achieve well.

• Governors do not hold leaders to account for the quality of education. This limits their impact on school improvement. Governors should ensure that they access appropriate training and support to enable them to hold leaders to account effectively.