Great Wishford CofE (VA) Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a small school with a big heart.

It lives out its vision of 'no challenge too big, no child too small' in the way that it welcomes pupils and helps them to settle into school. Staff are kind and caring and they look after pupils well. Pupils feel happy and safe at school.

They have positive relationships with each other and with staff. Pupils trust staff to help them with any concerns.

The school is ambitious for pupils to achieve highly.

It has transformed the curriculum to ensure that it supports pupils to build their knowledge securely. As a result, most pupils achieve well.

The school environment is calm and orderly.

Pup...ils are clear about the expectations staff have of them and most pupils respond well to these. Pupils play well together across year groups. Older pupils support younger pupils to have a happy playtime.

Pupils enjoy attending after-school clubs, including musical theatre, gymnastics and football. Older pupils build their character by leading a drama club. Pupils organise and host events for the local community to raise money for national charities.

This helps pupils to develop a sense of belonging and responsibility.

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

The school has implemented a well-sequenced phonics programme. This begins early in the Reception Year.

Children know and follow the routines of the phonics programme well. This helps them to build their knowledge of sounds and how to blend them into words. Teachers check and correct any errors that pupils make.

They make sure pupils who are at risk of falling behind with reading receive the help and extra practise they need to catch up with their peers. This helps pupils to secure their knowledge of sounds and to use them to write and spell words.

Pupils read a diverse range of texts, including books from around the world and books that teach them about qualities such as perseverance, service and respect.

This supports pupils to deepen their knowledge of the wider world and the lives of others.

The wider curriculum is ambitious and carefully sequenced. It sets out the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils will learn as they move through the school.

The school identifies any special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) that pupils may have. It ensures that staff have an accurate understanding of the needs of these pupils. Staff provide appropriate support and resources to help pupils with SEND access the curriculum.

This helps pupils to learn successfully alongside their peers.

The majority of pupils learn the intended curriculum well. However, on some occasions, teachers do not check that knowledge is secure.

This means that some pupils have misconceptions that teachers do not address. As a result, these pupils do not build their knowledge as well as they could.

Staff have high expectations of behaviour.

They reinforce these expectations and remind pupils to follow them. This helps to ensure that most pupils remain focused and engaged in their learning.

The personal, social and health education curriculum starts in the Reception Year, where children learn how to keep safe and live a healthy lifestyle.

Pupils build on this learning as they move through the school. For instance, they learn to stay safe when crossing roads, riding bikes and when online. Pupils learn about healthy eating and the importance of sport and exercise.

They enjoy opportunities to be physically active at lunchtimes and after-school clubs.

Pupils learn about the lives of other people and they reflect on world issues. For instance, they reflect on equality when they consider the unfairness of girls not being able to attend school in some parts of the world.

The school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. They can explain what the fundamental British values look like in everyday life. Pupils put democracy into practice by voting for school councillors and house captains and they show respect to adults and to each other.

The trust and local academy council are knowledgeable about the school. They work in close partnership to ensure the school fulfils its statutory responsibilities. Trust-wide guidance materials and support are ensuring the school continues to improve.

Members of the local academy council are a visible presence in the school. They offer appropriate support and challenge to the school.

Staff value the support they receive to manage their workload.

The guidance they receive from the trust helps them to accurately evaluate the effectiveness of the school's curriculum.

Parents and carers are positive about the school and the support their child receives.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• On occasions, in some subjects, teachers do not identify and correct errors that pupils make. This means that some pupils develop misconceptions and do not build their knowledge as well as they could. The trust should ensure that assessment is used effectively in order to check for misconceptions and that these are addressed so that pupils secure their knowledge well across the curriculum.