Green Wrythe Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this caring and nurturing school.

They approach everything with enthusiasm, whether they are learning or playing with their friends. Pupils feel safe and are happy here. As one pupil said, 'It is a great school, we like everything.'

This summed up pupils' views well.

The school's values, as well as its motto, 'be the best we can be', are well known by the pupils. Pupils are highly respectful to their peers and adults, including visitors to the school.

Leaders and staff set high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils, in turn, meet these expectations well. ...They learn effectively through a well-designed curriculum.

Leaders have put in place clear routines and structures to support pupils to behave well. Pupils are well versed with the school's expectations. This has resulted in a calm and orderly learning environment.

Pupils say that bullying is rare. They have trust and confidence in adults, who address any worries swiftly.

Inclusivity is at the heart of everything that the school does.

Pupils are encouraged to respect and celebrate differences. For example, leaders organise events, such as autism awareness week, so that pupils can learn more about the experiences of others. Pupils across the school, including those who attend the 'Rainbow' resourced provision, wrote letters to each other sharing what school is like for them.

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

Leaders have created an ambitious curriculum for all pupils. This includes those pupils with SEND, both in the mainstream and resourced provision. Teaching introduces and explains ideas clearly to pupils.

Leaders have also purposely planned into the curriculum speaking and listening opportunities for pupils to articulate their ideas and thinking. This supports pupils with their learning.

The curriculum is well sequenced.

Each year, from early years through to Year 6, it builds on the knowledge that pupils gain from their previous learning. Leaders have identified the main knowledge that they want pupils to learn, know and remember. For example, children in Reception learn lots about the world around them.

They talk and learn about their own life story and family history. This prepares them well for learning the curriculum in subjects such as history in Year 1 and beyond.

Sometimes, teachers' checks on what pupils have learned are not as sharp as they should be.

Gaps in pupils' knowledge and skills are not fully addressed. This reduces how well pupils are able to understand and recall in depth what has been taught previously.

Leaders have prioritised reading across the school.

There is a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics and early reading. Pupils enjoy listening to their teachers read to them every day. Staff are well trained and teach phonics effectively.

Adults support pupils to apply their phonics knowledge to read unfamiliar words speedily. Pupils who are falling behind with their phonics and reading are identified and given the help that they need. They read to an adult every day in school.

Pupils put into practice their phonics knowledge regularly, including through structured reading practice. They mostly do this with books that match the sounds that they know. In a few instances, books are not as precisely matched as they should be and, therefore, do not fully support pupils' reading practice.

The positive working relationships between pupils and teachers help pupils to listen, pay attention and ask questions about their learning. Classrooms are orderly places, where pupils can learn without disruption. The early years offers children well-established routines and structures.

Children respond well. They learn and play together in a happy and safe environment.

Leaders provide pupils with many opportunities to support their personal development.

For example, pupils experience democracy first hand through voting for who they want to represent them in the pupil parliament. Leaders give pupils opportunities to broaden their horizons and enrich learning beyond the classroom. Pupils attend after-school clubs, such as netball and gardening.

They go on educational trips that are linked to their learning. For example, pupils visit museums and places of interest, such as The Tower of London.

Leaders and staff identify, assess and meet the needs of pupils with SEND well, including those in the resourced provision.

They adapt the teaching strategies effectively, so that these pupils can learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Leaders and staff work closely with other professionals, such as speech and language therapists, to support these pupils well in their learning.

Staff feel valued at this school.

Leaders are mindful of staff's workload and promote their well-being.

The board of trustees, local governors and the trust's school improvement team provide school leaders with a good level of support and challenge.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Pupils' safety and welfare are leaders' top priority. Leaders ensure that staff are well trained and receive regular updates relating to safeguarding matters. Staff know how to spot signs, such as changes in pupils' behaviour, which may indicate pupils are at risk of harm.

Staff know and follow the school's internal procedures to raise concerns, should they need to.

Leaders work closely with external agencies to secure help for pupils and families when it is needed. Leaders have completed all the necessary checks on adults to ensure they are suitable to work with pupils.

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe through the school's curriculum. For example, they learn how to keep safe online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• On occasions, teachers are not precisely checking what pupils already know and can do, and whether they remember what has been taught.

This means that gaps in pupils' knowledge and skills are not identified and fully addressed. Leaders should ensure that there is a sharper approach to the checking of what pupils have learned and understood. They should focus on making sure that any gaps in knowledge are addressed swiftly, so that pupils are supported to know and remember more.

• In a few cases, some pupils are reading books that are not as well matched as they need to be to the sounds that they know. This reduces the effectiveness of planned reading practice. Leaders need to ensure that planned reading practice is consistently well supported by books that are precisely matched to pupils' stage of phonics learning.