St Oswald’s Worleston CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to St Oswald's Worleston CofE Primary School. They feel a strong sense of belonging in this caring learning environment. Pupils feel happy at school.

Leaders encourage pupils to flourish. They are ambitious for all pupils, regardless of their backgrounds. Leaders and staff expect pupils to achieve well.

This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils, including those children in the Nursery and Reception classes, enjoy their lessons. They eagerly look forward to learning each day.

Pupils are especially enthusiastic about their 'connected curriculum'. As a result of a carefully designed curricu...lum, pupils typically achieve well across the school.

Pupils are polite and courteous.

Leaders deal with any allegations of bullying or poor behaviour effectively. As a result, pupils said that they are confident to report any issues to staff.

Pupils contribute their views and ideas through the school's ethos team and the school council.

Many pupils choose to attend before- or after-school clubs, where they can engage in arts and crafts and sporting activities. All pupils have the opportunity to attend residential trips and they enjoy meeting the regular visitors to school, such as archaeologists.

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

Leaders have created an ambitious curriculum for pupils, including for children in the early years and those in the two-year-old provision.

The curriculum is broad and balanced. Overall, leaders have designed the curriculum well in most subjects to help pupils learn and remember more of the curriculum content.

Leaders place a strong emphasis on reading, writing and mathematics.

Pupils, including those with SEND and those pupils who are disadvantaged, achieve highly in these subjects. In the main, pupils also learn well in a wide range of other subjects. Across most subjects, pupils successfully build up their knowledge of topics and concepts.

However, in a few subjects, leaders' curriculum thinking is less well developed. This is because leaders have not fully thought out the order in which new learning should be taught. Occasionally, this hinders how well teachers design learning activities.

In most subjects, teachers check carefully what pupils have learned and what they need to do next. However, in a small number of subjects, teachers do not use leaders' assessment systems as effectively as they could. Sometimes, teachers do not check exactly what pupils know and remember of their learning and, on occasions, some pupils develop misconceptions.

Leaders have prioritised the teaching of reading, which starts as soon as children join the early years. Staff teach phonics consistently well, remaining faithful to the scheme that they use. Staff ensure that the books that pupils read match the sounds that they know.

This helps pupils at the early stages of learning to read to gain the knowledge and skills that they need to be confident readers. As pupils move up through the school, most pupils develop fluency and accuracy in reading. They appreciate the joys that books can bring.

Leaders successfully identify and assess the additional needs of pupils with SEND. Teachers skilfully adapt the delivery of the curriculum for these pupils. Pupils with SEND access the full curriculum.

Typically, pupils behave well in lessons. Children in the early years, including those in the two-year-old provision, settle quickly and they adapt well to school routines. Pupils work well with each other and they have strong relationships with teaching staff.

However, a very small number of pupils do not attend school as often as they should.

Pupils show respect towards others with different views or lifestyles. Celebrating difference is at the heart of this school.

There is a wide range of clubs and activities for pupils to enjoy, including baking, rugby and bikeability. Children in the Nursery class enjoy the practical experiences of watching tadpoles and chicks change over time.

Leaders, including governors and trustees, are mindful of reducing staff's workload, for example, by removing unnecessary administrative tasks.

Governors and trustees have put pupils' and staff's well-being at the centre of their leadership discussions. Governors and trustees know the school's strengths well, as well as aspects of leaders' work that require further development.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and staff are well trained to carry out their safeguarding responsibilities. There are clear systems in place to identify pupils who may be at risk of harm. Staff report safeguarding concerns quickly and diligently.

Leaders act promptly on any referrals regarding pupils' safety or well-being.

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online and are aware not to give out personal information on social media.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The design of the curriculum in a small number of subjects is not as well developed as it is for other subject areas.

Occasionally, this prevents some teachers from choosing the most appropriate activities to help pupils to learn new information. Leaders should ensure that they finalise their curriculum thinking in these remaining subjects, so that pupils know and remember more. ? In a few subjects, teachers do not use leaders' assessment systems as well as they should to check whether pupils have retained what has been taught.

This means that, on occasions, some pupils do not remember all that they should. Some pupils also develop misconceptions that go unchecked. Leaders should ensure that teachers use assessment systems consistently well.

• Levels of persistent absence remain high for a small proportion of pupils. As a result, sometimes these pupils do not access all that the curriculum has to offer. Leaders should ensure that levels of persistent absence reduce.