The Wickford Church of England School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very happy at school. They feel safe, and they know exactly what to do to keep themselves safe, both in and out of school, as well as online. Pupils demonstrate the school's values of happiness, esteem, achievement, respect and responsibility, value of truth, and service and spirituality in all that they do.

Pupils behave and learn extremely well. They work hard to meet staff's high expectations. Pupils have a positive attitude to their learning.

They take pride in everything that they do and produce high-quality work.

Extra-curricular activities and clubs are carefully planned to support pupils' learning in the classroom. The 'HEARTS Promise' ensu...res that pupils have bespoke memories from their time at the school, including staying away from home for a night or trying to break a world, national or trust record.

These experiences support pupils' personal development and increase their self-esteem and resilience.

Within the school, pupils' well-being is a high priority. The 'Mental Health Champions', as well as the trust's counsellor, are integral to supporting this.

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

The school's curriculum has been well thought through. It is highly ambitious, offering a wide range of subjects for all the pupils. The school has identified the essential knowledge and skills that each pupil should learn in each subject.

Teachers use questioning and assessment very effectively. This helps pupils remember important knowledge and use it well.

Teachers have an in-depth knowledge of the subjects they teach.

They use this to plan well-thought-through, highly effective sequences of lessons. This ensures that all pupils, from early years to Year 2, make very strong progress in all subjects. Pupils achieve consistently highly.

The school prides itself on providing a bespoke curriculum for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff are ambitious for all pupils. They identify pupils' needs accurately and carefully plan the next steps in their learning.

Staff are highly skilled at adapting their teaching. Pupils and parents work alongside staff to ensure that pupils do their best.

The school emphasises the importance of all pupils being able to read well.

This starts in the Nursery, where children learn letter sounds. Staff teach phonics consistently and well throughout the school. They ensure that the books pupils read are well matched to the sounds they learn in lessons.

This enables pupils to practise the sounds and read fluently. Adults carefully check pupils' progress in reading. If needed, extra support is swiftly put in place so that pupils do not fall behind.

This enables pupils to quickly become confident and fluent readers.Pupils love to read. The school and class libraries have well-chosen and high-quality books.

The school carefully selects the books that adults read to pupils. This ensures that the books cover a range of themes and link to the HEARTS values and to pupils' learning. Reluctant readers are successfully encouraged to read to Daisy, the school dog.

This motivates pupils to widen their choice of books.

Pupils have a high level of respect for each other. They have positive attitudes to their learning.

Pupils respond well to the high expectations from the very start. They enjoy working towards recognition for their behaviours, including gaining a 'HEARTS values sticker' and a personalised postcard from the headteacher. The calm and nurturing environment ensures that pupils support each other in lessons and at playtime.

Therefore, pupils are keen and eager to attend school punctually every day.

The school has constructed a coherently planned personal development programme. This is woven through everything pupils learn.

Staff carefully select texts, topics and examples of significant people for pupils to learn about. This enables pupils to learn about other cultures and beliefs and how their community is different to others.

Pupils highlight their character development in their young leader passports.

These demonstrate how pupils work together and take action and show perseverance and kindness. Pupils can do this in many ways, including by helping a friend, working hard on their learning or working together to complete some work.

The school ensures that staff are highly motivated and skilled through effective professional development opportunities.

The school promotes staff well-being through actively seeking and responding to staff's views about what can make things even better for them and the pupils. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school and the progress that their children are making.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.