Waddington and West Bradford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Waddington and West Bradford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Waddington and West Bradford is a happy school where everyone is treated with care and respect. Pupils flourish in the support and guidance that staff provide. Pupils truly do live up to the school's motto and 'learn together with enjoyment'.

Leaders have made sure that pupils know how to express their feelings in a kind and mature way. Leaders deal quickly and effectively with any instances of name-calling or bullying. This helps pupils to feel safe and happy.

Pupils enjoy the opportunity to learn together with others of diffe...rent ages and do so in a friendly and respectful way.

Leaders and staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour and academic success. Pupils said that adults treat them kindly and fairly.

Pupils enjoy learning and rise to the challenge of the ambitious curriculum that leaders provide. As a result, they achieve well.

Leaders ensure that pupils develop a growing sense of responsibility through leadership roles.

Older pupils are given areas of responsibility to support others. Pupils work to support their school and local community. They raise money for local charities.

The Rainbow Warriors raise funds for extra activities for their fellow pupils.

Parents and carers, who shared their views with the inspector, were overwhelmingly positive about the school. They appreciate the wide range of extra opportunities on offer.

All pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), take an active role in school life. Parents value the way in which adults help their children.

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

Leaders have designed a broad and relevant curriculum.

They have organised learning so that pupils build on what they already know, from the early years to the end of Year 6. However, in a small number of areas of learning, leaders have not considered carefully enough the key knowledge and skills which children in the early years need in readiness for Year 1.

Staff teach most subjects with confidence.

This is because leaders have equipped them with the subject-specific knowledge that they need. Adults explain new learning clearly to pupils. They select learning and activities to ensure that pupils gain the intended knowledge.

Staff make effective use of assessment information. They make regular checks to make sure that pupils, including pupils with SEND, remember key learning. That said, in a small number of subjects, pupils struggle to connect new learning with earlier concepts.

The phonics scheme has been carefully considered. All staff have the knowledge and training to deliver this effectively. Pupils are eager to learn and demonstrate their growing abilities.

Adults use assessment strategies well to identify pupils who are at risk of falling behind with their reading. They put in place interventions to plug gaps. The books which younger pupils take home match the sounds they know.

There is a real buzz about reading around school. Pupils are taught to read by skilled practitioners using a well-sequenced reading approach. Children in the early years enjoy listening to stories.

Leaders have carefully chosen the stories that they want children to know and remember. Teachers read these books over and over again. Pupils read widely and with evident enjoyment from a wide selection of books.

Leaders make sure that pupils with SEND access the same high-quality curriculum as their peers. They make sure that pupils' needs are identified accurately. Staff make effective adaptations to the delivery of the curriculum so that pupils with SEND learn happily alongside their peers.

This ensures that pupils with SEND achieve well.

Pupils behave well, both in and out of lessons. Pupils are kind and considerate.

They are especially considerate of younger children. Staff have established a positive climate for learning. Adults know individual pupils well and take time to meet their needs.

Adults model the behaviours they want to see. Low-level disruption rarely disturbs learning.

Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures through the well-constructed curriculum.

They are taught how to stay healthy and safe, including when online.

Governors offer useful support and challenge and aim to do all they can to help pupils progress. They have a good understanding of pupils' outcomes but have not checked that the curriculum in a small number of subjects is meeting pupils' needs fully.

Staff are appreciative of the steps taken by leaders to reduce workload where possible. They say that leaders trust them to do their jobs and they are excited for the future.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have created a culture where everyone is vigilant. There is an 'it can happen here' approach. The way in which leaders and staff get to know families enables them to identify possible concerns early.

Staff receive regular updates and training. They work with other agencies to get the support families need.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, some pupils struggle to make deeper connections between earlier knowledge and new learning.

This is because the refinements to these curriculums are relatively new. Leaders should ensure that the way in which staff deliver the curriculum and assess learning enables pupils to develop detailed knowledge in the curriculum. ? In a small number of subjects, leaders have not made it clear what they want pupils to learn and the order in which they need to learn it from the earliest stages.

This hampers teachers' ability to provide learning for pupils that builds up their knowledge securely and in a logical order. Leaders should make sure that in all subjects the curriculum is clearly organised so that pupils are able to learn and remember the knowledge that they need from the start of early years to the end of Year 6.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2015.