Waingroves Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Short inspection of Waingroves Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 5 February 2019, I write on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in July 2015.

This school continues to be good. The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the previous inspection. You have ensured that the school is a welcoming learning environment, where every child and pupil is respected and encouraged to learn.

You, along with other leaders and governors, have ensured that the school's self-evaluation is accu...rate. School development planning correctly prioritises areas for improvement. Robust performance management systems are in place so that all staff are aware of their responsibilities, including teaching assistants.

You have ensured that rates of attendance remain above the national average. Following the previous inspection, leaders were asked to improve the planning for higher-attaining pupils so that the challenge of work they were given allowed them to make more progress. Teaching now meets the needs of higher-attaining pupils.

You have introduced assessment systems which ensure that pupils at risk of underachieving are easily identified and that they receive additional support. The pupils in the school are articulate, well mannered and well behaved. Pupils' attitudes towards learning are positive and they concentrate on the work they are set by their teachers, including when they are working independently.

Pupils told me that behaviour is ordinarily good, but when it is not as good as it could be staff act quickly and fairly to apply school rules. As a consequence, bullying in all its forms is very rare and pupils feel safe in their school. Pupils appreciate the work of adults in school but would like even more opportunities to use the skills they have been taught to solve problems, especially in mathematics.

They enjoy the broad and balanced curriculum they receive, including when they learn about Ancient Egyptians while writing on papyrus paper, exploring their local community or learning about famous people such as Nelson Mandela. Parents and carers are typically positive about the school. Parents who I spoke to, and those who responded to the Ofsted surveys, felt that their children were safe and happy in school.

Parents believe that their children make good progress. One parent commented: 'My children have been cared for and challenged every day they have been at Waingroves. This is more than a school, it is a family.'

Governors are fully committed to school improvement. They take their roles in challenging and supporting the leaders of the school very seriously and are looking at ways in which they can record evidence of this challenge. They are knowledgeable both about the many strengths of the school and about the areas where improvements need to be made.

They are rightly proud of the important role the school plays in the local community. Safeguarding is effective. The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose.

Leaders, governors and staff take their safeguarding responsibilities seriously. There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Staff are vigilant to any potential safeguarding issues and pass on any concerns.

The governing body supports you effectively in your work to keep pupils safe. Pupils told me that they feel safe in school. They said that they understand the different types of bullying and that how, on the rare occasions bullying does occur, you work quickly to resolve situations.

Pupils described the many opportunities that they have to learn about how to keep safe inside and outside school, including when using the internet. Inspection findings ? As part of this inspection, I investigated how you and other leaders were ensuring that pupils with prior high attainment were making progress during their time in key stage 2. From observing in lessons, looking at pupils' workbooks and talking to pupils, it is evident that they are challenged across the curriculum.

For example, we observed teachers asking questions to tease out extra information in Years 5 and 6. We saw activities that were carefully matched to the ability of the pupils. Pupils are encouraged to extend their answers and explain through detailed reasoning.

• The next area I looked at related to how leaders have developed the curriculum for all pupils, including the disadvantaged and pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), to reach their full potential. Children make a good start to their education in the Reception Year. They settle in well at the beginning of the school day.

Staff plan the curriculum around children's interests and it was clear to see from their learning journeys the steady progress that children are making. ? The development of children's communication and language skills is a priority but opportunities for children to develop these skills are not consistently provided for. At times, activities do not provide children with the opportunity to talk about what they are learning and to extend their ideas.

For example, staff in the Reception class do not plan sufficient activities that encourage pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills through imaginative play. ? The final area we investigated was how leaders have ensured that boys and girls do equally well in writing and mathematics in key stage 1. From looking at pupils' work in their books and analysing the school's assessment of pupils over time, it is clear that almost all pupils, regardless of gender, are making good progress.

• Teachers carefully check what pupils know and what they do not know so that they can plan for the next steps in learning. Pupils told me how much they enjoy their learning as their class teachers 'make learning fun' and provide them with feedback for how they can improve their work. ? Leaders frequently check that teachers adapt teaching to suit the range of abilities in their class.

These checks have a positive impact on improving teaching and learning. For example, they have identified that pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to apply their mathematical knowledge and reasoning skills to solve problems. ? Groups of children, including the disadvantaged and those with SEND, are supported well.

Leaders identify pupils with SEND promptly. You have close relationships with a number of nurseries in the area. These enable you to provide prompt additional support for children showing signs of development delay.

Next steps for the school Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that: ? pupils have more opportunities to apply their mathematical knowledge and reasoning skills to solve problems ? provision in the Reception Year more effectively promotes speaking and listening skills. I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children's services for Derbyshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

Yours sincerely Martin Fitzwilliam Ofsted Inspector Information about the inspection I visited all classes with you or the deputy headteacher, to observe teaching, learning and assessment. We looked at pupils' workbooks to check the progress they are making. We discussed the school's effectiveness and the actions taken to ensure the school's improvement.

I met with leaders with responsibility for English, mathematics and pupils with SEND. I spoke with two members of the local governing body and a representative of the local authority. I also spoke with a group of staff.

I met with groups of pupils and talked informally with other pupils in lessons. I met with parents on the playground at the beginning of the school day. I looked at a range of documents, including your evaluation of the school's effectiveness and the school's improvement plan.

I also scrutinised the school's safeguarding systems, records and associated documents. I checked assessment information on how well pupils are achieving. I considered 19 responses to Ofsted's online questionnaire, Parent View, 13 responses to the staff survey and 42 responses to the pupil survey.

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