Wargrave CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and their families are warmly greeted by staff each morning.

Pupils feel valued. They happily join their teachers and friends, and are ready to learn. Pupils feel safe and cared for by staff.

Those pupils who are new to the school make friends quickly.

Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are effectively prepared for future challenges. They achieve well in their learning across different subjects.

Leaders' high ambitions for every pupil are reflected in the effective support that pupils receive. This allows pupils to learn and remember more of the curriculum.

In le...ssons and at playtimes, pupils behave well.

Pupils know that they will be given a range of useful support from staff if they need extra help to manage their own behaviour. Pupils say that bullying almost never happens. Any incidents are quickly dealt with by staff.

Pupils value the support staff give them for their well-being. For example, pupils use calm spaces outside classrooms if they need quiet time. Pupils enjoy working with 'Teddy', the therapy dog, to help them feel relaxed.

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

Leaders have taken effective steps to improve the curriculum. Subject leaders have benefited from a range of training to develop their expertise. They give their colleagues useful support in planning and teaching the curriculum.

Across different subjects, curriculum plans show the important knowledge and skills that leaders want pupils to learn and remember.

From Year 1 to Year 6, subject leaders have thought carefully about how to order the curriculum so that pupils build on their knowledge in an organised way. Curriculum plans in the early years are less clear.

They do not describe in detail the steps that children need to make in their learning as they move through each of the early years classes. In some subjects, subject leaders have a limited understanding of how learning in the Nursery and Reception classes is organised, and how it prepares children for key stage 1.

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils to succeed.

Staff give valuable support to prepare pupils for future learning. For example, staff make sure disadvantaged pupils, and those with SEND, know and understand important subject vocabulary in different subjects.

Teachers make regular checks on pupils' understanding.

These checks give teachers a clear view of how well pupils are learning. Teachers are swift to provide well-planned support to pupils who struggle to keep up with their peers. Across different subjects, pupils develop their knowledge well.

For example, in mathematics, pupils gain a secure understanding of number.

Leaders have put reading at the centre of the curriculum. They ensure that reading areas are attractive and inviting.

In the early years, staff make story time fun. Older pupils enjoy reading time. They read challenging and interesting books.

In phonics, pupils learn the letters and sounds that build on those they already know. Staff make regular checks to make sure pupils are learning well. Any pupils falling behind in reading are given time for daily practice.

This helps the pupils to develop their confidence and fluency in reading.

In lessons, pupils follow adults' instructions quickly and politely. This means that everyone can get on with their learning.

Pupils are keen to take part in class discussions. They listen respectfully to others. In the early years, children move calmly around the different areas.

Before the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, pupils enjoyed many opportunities to enrich their learning. For example, pupils visited museums and theatres. Pupils described with pleasure the residential trips that they enjoyed in key stages 1 and 2.

Plans are in place to resume the usual wide range of activities soon.

Pupils learn to follow the school's values of truth, friendship and respect. Leaders ensure that pupils understand and appreciate differences, such as race, gender and disability.

Pupils told inspectors, 'We just treat everyone the same.' Teachers help pupils to understand the school's Christian values. However, some pupils reach Year 6 with only a vague understanding of religions other than Christianity.

Leaders have taken effective action to improve pupils' attendance, including for pupils working remotely. For those pupils whose absence remains high, leaders have put a range of appropriate support in place. This has helped to improve attendance for these pupils.

Staff enjoy working at the school. They feel valued by leaders. Staff say that leaders consider staff workload when making decisions.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff use the regular training that leaders provide to help them identify any signs of abuse or neglect. When necessary, leaders are quick to take action to keep pupils safe.

Leaders work closely with parents, carers and external professionals to protect pupils who are at risk.

The most vulnerable pupils benefit from a wide range of pastoral support. Staff ensure that pupils develop an age-appropriate understanding of risk.

This includes the risks linked to relationships. Pupils learn how to use the internet safely.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Curriculum plans in the early years lack detail.

They do not set out the precise steps that children will make in their learning as they move through the early years classes. As a result, it is unclear precisely how children's new knowledge will be built on what they have learned before. Leaders should ensure that across different areas of learning, curriculum plans contain precise detail of the sequence of knowledge that they intend children in the early years to learn.

• Some subject leaders do not have a secure understanding of how children's learning should build from the early years into Year 1 and beyond. Leaders need to ensure that the early years leader and subject leaders have a shared understanding of the sequence of learning that pupils will make. These leaders should use this information to plan a curriculum which orders learning in a logical way from the early years upwards.

• The curriculum does not develop some pupils' understanding of religions other than Christianity. This means that these pupils leave the school without an understanding of the different faiths that they may encounter in their lives. Leaders should ensure that pupils improve their understanding of a wider range of religions.