Water Orton Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Water Orton Primary School is an inclusive and nurturing school. The school wants pupils to 'be the best they can be'. This is a happy and caring environment where every individual is valued and where pupils are motivated to achieve their potential.

However, the school's high expectations for all pupils are not yet consistently realised.

Pupils are happy and polite. They walk sensibly around the school and enjoy roles of responsibility.

They say how easy it is to make friends and like the idea of mixed-age classes. Pupils say they learn how to deal with bullying, should this happen. Leaders have implemented strategies to support the pupils who need extra help... to behave well.

This has led to a calmer and safer environment for all.

The school provides a range of pastoral support for pupils and their families. School visits, residential experiences and extra-curricular clubs, such as chess, sign language and sports, enrich the opportunities for pupils.

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

Leaders have created coherently planned and sequenced subjects across the curriculum. This is especially evident within the science and computing curriculums. Subject leaders are passionate and knowledgeable about the subjects they lead.

They have set clear expectations for how their subjects should be taught through clear and well-defined policies for the curriculum. Staff training develops their subject knowledge well across the curriculum. However, there remains too much variability in how well these plans, policies and training are implemented.

This means that all pupils are not yet achieving the best outcomes from their learning.On some occasions, the ambitious curriculum is well implemented. Teachers work hard to make sure that pupils embed key knowledge into their long-term memory.

However, in other cases, expectations of what pupils could learn in lessons are not high enough and teachers do not routinely check that pupils understand the intended learning of the lesson. This results in some pupils developing gaps in their learning which are not addressed.Leaders want all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to achieve well.

There is a clear process for the identification of pupils with SEND. However, there is variability in how well learning is adapted to different needs, which means that some pupils do not achieve as well as they should. It limits their independence and chance to fully succeed.

The pupils in the Evergreen resource base have their needs particularly well met. Within this provision, the precise nature of the pupils' autism is understood, and the right provision is put in place. Strong relationships underpin this.

Learning is closely matched to what pupils already know and can remember.Pupils get off to a prompt start in learning to read as they enter the school. Books that match pupils' phonics knowledge support their ability to read.

Those who need extra support benefit from interventions to support them. Pupils enjoy the opportunity to vote for their daily story.

Warm relationships exist within the early years.

Routines help children achieve what is expected of them. There is a strong focus on early reading and mathematics. Activities linked to the Chinese New Year developed children's mathematical vocabulary and phonics.

Staff plan activities to cover all areas of the early years curriculum. However, during independent tasks not all children access these opportunities, needing greater adult direction. Some children demonstrate high levels of curiosity, enjoyment and concentration.

The school has raised the profile of the importance of coming to school every school day by illustrating the impact on pupils' learning for each lost day of learning. This has led to a reduction in the persistent absence of disadvantaged pupils.Positive relationships between staff and pupils are evident across the school.

A pupil explained that friendships are brought about by 'just being nice to each other at times when someone is upset'. The school's values, 'REACH', reflect leaders' expectations for pupils' behaviour and attitudes. Most pupils rise to this challenge.

Some pupils need help to enable them to achieve this. The support of external agencies, a nurture provision and the 'restart' club have had a positive impact for pupils. This has led to less disruption to the learning of others.

The majority of parents and carers speak positively of the school.

Pupils enjoy opportunities of responsibility, which require an election or an application process. Lessons, clubs and assemblies promote a greater understanding of the diverse society beyond the local area.

This helps prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain.

The governing body is ambitious for the school and carries out its statutory duties well. They work with school leaders to tackle financial constraints and staffing challenges.

Staff enjoy working at the school and appreciate the support from leaders. They value the opportunities to develop their own expertise by undertaking extra qualifications.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders' ambitious vision for providing a high-quality education for all pupils is not yet realised through the consistent application of policies and practice. This is reflected in the variability of the quality of work some pupils produce. Leaders should provide support to develop the expertise of all staff to deliver the curriculum to a consistently high quality.

• Not all staff adapt the learning effectively for pupils, including pupils with SEND. This means that, at times, pupils do not achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure that all staff are able to adapt learning effectively, so that all pupils can achieve consistently well.

• Some staff do not deliver the planned curriculum clearly and they miss opportunities to identify misconceptions in pupils' learning. This means that the misconceptions are not addressed and persist. The school should ensure that staff make learning expectations clear and check for any misconceptions in pupils' learning.

• Children in the early years do not consistently access all areas of learning well enough. This means that they do not get the full benefit through their learning and play. School should enable staff to make the most of planned opportunities to support children's learning further.

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