Water Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to belong to the close-knit community at Water Primary School. They feel safe and happy at the school. Pupils appreciate the learning environments that leaders and teachers provide for them.

They particularly value opportunities to play and to learn outdoors.

Pupils know that their teachers want the best for them. They try their utmost to meet staff's high expectations of their behaviour and of what they can achieve.

They strive to earn a place on the classroom recognition boards. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), typically learn and achieve well.

Pupils have an age-appropriate underst...anding of equality and diversity.

They learn to respect the differences that people may have, such as religious beliefs, appearance and sexual orientation. Leaders resolve any incidents of bullying or name-calling effectively, should these issues arise.

Pupils benefit from a considerable array of activities during and after the school day.

They were excited to talk about breakfast and sports clubs. Pupils were particularly enthusiastic about a lunchtime 'chill-out club' that they can attend to relax and recharge. They have opportunities to visit places further afield for experiences, such as orienteering.

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

Leaders have been successful in developing the curriculum following the previous inspection. They have an accurate understanding of the strengths of the curriculum and where they should focus their efforts to secure future improvements.

The curriculum is broad and knowledge rich.

Leaders have identified the precise subject content that pupils should learn and the order in which this should happen. This enables most pupils, including children in the early years, to achieve well.

Leaders have provided teachers with appropriate training.

This helps them to implement the curriculum well. Generally, teachers select suitable activities to teach new content. However, on occasions, in a few subjects, teachers do not choose the most appropriate activities to help pupils to acquire new knowledge and to understand new concepts.

In the main, teachers make effective use of agreed approaches to assessment. This enables them to notice gaps in pupils' knowledge and then address these deficits during subsequent teaching. Nonetheless, teachers are sometimes not quick enough to identify pupils' errors and misunderstandings.

From time to time, this means that some pupils make mistakes that go unchecked. This hinders these pupils from learning all that they should.Leaders and staff are fastidious in quickly identifying pupils with SEND.

They work closely with parents and carers, and with external professionals. This helps these pupils to follow the full curriculum and to enjoy all the experiences that the school has to offer. Highly effective strategies and pastoral support enable pupils with SEND to achieve well.

Reading has an appropriately high profile across the school. Leaders have recently relocated the school library so that books are more accessible to all pupils. Staff choose pupils each week to receive a 'star reader' award and select a book to take home.

Pupils in Year 6 enjoy spending time each week reading with children in the early years.

Children begin to learn phonics from the beginning of the Reception class. Staff generally follow the phonics programme with fidelity.

They identify pupils who are at risk of falling behind in their reading. Staff provide effective support to help these pupils to catch up quickly. The books that pupils read from align closely to the sounds that they already know.

Typically, this means that most pupils learn to read accurately and fluently by the time that they reach key stage 2. Older pupils read widely and often. They enjoy reading high-quality fiction and non-fiction books.

Pupils conduct themselves well around the school. They are well mannered and polite. Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes towards their learning.

There is no disruption in lessons. At playtimes, pupils engage well with outdoor activities alongside their friends. Children learn school routines from the start of the Reception class.

They have a strong sense of belonging and settle into school life quickly.

Leaders provide a wide range of opportunities to enhance pupils' personal development. Pupils learn about the importance of having an active role in society, including by raising money for charities and distributing food to people who are in need.

Pupils aspire to a range of professions, including artist, palaeontologist and mechanic. Year 6 pupils undertake leadership roles, such as mental-health and sports ambassadors. Leaders have firm plans to extend this offer, to better support the leadership and character development of younger pupils.

Governors understand their roles and fulfil their statutory duties well. They support and challenge leaders effectively to improve the quality of education that all pupils receive. Governors and leaders are mindful of the workload and the well-being of staff.

This helps staff to feel well supported. They have high levels of morale. Staff told inspectors that they enjoy work and that they feel like part of a small family.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that there is a strong culture of safeguarding at the school. They provide staff with up-to-date training in child protection.

Leaders and staff follow robust processes to report and monitor welfare matters. In addition, child-friendly systems enable pupils to report any worries. This helps leaders and staff to identify any concerns early and act promptly to support pupils and their families.

Safeguarding is well covered across the curriculum. For instance, pupils learn how to stay safe in the local area, including when crossing roads. They learn about the possible risks that they may encounter online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In one or two subjects, teachers do not use the most appropriate activities to teach new ideas and concepts. This hinders how well some pupils acquire knowledge and information. Leaders should ensure that teachers have the skills to select activities that best help pupils to learn and achieve well.

• From time to time, teachers do not identify and address pupils' errors and misunderstandings quickly enough. This means that some pupils make mistakes that go unchecked. Leaders should ensure that teachers identify and address misconceptions and gaps in knowledge, so that pupils know and remember more.