Watermore Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Watermore Primary is a happy place, where pupils enjoy learning. The six 'gem powers' lie at the heart of everything that happens in the school.

Pupils understand how they help them to be kind, respectful and resilient. Parents speak highly about the school's welcoming ethos and the care it shows to both pupils and families.

The school promotes pupils' positive behaviour.

Pupils respond well to the high expectations that are in place. They move around the school calmly and sensibly. Pupils are polite and welcoming.

Children in the early years settle to new routines well. They take turns and are eager to learn.

Pupils feel safe.

They... have warm relationships with one another, and with staff. Pupils appreciate the support they receive from adults to help them to manage their emotions. They know that adults listen to them and help them with any worries or concerns they may have.

Pupils appreciate the range of activities on offer to them such as netball, sign language, singing and dance. They have many opportunities to contribute to the life of the school. They are proud to become members of the eco committee, school council or to represent the girls' football team.

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

The school has high expectations for what all pupils can achieve. An ambitious curriculum has been designed well. It considers what pupils need to know and when they need to know it.

The school has established systems in place to monitor and evaluate the impact of its actions. In many areas, these are well used to further improve the quality of education that pupils receive. However, at times, the school does not use these systems as effectively as it could.

For example, the gaps that exist between groups of pupils are not yet considered with enough precision. This prevents the school from fully understanding what is working well and addressing any shortcomings that may exist.

Staff benefit from the training they receive to develop their subject knowledge and expertise.

This helps them to deliver the curriculum well. In mathematics, for example, teachers explain new information clearly. They probe pupils' understanding of mathematical concepts well.

As a result, younger pupils can confidently describe patterns in number. Older pupils build on what they have learned before to solve more complex problems involving algebra.

The school promotes a love of reading.

Pupils enjoy reading a wide range of texts. They talk confidently about the way in which reading expands their imagination and develops their understanding of concepts such as diversity. Children in the early years learn and remember new sounds well.

Pupils who fall behind quickly receive the help they need to catch up. As they move through the school, pupils become increasingly confident and fluent readers.

Pupils learn well in most of the wider curriculum subjects.

In art for example, the school has identified the important knowledge that pupils need to learn. Younger pupils use words such as horizon and scenery when describing the features of paintings by artists such as Monet. Older pupils recall their previous knowledge on proportion when talking about sculpture.

However, in some subjects, pupils' knowledge is less secure. This is because the checks on what pupils know, before moving on to new learning, are not always effective. This makes it difficult for pupils to build their knowledge.

The school has effective and timely systems to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff know these pupils well. The school works closely with external agencies to ensure that pupils with SEND receive the help they need.

As a result, most pupils learn the same curriculum as their peers.

Pupils talk eagerly about their favourite lessons. They behave well in the classroom and during social times.

Children in the early years are kind and caring to one another. The school manages attendance effectively. It works well with parents to ensure that if attendance dips, it is addressed quickly.

Pupil's personal development is a strength. The school ensures that pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities which develops their understanding of the world around them. Pupils enjoy visiting different religious buildings and learning to play a musical instrument.

They know why it is important to treat everyone equally and talk confidently about some fundamental values such as democracy.

Governors are ambitious for the school. They have an accurate understanding of what the school does well and where it needs to improve.

They use their expertise well to hold leaders to account.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, teachers do not check well enough what pupils remember.

Subsequent learning does not take into account pupils' prior knowledge. As a result, some pupils do not build their knowledge well over time. The school needs to ensure that teachers check what pupils know and remember across all subjects and use this to inform future learning.

• In some areas, the school is still embedding systems to monitor and evaluate its actions. As a result, it is not yet clear what impact these actions are having on pupils. The school needs to ensure that all aspects of its work is evaluated effectively so that it can address any short comings and build on the strengths that already exist.

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