Welbeck Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils believe that they can achieve anything. Leaders build pupils' ambitions through '50 things to do before you leave Welbeck Primary School'.

Pupils become confident and highly articulate individuals. They understand that their classmates come from many different cultures and are very proud of this. They value what they can learn from each other and are extremely courteous to everyone that they meet.

Life at Welbeck is harmonious. Pupils have high expectations of themselves and each other. They explain clearly that there are lots of ways they can sort out any worries or the rare incidents of poor behaviour.

Peer ambassadors help them. Alternatively, they ...can drop in to see the school counsellor or use the worry box. It is always sorted out straight away.

Everyone has very high aspirations for all pupils. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This starts as soon as children join the Nursery or Reception classes.

There are highly effective routines that ensure that children are always learning. In most subjects, the curriculum is organised well so that pupils build securely on what they learned before. Sometimes pupils remember an activity but not what they learned from doing it.

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

Pupils say learning is fun. They take great pride in their work. Younger children understand numbers really well.

They are delighted when they can recognise them straight away. Older pupils enjoy being able to use more complex mathematical methods fluently.

Teachers make sure that pupils get the right help at the right time.

They are determined that any gaps in pupils' knowledge which emerged during the pandemic will be closed as quickly as possible. All staff work together to make this happen. There is a sharp focus on learning new words in the early years classes.

Children's use of language grows rapidly. For example, the youngest children quickly recall other words to describe the 'little' Billy Goat Gruff.

Children in the Nursery Year are curious learners.

They listen carefully. They quickly grasp the sounds that letters make. Children in the Reception Year use this knowledge to write sentences by themselves.

Pupils in Years 1 and 2 learn more sounds. They check that they have chosen the right ones when they write words by themselves. Reading is a top priority for the school.

Most books match the sounds that pupils know.

Most subject curriculums are planned well so that pupils build on what they learned before. This is because teachers have identified exactly what pupils should know and by when.

For example, in science, pupils recalled what they had learned when they had built circuits before. They used this knowledge to explain how they plan to vary the brightness of a bulb. In a few foundation subjects, this important knowledge is not as clearly identified or sequenced, and pupils cannot recall prior learning well enough.

Teachers understand how to help pupils with SEND learn the same important knowledge as their peers. All staff have high aspirations for pupils with SEND and ensure that they get the best help possible starting from the early years.

Leaders have a clear vision, shared by the whole staff team.

They are absolutely determined that pupils will be ready for future learning. They are relentless in their drive to achieve this and visit pupils at their secondary school to check that they were well prepared. They use what pupils tell them to make further improvements.

Pupils know what character traits will help them. They can explain which of these are their real strengths when they apply for jobs at the school's career fair. They are extremely proud to serve the school community as school posties or digital ambassadors.

Pupils build up lots of special memories during their time at the school, such as the 'Winter Wonderland' that staff organised for them. They become independent thinkers and take part in debates. Pupils understand their rights and responsibilities to others.

They can clearly explain what the 'rule of law' means and how some countries are governed differently.

Leaders ensured that learning continued for all pupils from the beginning of the pandemic. Their high expectations of pupils' attendance and engagement continued through this time.

During this period, governors continued to challenge and support leaders and check how staff felt about their changing work patterns. Leaders have built extremely strong links with the community. Pupils visit places of worship.

Visitors help pupils to learn about the world of work. Pupils look forward to studying new subjects such as engineering and photography in their 'children's university' courses.

Staff, including those at the early stages of their careers, know which leaders they can talk to about their well-being.

Teachers say that leaders focus on the right things; the things that make learning better for the pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff know what signs would make them concerned about the safety of a pupil and who they would tell.

Leaders take these concerns very seriously. They keep meticulous records. Leaders work with tenacity to make sure that all decisions taken are in the best interests of the child.

They are unafraid to challenge other agencies when they do not feel that this is the case.

Pupils know how to keep safe when learning online. They know who to tell if they receive a message online which worries them.

They feel very safe at school, and parents agree that this is the case.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• There are plans in place for every subject. However, in some subjects, the precise knowledge that pupils will gain is not clearly identified.

Pupils do not always recall what they have learned before. Leaders should make sure that the sequence of learning is clear in all subjects and covers the scope of the national curriculum. They should make sure that all teachers know exactly what the important knowledge is in each subject that pupils need to recall.