Welburn Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The staff team's commitment to giving pupils firm foundations in a broad range of subjects supports them in achieving well and making good progress over their time in school. Leaders' distinct vision – promoted in 'The Welburn Way' – unites staff and governors in offering a good quality of education.

Learning focuses on building pupils' subject knowledge through reading, deepening understanding of vocabulary and practical experiences. Pupils' speaking and listening skills are strong. Teaching in mathematics is particularly effective.

Pupils apply their number skills well to investigative tasks and problems. Attainment in mathematics is hi...gher than the national average at the end of key stage 1 and key stage 2. Teachers in key stages 1 and 2 make effective daily assessments of what pupils can do to inform their planning.

Teaching is responsive to pupils' needs, appropriate support and challenge is given and pupils make good progress. Pupils enjoy school, behave well and attend regularly. The staff team knows each child exceptionally well.

The meticulous attention given to supporting each child's emotional and academic needs is a strength of the school. A love of reading is promoted by leaders and staff right from the start. High-quality texts are frequently shared and adults often read aloud to pupils.

Pupils are keen to talk about different books and authors. Pupils make good progress in reading at the end of key stage 1 and through key stage 2. Story reading, vocabulary development and conversations about different books and authors are staple parts of the day in the early years.

However, phonics teaching is not consistently strong, which delays the progress that children make in reading with fluency and accuracy when they start school. Adults support children in broadening and deepening their learning and experiences when they start school in the early years. However, assessments of what children can do are not used consistently well in lessons to ensure that gaps in all areas of learning are closed.

Safeguarding is effective. Pupils are taught a range of way to keep themselves and others safe.

Information about this school

The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.

The school runs a before-school club. The early years consists of a Reception class which shares a classroom with Year 1 pupils. The proportion of pupils in receipt of the additional pupil premium funding is much lower than the national average.

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan for SEND is much lower than the national average, as is the proportion receiving support for SEND. There are currently no pupils who speak English as an additional language. Building work has recently taken place to accommodate the rise in pupil numbers since the last inspection.