Wembley Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Wembley Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like coming to this school. Parents and carers, leaders and staff work closely together to support them. They have high expectations for each child to achieve well.

The strong and positive relationships between everyone make Wembley Primary School a very happy place to go to. They say that being at this school is like being part of a big family.

There are close to 30 languages spoken in this very large school.

The whole school community celebrates this diversity. Pupils know how to cooperate well with each other. They respect each other's differences.

Leade...rs, pupils and staff treat each other with kindness. Pupils talk fondly about their friends at school.

Pupils know what their teachers expect of them.

They behave well. They follow adult instructions promptly. Pupils say that bullying does not exist in the school.

They say that if other pupils misbehave, teachers are quick to sort it out. Drop-off and pick-up times are calm and orderly.

Pupils feel safe at school.

They are confident that they can go to their friends or to any of the adults in school if they have any worries or concerns.

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

Leaders plan for all younger pupils to learn to read well. To do this, staff are well trained in how to teach phonics.

As early as Nursery, children are already being prepared to learn their letter sounds. We found that children in Nursery like listening to sounds around them. Their teachers linked these sounds with letters.

Phonics is taught consistently throughout early years to Year 2. Leaders make careful checks on how well pupils are learning their phonics. They allow no one to fall behind.

Leaders know that as pupils get older, they need to be able to better understand what they are reading. Teachers are beginning to help them do this. They know that they need to do more for pupils to be able to understand the deeper meaning of what they are reading.

Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is accessible to all. They make sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve as well as other pupils. These pupils are supported effectively to make strong progress across the curriculum.

Leaders ensure that pupils who need additional support are identified at the earliest opportunity. This enables leaders to put actions in place to meet their needs. They work effectively with families and external agencies.

The teaching of mathematics is very strong in this school. Teachers plan new learning effectively. They always consider what pupils already know and give them time to practise their mathematical skills.

This supports pupils' speed and accuracy, especially when they are calculating. Pupils enjoy working out mathematical problems. Children in early years engage in activities that support their understanding of numbers.

They explore the many opportunities inside and outside their classrooms to learn about shapes, distance and weight.Some subjects within the curriculum are more developed than others. In computing, for example, the curriculum is well thought out.

Teachers think of the order in which they teach lessons in this subject so that pupils achieve well. In Reception, children are starting to recognise the use of technology as they engage with simple mechanical toys. This skill is built on across the school.

As a result, pupils in Year 6 are successfully using their knowledge of computing to design their own games.In some subjects, the curriculum is not yet clearly planned and ordered. In history, for example, it is not clear how pupils gain sufficient knowledge over time.

The curriculum planning does not always consider what pupils already know. However, leaders have taken steps to train the staff and improve the planning.Teachers, supported by leaders, have made huge improvements in the teaching of science.

Across the school, pupils take part in experiments and investigations. Their teachers help them learn new words in science. However, teachers lack the confidence to build on what pupils already know.

Sometimes, pupils' knowledge and understanding of science do not develop as well as they should.

Pupils enjoy a wide range of activities to support the curriculum. They talk about the many trips they have been on.

They say that they have many choices of after-school clubs. Leaders have also ensured that pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils benefit from these activities.

Staff at all levels enjoy working in this school.

They appreciate that leaders look after their well-being. Teachers say that leaders act on any concerns, including taking steps to reduce their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and governors are clear about their responsibility to ensure that pupils are safe at school. There is a strong safeguarding culture. Leaders made sure that staff receive effective training in the most up-to-date national safeguarding guidance.

Staff know what to do if there are any concerns about a pupil. They refer concerns promptly. Records relating to the safeguarding of pupils are detailed, up to date and fit for purpose.

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe at home, at school or when online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

The success of the school in developing early reading has not been built on to enable pupils in key stage 2 to make strong progress in their reading. Teachers have not taken full advantage of pupils' ability to access texts to develop their comprehension skills.

As a result, pupils are not always able to infer and deduce meaning. Leaders have put actions in place to address this, but these have not been fully and consistently implemented across the school. Leaders need to ensure that the teaching of reading across key stage 2 allows for pupils to develop their comprehension, including the more sophisticated skills of inference and deduction.

. Leaders have made improvements in many subjects, but these are not matched in all areas of the curriculum. In history, for example, teachers are not clear yet on how the content and sequencing of the curriculum enable pupils to learn sufficient knowledge over time.

Similarly, in science, teachers are less confident when considering which previous knowledge pupils need to build on. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is well planned to enable pupils to increase their knowledge of scientific concepts. .

The school's curriculum is not yet sufficiently coherently planned and sequenced in some subjects. However, it is clear from the actions that leaders have already taken to plan next year's curriculum and train staff in how to deliver it that they are in the process of bringing this about.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged Wembley Primary School to be good in July 2011.

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