Wembrook Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Wembrook pupils are happy and enjoy coming to school.

The school is calm, well organised and full of beautiful artwork. Teachers have high expectations and pupils achieve well. Parents feel valued and involved.

Staff morale is high. Teachers and other adults are enthusiastic and embrace new ideas. They have made the curriculum more exciting by using drama and interesting books.

Pupils say this 'gets them in the zone for learning'. Pupils try their best in all subjects and take pride in their work. Their handwriting is impressive!

Bullying is rare and dealt with quickly.

Pupils know what to do if it happens. They learn how to keep themselves... safe online and through healthy relationships. They welcome newcomers and say that 'we celebrate difference here'.

There is always something exciting happening. There are Viking 'visitors', science weeks and outdoor adventures in the local area to promote resilience. Pupils meet exciting role models, such as famous triathletes and cyclists.

They are proud to be league champions in football and athletics. Leaders make sure that these and many other successes are celebrated. For example, pupils have had their work published in a book by a famous children's author.

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

Leaders aim to inspire pupils to have enthusiasm for learning. They have planned carefully what pupils will know and learn in each subject. Sport, music and special events all add to the rich experiences at Wembrook.

As a result, pupils achieve well in many areas of the curriculum.

There is a strong focus on language in all subjects. In English, teachers use drama to help pupils write exciting stories.

Teachers use subject-specific words in science and mathematics so that pupils explain their ideas accurately. This is having a strong impact on learning across the curriculum. Well-trained staff adapt plans for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

This means that they achieve well in a wide range of subjects.

Subject leaders have made sure that teachers know what to teach so pupils gain the knowledge and skills they need. Science, art and design technology are strengths.

Pupils make rockets, cushions and World War 1 models. They learn about astrophysics at a university. However, some aspects of the curriculum are not so well planned.

In history, for example, pupils struggle to understand chronology. Some subject leaders are not given enough support to make precise checks on pupils' learning. They do not currently give teachers clear feedback on how to improve their planning and teaching in different subjects.

The school fosters a love of reading. Pupils can talk about different authors, and they say that they love reading. This is because leaders have prioritised reading from the very start.

This has had a strong impact on pupils' writing. In Year 2, pupils wrote moving diaries as Scott of the Antarctic. Teachers make sure that pupils who struggle to read get support to help them catch up.

However, the books that pupils take home are not always well matched to the sounds they are learning. This means they are not able to practise these sounds at home.Leaders have created time and space to support pupils' well-being, including a Riverside Café.

There are parent workshops where children and their parents cook together and make story sacks to use at home. Pupils are thoughtful and reflective. They learn about different beliefs.

They express their understanding well, including through lovely poems.

The curriculum is adapted well for disadvantaged pupils. There are Saturday clubs, including kayaking and science, to promote well-being and resilience.

Leaders keep records of the activities each pupil takes part in. However, they do not always use this information to measure the impact of these activities.

Governors play an active role in leading the school.

They have introduced new systems to find out for themselves if the school is effective. They then use this information to ask challenging questions. Staff are proud to work at this school.

They feel that leaders listen to them.

Parents are very positive about the school. They appreciate the good communication with staff and know their children are happy and safe.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding. Leaders know the school community well.

They make sure pupils get extra support when they need it. The family worker makes a real difference to keeping pupils safe and well.

Staff are well trained, and they know who to go to if they have a concern.

Leaders follow up any concerns rapidly. Staff monitor closely pupils' absence and lateness.

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe.

They learn how to stay healthy and safe through topics such as 'my body belongs to me'. They learn how to stay safe online and how to maintain strong mental health.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Some subject leaders have had limited opportunity to monitor the effectiveness of their curriculum plans.

This means that there are some aspects of the curriculum, for example pupils' understanding of chronology in history, that are not consistently well implemented. Leaders need to support subject leaders in making checks on curriculum plans and in giving precise feedback to teachers so that pupils achieve as well as they should in all areas. .

Books that pupils take home, particularly for lower-ability readers, do not always match the sounds they are learning in school. This means that some pupils do not make as much progress as they should. Leaders need to ensure that reading books that pupils take home enable pupils to practise the sounds that they have been working on in school.

. Leaders care passionately about ensuring that pupils have a wide range of opportunities to develop their character and resilience. This includes disadvantaged pupils.

They have recently introduced an online system for tracking the activities that pupils are doing. However, leaders do not make full use of this information to evaluate strategically which activities are making a difference. Leaders now need to use this information to plan future activities with greater precision.