Wenhaston Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils enjoy their time at Wenhaston Primary School.

They are safe and well cared for. The majority want to learn and take part in all the school has to offer. Staff know each pupil well.

There is a real family feel to this small school. Teachers and pupils get on well. These positive relationships help create the school's calm and purposeful environment.

In the playground, older pupils take care of younger children and they play happily together.

Pupils are almost always attentive in classrooms and concentrate well. They work together in lessons and help each other when they get stuck.

Pupils appreciate the opportunities that they have... for learning beyond lessons. Older pupils spoke enthusiastically about a project linked to a local business which has given them valuable experience of the wider world of work.

Pupils feel safe in school.

They know who to turn to if they have concerns. They are confident that staff would support and help them with any problems. Pupils told us that bullying rarely happens.

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

Leaders have made reading an important priority. From their first day, children in the Reception class begin learning letters and sounds. Phonics is well taught.

Teachers know when pupils need extra help to keep up and they provide it quickly. Leaders have invested considerable resources in developing pupils' reading and teachers have been well trained in how to make best use of them. Pupils have access to a wide range of interesting books from the school library.

The mathematics curriculum is more demanding than in the past. Pupils enjoy mathematics. Pupils have regular opportunities to go back to learning they have covered before, and this is helping them remember more.

Teachers check carefully in lessons that pupils understand their work. Teachers now plan opportunities for pupils to use mathematics in other subjects, which pupils say makes their lessons much more interesting.

The school organises its curriculum plans so that teaching builds on what pupils have learned before.

Pupils enjoy subjects such as art and science. However, in a small number of subjects the order in which pupils cover each topic does not help them to remember and understand events. This is the case in history, where pupils do not always remember the knowledge set out in the school's planned curriculum.

Teachers adapt plans to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They are well supported by other adults during lessons. Adults are effective in helping pupils to develop their social skills and in supporting those few pupils who struggle to behave well.

Children are safe and happy in the early years and get off to a good start. They work well with teachers and use their knowledge of phonics to read and write. Children share, take turns and enjoy each other's company.

Children enjoy lots of different activities, both indoors and outside, which develop their knowledge and skills. For example, children play games outside to help them practise numbers and simple sums.

Pupils' personal development is enriched by many interesting activities and opportunities.

The school has close links with the local church and community. Pupils play an active part in the annual Remembrance Day event in the village.

A small number of pupils do not attend school enough.

Leaders need to further their efforts to make sure that pupils arrive at school regularly and on time.

Leaders have built largely positive relationships with staff and are realistic about the pressures on them in terms of workload. Not all staff spoken with during the inspection felt their views were listened to.

They would like better communication with leaders.

Governors have a broad range of knowledge and a clear understanding of their role. They support and challenge leaders effectively.

The multi-academy trust supports the school well, especially with the range of training for staff on offer.

Not all parents who responded to Parent View, Ofsted's online questionnaire, were supportive of the school's work. A number commented that their concerns were not dealt with well by leaders and felt that communication with parents needed to be improved.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The school site is secure, and the identity of visitors is checked on entry. The school's procedures for managing safeguarding are strong.

Staff are well trained to identify signs and symptoms of abuse. Pupils feel safe in school and receive help to understand how to stay safe both in the real world and online. Staff recruited to work in school are checked thoroughly to ensure that they are safe to work with pupils.

The school system for recording safeguarding incidents shows that leaders and staff respond appropriately to any inappropriate behaviour from pupils.

Governors regularly check that school safeguarding procedures are being applied robustly.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

In a very few subjects, such as history, the curriculum does not make it clear to teachers what information pupils should learn.

Pupils do not understand enough or remember the order of historical events and why they happened. The curriculum needs further planning to make the progression and expectations clear. .

The proportion of pupils who are not in school is too high. Leaders need to redouble their efforts to improve overall attendance and reduce persistent absence. .

Not everyone in the school community feels they are listened to. New plans and changes are not always shared as well as they could be to be effective. Leaders need to improve the quality and regularity of communication with parents and staff.

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