Westbury Leigh CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are welcoming and friendly.

They try hard to do their best and live by the school's Christian values of respect, responsibility and courage. Staff develop positive relationships with pupils based on trust. Pupils are confident to report any concerns they face to adults.

This makes them feel safe.

Leaders are beginning to design and put in place a more ambitious curriculum. Their efforts to improve mathematics and phonics are starting to pay off.

However, in some other subjects, pupils do not gain the essential knowledge that they need to be successful. As a result, they do not consistently receive a good quality of education.

Pupils t...ypically behave well in lessons and when moving around the school.

They follow the agreed routines. Bullying is uncommon. Staff sort out any issues quickly.

However, a minority of pupils feel that behaviour at lunchtime play could be better.

Pupils have a voice in school and feel listened to. They are proud of the responsibilities they undertake.

These include helping on the school farm and being a 'pod squad' leader. Pupils enjoy organising charitable work and projects. They make a positive contribution to their school and community.

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

Changes in staffing, long-term absences and the ongoing impact of COVID-19 have stalled leaders' work to improve the curriculum. More recently, however, the momentum has been shifting. The strength of curriculum leadership in the school is growing steadily.

Leaders know what needs to be done to secure improvements across the school.

Reading is a high priority in school. Staff use carefully chosen books and stories to enrich pupils' vocabulary.

Leaders have put in place a consistent approach to the teaching of early reading. They check how well pupils are gaining phonics knowledge. Children in Reception Year confidently say and write the sounds they are learning.

Staff provide extra support for pupils who are not keeping up. This improves their confidence when reading. Leaders recognise that some older pupils are not catching up quickly enough, particularly in Year 3.

They are dealing with this head on through additional phonics teaching and tuition. Nonetheless, it is too soon to see the full impact.

Leaders have carefully sequenced the mathematics curriculum.

Pupils learn concepts in a logical order. There is a sharp focus on getting pupils to explain their thinking. This starts in early years.

Children can describe and compare objects using appropriate language. Staff use assessment well. They frequently revisit prior learning.

Pupils say that this helps them to remember important knowledge. Nonetheless, approaches to assessment in some of the wider curriculum subjects are not as fully developed.In some curriculum subjects, such as geography and history, the key knowledge leaders want pupils to know and remember is too broad in places.

Links between prior and current learning are not explicit or revisited sufficiently. Pupils struggle to recall what they have been taught previously. For example, they cannot talk confidently about the concepts of settlement and invasion across the different historical periods they study.

This prevents pupils from securing a deep body of knowledge over time in these subjects.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the help and guidance needed to take part in the full curriculum. Most pupils' targets pinpoint their next steps in learning.

Specialist staff provide effective pastoral care. This helps pupils to manage their social and emotional needs.

Pupils understand the importance of being respectful and responsible learners.

Staff use consistent routines such as 'star in 321' to help pupils settle quickly. There is little disruption to learning. When it happens, adults deal with it well.

Leaders provide experiences beyond the classroom. They weave these into the curriculum. For example, during a first-aid awareness day, pupils learned what to do in an emergency.

Pupils understand the importance of respect and tolerance towards others. They say that the school's values help guide them to make the right choices. Pupils like to share kind thoughts and prayers during reflection time.

They are growing into responsible and thoughtful young citizens.

Governors know what is working well and what needs to improve. They have used a recent external review of governance to strengthen the challenge they provide to leaders.

They are well placed to build on the improvements they are making.

Many parents and carers support the school. However, a significant minority say that communication between school and home could be better.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and governors have created a strong culture of safeguarding. Staff are well trained in identifying and reporting on potential signs of concern.

They receive regular updates to keep abreast of current issues. Leaders act swiftly to secure the right help for pupils and families who need it. Staff carry out thorough checks on adults who work with pupils.

Pupils know different ways to stay safe. They speak confidently about online safety and keeping safe in the community. Pupils know whom to talk to if they have any worries.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not precisely defined the important knowledge they want pupils to know and revisit in some of the wider curriculum subjects. This means that pupils do not build a deep understanding of these subjects. Leaders must ensure that the curriculums for all subjects identify the key knowledge pupils must know and remember as they move from year to year.

• In some subjects, assessment processes to help teachers know how well pupils remember the content they have been taught are not fully developed. As a result, gaps in pupils' knowledge are not identified quickly enough. Leaders need to ensure that staff use assessment effectively, so that pupils gain deep knowledge across all subjects.

• A significant minority of parents expressed concerns with leaders' communication. This has resulted in some parents not feeling informed about the work of the school. Leaders, including governors, should explore ways to communicate with parents so that they have greater confidence in the school's work.

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