Weston Favell CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this happy and welcoming school. They enact the school values of bravery, kindness and hard work every day. Staff have the highest expectations of pupils.

Pupils rise to these by taking pride in their work and achieving well.

Pupils show excellent levels of respect and politeness towards staff and peers. They understand the importance of empathy with people from different faiths and backgrounds.

One pupil summed up the views of many when she said that 'no-one should be treated differently'. Pupils put their learning about fundamental British values into practice. For example, they voted democratically to name the school libraries.

Pu...pils behave remarkably well. They rightly said that incidents of bullying are rare and dealt with quickly by staff. As a result, pupils feel safe.

All pupils have their 'network hand' of trusted adults they can speak to if they have any concerns. Older pupils select from a range of meaningful leadership opportunities. They can become members of the school council to have a say in how the school is run.

Pupils in the early years make regular visits to a local care home. In this way, pupils make a positive contribution to the community in and out of school.

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

The school has designed an engaging and ambitious curriculum.

It is carefully sequenced across all subjects starting in pre-school and building to Year 6. The school has identified the essential knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need. Staff have identified historical concepts such as power and conflict which are mapped across the curriculum.

There are frequent opportunities for pupils to build on what they have learned before.

Staff have strong subject knowledge. They check pupils' understanding of the curriculum often.

Staff address any misconceptions as they arise. As a result, pupils know exactly how to make improvements to their work. They make connections between their learning in different subjects.

Children get off to a strong start in the early years. Staff plan for high-quality communications with children. These help them to make rapid progress, often from low starting points.

Pupils are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their education.

The school has developed strong systems for identifying and supporting an increasing number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and who speak English as an additional language (EAL). Teachers and skilled support staff work together to make helpful adaptations to the curriculum.

These enable pupils with SEND and EAL to achieve highly.

The school is a language-rich environment. The English curriculum is planned around a diverse range of quality texts.

There is high ambition for pupils to read confidently and for pleasure. All staff have received phonics training. They deliver the school's programme with fidelity and expertise.

The school puts appropriate support in place where needed so that pupils can catch up. Pupils take home well-matched decodable books and a suitable library book each week. Staff check how much pupils are reading at home.

They run workshops for parents and carers so that they know how to read with their child. Older pupils enjoy developing their reading fluency and comprehension skills. They speak with enthusiasm about frequent visits to the school and local libraries.

There are high expectations of pupils' behaviour. These are established in the early years. Staff build the curriculum effectively so that taught sessions support young children to concentrate.

This prepares them well for key stage one. Pupils enjoy coming to school. Rates of attendance are high.

The school engages with families on the rare occasion that this is not the case. Together they remove any barriers to attendance.

There are many exciting ways in which pupils can develop their talents and interests.

Pupils attend a variety of clubs such as sports, chess and art. They are members of the choir and can learn to play a musical instrument. Take-up of these opportunities is strong.

Staff provide a range of outings and guest speakers. These help to make pupils' learning memorable. From the early years, pupils visit places of cultural interest such as the theatre.

Pupils learn about other faiths through outings to places of worship. The school prioritises pupils' ability to work with others through residential trips. Older pupils visit secondary schools and a local university.

This carefully planned and rich offer prepares pupils well for their future lives.

Trustees are effective in their challenge and support of the school. Staff value the opportunities for high-quality professional development that the school offers.

They appreciate leaders' regard for their workload and well-being. Staff are proud to work at this school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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