Westover Green Community School and Autism Centre

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well cared for at Westover Green.

They told inspectors that they could go to any member of staff if they were worried about something. One child summed this up, when they said that adults in the school say their first job is keeping pupils safe and the second is helping them learn. Parents are happy with the school and positive about the range of support offered to them and their children.

The school pays careful attention to pupils' wider development. Pupils value the opportunities they have to learn about all aspects of being healthy, including the recent focus on good mental health. Many pupils can recall ways to help them feel calm and they know the imp...ortance of self-worth.

Pupils, including those in the early years, like their lessons and work well together. They talk knowledgably about what they have learned. Pupils enjoy reading and like listening to stories in class.

Pupils value opportunities to contribute to the school community and understand wider citizenship. They like taking on important roles, such as being in the 'mini police'.

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

Leaders want every pupil to do as well as they can.

To achieve this, they are putting a curriculum in place that makes it clear what pupils should know in all subjects. As a result, teachers know what pupils need to learn from the moment they start in the early years until they reach Year 6.

Leaders have reviewed and improved all areas of the curriculum.

These developments are particularly noticeable in the teaching of mathematics and reading. In these subjects, teachers introduce pupils to new knowledge in small steps. Staff make sure that pupils get the time they need to practise and grasp important knowledge.

Consequently, pupils make good progress in their learning.

The strengths in reading and mathematics are beginning to be present in other subjects. This is because the teachers who lead curriculum subjects have a good understanding of their subjects.

These teachers have been well supported by senior leaders. However, because subjects are at different stages of development, some elements are not yet consistent. In some subjects, the sequence of learning does not include learning in the Reception classroom.

Because of these differences, improvements are not yet impacting on the achievement of all pupils.

Teachers understand what pupils know and can do. Staff spot when pupils struggle with their work.

They give pupils the extra practise they need in order to grasp important facts. Teachers are aware of any gaps in pupils' knowledge that have arisen as a result of the disturbance to pupils' education caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reading is given a high profile in the school.

Pupils get the encouragement and support they need to develop an enthusiasm for reading. Staff teach phonics well and with much energy. Children often practise the letters and sounds that they learn.

Sometimes, staff do not pay close enough attention to children's pronunciation. This slows the learning for some pupils. Leaders are keen to further improve the teaching of reading, and have an accurate understanding of how to achieve this.

Across the school, pupils display highly positive attitudes to adults and each other. Right from Reception, teachers have clear, well-communicated expectations of learning behaviour. Children feel that good behaviour is rewarded, and that there are appropriate sanctions for poor behaviour.

Pupils said that bullying is very rare. Pupils feel listened to and well supported by adults.

Pupils' personal development is a long-standing strength of the school's work.

The curriculum for personal, social and health education is well sequenced. There are many well-thought-out opportunities for learning. For example, many pupils can confidently describe different types of families.

Opportunities such as these enable pupils to develop respect for the rich diversity in their community.

Most pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well. In the school, adults provide pupils with SEND with suitable support.

These pupils have the same curriculum opportunities as their classmates. Pupils in the autism base are well cared for, safe and happy. Individual programmes are in place for each pupil.

However, leaders do not closely monitor the progress that each pupil in the autism base makes.

Governors know the school well, and understand its strengths and the areas that need to improve. They give the safety and well-being of pupils a high priority.

Leaders and governors have adjusted their priorities for school improvement in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, for example in developing the school's approach to positive mental health. Leaders, including those in the multi-academy trust, are working towards appropriate timescales, so that the curriculum is strong in all subjects.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a robust safeguarding culture in the school. Leaders have highly effective systems to identify risks and manage any concerns, which they use diligently. Governors and the multi-academy trust check that leaders fulfil their safeguarding obligations.

Staff understand what they must do if they identify pupils who are vulnerable. They promptly report any concerns about a child's safety or well-being. Pupils know they can tell staff if they have any worries.

Leaders know their school and its context well. They understand the issues that pupils and families need help with. Leaders work closely with other agencies to ensure that children get the help and support they need.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school's curriculum is not yet sufficiently well planned and well sequenced in some subjects. Not all subjects are building effectively from children's learning in the Reception Year. However, it is clear from leaders' actions that they are in the process of bringing this about, and are making any necessary amendments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leaders should continue with this work. ? While subject leaders are aware of the need to break learning into manageable steps for pupils, this is not yet a consistent feature of the delivery of the curriculum. In some subjects, activities do not ensure that all children develop the accurate knowledge that they need.

In some lessons, staff do not have the subject knowledge that they need in order to achieve this focus. Leaders should ensure that staff have sufficient knowledge of all of the subjects they teach, so they can build pupils' learning effectively, in manageable steps, over time. ? The effective curriculum thinking in the mainstream school has not yet been applied to the learning of pupils in the autism base.

This makes it more difficult to ensure that each pupil achieves as well as they can. Leaders do not closely monitor the progress that these pupils make. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum for pupils in the autism base is developed effectively, and the achievement of these pupils is monitored suitably.

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