Wheeler Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Wheeler Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to Wheeler Primary School every day.

They are proud to be part of the Wheeler family. It is a safe and happy place to learn. Pupils report that bullying is rare, but if it happens, staff will sort it out quickly and fairly.

Leaders and teachers have high expectations for every child. The leader's vision for the school is demonstrated in the way pupils behave. They want pupils to 'Be Respectful, Responsible and Resilient in Learning and Life'.

They are 'BRILL'.

Pupils are excited about adding experiences to their 'Bag for Life'. Leaders give pup...ils the opportunity to complete well-planned and exciting activities, such as performing in front of an audience, in order to create a 'bag' full of life experiences as they progress through the school.

The support that leaders provide for families is a strength of the school. Leaders provide breakfast and after-school care for pupils that need it. Parents say that the school is 'fantastic' and that staff 'greet the children come hail, rain or shine' every morning as they arrive.

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

Leaders have designed and implemented an ambitious and well-planned curriculum. They have ensured that it is carefully sequenced, so that pupils' learning builds from the early years. They have a clear vision of how this work will continue, to ensure that subjects prepare pupils well for life in Hull and the wider world.

Leaders ensure that teachers have received the training they need. As a result, teachers have strong subject knowledge. They adapt learning so that it meets the needs of all the pupils in the school, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Leaders have recently worked with specialists from other schools to create a calm, learning space for some of the youngest pupils with SEND. This is helping them settle well in the school and achieve well.

Leaders prioritise teaching pupils to read.

They have made recent changes to the teaching of phonics to help pupils get off to the best start with their reading. All staff have received appropriate training and are skilled in this new approach. Pupils take books home which contain the sounds that they are learning in class.

This gives them plenty of practice. As a result, pupils' accuracy and fluency are improving. Some pupils have fallen behind after periods of absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Teachers have planned extra phonics lessons daily which helps pupils to catch up quickly. Pupils in key stage 2 talk confidently about a wide range of authors and texts they have read. Leaders are successfully promoting a love of reading.

Subject leaders are highly trained. They are well supported by colleagues in other trust schools. Books show that where this is in place, pupils are building on prior learning and making good progress.

However, some subjects, such as personal, social and health education (PSHE) and religious education (RE), are still at the beginning of this journey.

Pupils are encouraged to develop a positive attitude towards themselves and others. Classrooms are calm and purposeful places for pupils to learn.

If issues arise, teachers deal with them quickly and consistently. They look for ways that they can help pupils learn from each situation.

Leaders are passionate about preparing pupils to be good citizens for the world beyond Wheeler Primary School.

They have planned a progressive series of opportunities for pupils to develop communication and creative skills, as well as resilience and respect for others. An example of this is the speech that Year 6 pupils plan and deliver about a global issue. They are enthusiastic to discuss how this helps them to collaborate with others, keep going when things get tough and understand how their voice is important in the world.

Pupils are taught about staying healthy, both physically and mentally. There are opportunities for pupils to attend different clubs and raise funds for charities. Pupils have a strong sense of belonging to the Wheeler family and sharing the school's values with others.

Leaders make strategic decisions to support staff in the school. They ensure that staff have time to carry out their leadership roles. Teachers appreciate the wider support offered from colleagues in the trust and say it helps them to manage their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Pupils feel safe in this school. They know that adults will listen to them if they have concerns.

Pupils also use the worry boxes or worry monsters in their classes to help them talk about uncertainties.

The pastoral team works well together to ensure that pupils are safe. They have a good understanding of risks to pupils in the local area.

They ensure that staff are well trained to report concerns appropriately. The pastoral team are persistent in following up any concerns and seeks support from other agencies if it is needed.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In subjects such as PSHE and RE, teachers do not use assessment rigorously to check that pupils are remembering the curriculum.

This means that pupils are not always clear about what they have learned and do not have sufficient prior knowledge to help them to make progress. Leaders should ensure that teachers are clear about what they are assessing and how to use these assessments effectively to plan subsequent learning.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2016.

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