Wickham Common Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this warm, friendly and caring school.

They say their teachers are kind and help them to learn a lot in lessons. Pupils are also kind to each other, for example supporting new pupils to settle in when they join the school. Pupils are happy and safe here.

Pupils behave very well in class and are polite and courteous around the school. Children in Reception cooperate with each other and focus well on what they are doing. The school has high expectations of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Leaders have recently made changes to the curriculum, so that it is now more ambitious.

T...here are many opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests, particularly in sport and music. For instance, pupils can attend after-school clubs in football, cooking or karate.

They can also participate in one of the two well-attended choirs.

Parents and carers commented on how well the school prepares their children for secondary school.

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

Leaders have created a broad and ambitious curriculum.

The school has carefully selected the key knowledge that pupils must learn and decided the order in which they must learn it. For example, in art, Reception pupils learn about printing through the work of Andy Warhol. They experiment with their hands and sponges to make patterns.

In Year 3, pupils learn to use materials to make a stamp for printing. Pupils in Year 6 use their earlier knowledge to create a multi-layered print.

Teachers present subject content clearly.

They help pupils to know and remember more over time. For example, teachers enabled Year 6 pupils to recap and deepen their knowledge and understanding about light. Teachers choose carefully selected activities to support pupils' subject-specific understanding.

Staff use resources skilfully to help pupils with SEND. In most subjects, the school has clear assessment systems to check how well pupils are learning. In some foundation subjects, the school's work to identify what content to assess is still developing.

This means that teachers do not identify the important knowledge that pupils need to know in these subjects.

Leaders are equally ambitious for pupils with SEND. They identify the needs of pupils with SEND quickly.

Staff support these pupils to be able to access subject content successfully. They adapt the learning for pupils with SEND effectively.

Pupils become confident and fluent readers.

Leaders make this a priority from the moment children start school. Staff deliver phonics teaching effectively. They have regular training which helps them to develop pupils' reading well.

The books that pupils read match the phonic sounds that they are learning. In a few instances, staff's subject knowledge of the reading programme is developing. This means that, occasionally, some pupils are not improving their reading skills as well as they could.

Leaders have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. There are very clear routines in classrooms and around the school. This means there is almost no low-level disruption in lessons.

Pupils develop resilience, resourcefulness and responsibility. They learn to accept failure as a key part of the learning process. Children in Reception concentrate well on their learning.

They take turns and follow instructions.

Pupils' attendance was affected by the pandemic. Leaders work very hard to ensure pupils attend school regularly.

They talk to pupils about the importance of education regularly and have robust systems when pupils do not attend.

Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. They visit places of worship such as the local mosque and hear faith leaders talk in school.

Pupils recently took part in a workshop about Buddhism. Older pupils take on positions of responsibility, such as student councillors, house captains and subject ambassadors. They also support other pupils as trained 'peer mediators'.

Leaders at all levels work proactively to improve the school. Staff, including support staff, really enjoy working here. They feel supported with their workload and well-being.

The trust has helped the school with curriculum planning, teacher training and central services. However, there has been much change recently, and some leaders are new in post. This means that many of the improvements have not been fully embedded.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some foundation subjects, the school does not identify how to assess what pupils know and remember clearly. This limits leaders' and teachers' oversight of the impact of subject content on pupils' learning.

The school should continue to develop an assessment framework for foundation subjects that informs them systematically about pupils' learning. ? Leadership in some subjects is new and does not check systematically the impact of recent curriculum changes. The school should ensure that subject leaders have the required knowledge and skills to implement and embed the changes successfully in all subjects.

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