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Wicor Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.
What is it like to attend this school?
Right from the start of Reception, the school encourages pupils to be curious about the world around them and be connected to nature. Pupils thoroughly enjoy looking after hens, tending to their orchard, growing food on the allotment and selling their produce in the school shop. These activities are deeply enriching and help pupils to be happy and healthy and grow a very strong sense of responsibility.
A parent said: 'Children at this school are very engaged with the world around them and how they shape the future of their world by ...the choices they make.' This is typical of many comments.
The school is ambitious for every pupil, determined they will achieve as well as they possibly can.
The curriculum is woven together so that pupils can make rich connections between subjects. For example, the activity of planting seamlessly moves between geographical chalkland features to examining scientific features of soil acidity. This improves their wider knowledge and understanding.
As a result, they enjoy learning.
Pupils behave incredibly well during lessons and at social times. They have highly positive attitudes towards their learning.
They follow the school's rules. Pupils are happy and safe. They know teachers listen to any worries or concerns they may have and deal with them quickly.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school is committed to making sure that the curriculum is ambitious and relevant to all pupils. In every subject area, it is clear what pupils need to learn and when. In the early years, the curriculum is equally well structured and lays firm foundations for children's learning.
The school gives careful consideration to the support needed for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and makes sure it is in place.Teachers employ effective strategies to help pupils build on their prior learning. In subjects such as science and art, for example, pupils can confidently articulate their understanding and securely remember important knowledge.
They craft activities, which supports understanding. Pupils' curiosity and joy of learning is inspired through expert guest speakers such as the Wildlife Trust. As a result, pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well.
Most pupils typically learn well across a range of subjects. Pupils often excel in reading. This is because the school diligently implements its phonics and reading programmes.
Leaders work with care to train staff. The strong foundation work in Reception helps pupils to read and spell words accurately as they progress through key stage 1. Pupils who are struggling to read are given extra help to become confident and fluent readers.
Pupils are exposed to high-calibre books from a fulsome range of authors and happily enthuse about the different books they read. However, the school has not yet placed the same emphasis on the development of pupils' writing skills. This means pupils sometimes make mistakes in their written work.
These errors sometimes linger throughout their time at school. As a result, these errors can persist, impacting pupils' ability to express themselves effectively in writing.
The personal development provision in the school is exemplary.
The school ensures that pupils develop a very wide range of interests and hobbies. Pupils look forward to taking part in the art and cookery clubs. Many take part in a national dance competition.
Others rehearse enthusiastically for their 'Nemo' production and look forward to the performance in a local theatre. The school's extensive outdoor learning programme helps pupils learn to take risks safely, look after the environment and become independent. This rich array of opportunity helps pupils develop to be well rounded, mature and resilient.
It helps them mature and be prepared for their next steps in education.
Pupils' attendance at school is improving. This is because the school promotes the benefits of high attendance and supports families well who need extra help.
Pupils want to come to school because they enjoy learning. The school's breakfast club offers a purposeful and nutritious start to the school day. It also means that pupils are punctual and ready to learn in their lessons.
However, the number of pupils who are persistently absent is too high, especially for those who are disadvantaged. These pupils miss out on important parts of the curriculum and as a result find it harder to catch up.
The school is well led.
Staff appreciate the wide-ranging training they have received and talk about the high levels of job satisfaction they experience working at this school. The school is fully committed to continuous improvement for the benefit of the pupils.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Information for the school and appropriate authority
• Some pupils do not attend as regularly as they should, and a number, including those who are disadvantaged, are persistently absent. Consequently, those pupils do not always remember their learning well enough or fully benefit from the rich wider personal development opportunities offered by the school. The school must ensure that attendance improves, particularly among disadvantaged pupils.
• Pupils' writing skills are not as developed as they should be. This limits some pupils in achieving accuracy and fluency in their writing. The school should ensure that its recently increased expectations for pupils' written communication provide all pupils with sufficient practice to secure this important skill and improve their ability to express themselves effectively in writing.
Background
Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.
This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.
We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.
We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.
Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.
This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2019.
