Wiggonby CofE School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Wiggonby CofE School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and well mannered. They are excellent ambassadors for the school. Pupils enjoy respectful relationships with each other and with staff.

The school cares deeply about pupils' mental health and well-being. Pupils are happy.

Pupils, including children in the early years, respond well to the high expectations that the school has of their achievement.

Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

The school's eco council provides pupils with opportunities to improve their local environment. They le...arn to plant trees and to grow flowers and vegetables.

Pupils are proud of their recent success in a community gardening competition.

Pupils become more confident and resilient through the extra responsibilities that they are given. For example, by acting as buddies, lunchtime servers and playground leaders.

Staff support pupils well to develop into independent young people. Pupils have opportunities to take part in clubs, including choir and multi-skills. They attend events, such as inter-school sports competitions.

These experiences help pupils to develop their talents and interests.

Pupils enjoy taking part in outdoor and adventurous activities during residential trips. Visits to museums and major cities help pupils to deepen their understanding of the subjects that they study.

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

In most subjects, the school has designed an ambitious suite of curriculums. Pupils benefit from the broad range of subjects that they study. The information that they should learn has been carefully organised so that pupils build their knowledge securely over time.

Most pupils are well prepared for each stage of their education. This includes children in the early years, who are ready for the demands of key stage 1.The school has recently strengthened the curriculum in a small number of subjects.

Consequently, in these subjects, some pupils have not had the time to deepen their knowledge and understanding over time.

Staff have strong subject knowledge. They choose appropriate activities to help most pupils to learn the curriculum well.

In the early years, children make a strong start to their education. Staff provide them with many opportunities to hear and to use new words. High quality interactions from staff help to support children's communication and language development.

Staff make regular checks on what pupils know and remember. They address any gaps or misconceptions that pupils may have in a timely manner. This helps to make sure that pupils' knowledge is secure before they move on to new learning.

The school accurately identifies the needs of pupils with SEND. Staff use this information diligently to design activities that enable these pupils to learn alongside their peers. The extra support that some pupils receive helps them to quickly build their literacy and numeracy skills.

Reading is prioritised across the school. In the Nursery class, children learn vocabulary through listening to a wide range of stories and joining in with a variety of rhymes and songs. Staff deliver the phonics programme effectively from the beginning of the Reception class.

The books that pupils read are closely matched to the sounds that they already know. As a result, most pupils become confident and fluent readers. The school has a precise understanding of pupils' individual reading skills.

Pupils with gaps in their phonics knowledge receive highly tailored support to help them to catch up with their peers.

Pupils develop a detailed understanding of the world around them through the books that they read. They talk with confidence about human rights and justice.

Pupils understand the importance of caring for the planet.

In lessons, pupils have highly positive attitudes to their learning. They work together sensibly during group activities.

Pupils listen well to the views and opinions of others. Their learning is rarely interrupted.

The school provides pupils with memorable experiences that support their personal development.

Pupils know how to look after their own physical and mental health. This includes the importance of sleep and the power that positive thinking can have. They have an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships.

Pupils respect the differences that exist between people. They learn about the impact that significant historical figures have had on the world, such as 'Jesse' Owens, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.

The governing body carries out its duties effectively.

It keeps a clear focus on the impact that the curriculum has on pupils to ensure that they achieve well. Staff value the positive culture of teamwork that exists at the school. Recent curriculum developments have provided support for their well-being.

Staff are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, the school has only recently identified the important information that pupils should learn.

As a result, some pupils do not have sufficient depth of knowledge in these subjects. The school should embed the curriculum in these areas to ensure that pupils achieve as well as they should.

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 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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in April 2014.