Willenhall Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Recent changes at Willenhall Community Primary School have led to many improvements.

The new headteacher and leadership team have made widespread changes in a short period of time. Increasing numbers of pupils and parents now report that the school is 'part of their community' and feel that it is a happy place to be.

Leaders know that there is much work still to do to improve the school further.

While outcomes are improving in some subjects, they are not yet in others. There has been some work to improve writing outcomes, but not all pupils are consistently well supported to write to the expected standard.

Many pupils report that they feel safe in th...e school and that staff take care and support them.

They also feel that they are now more excited to take part in new learning. Not all pupils are yet showing this same positive behaviour and can become easily distracted, which can affect their own learning, as well as that of others.

The school has successfully ensured that pupils' wider development is a priority.

Pupils feel lucky to have opportunities to take part in after-school clubs, go on a residential visit to Spain and raise money for charities in the local area.

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

The new leadership team has acted quickly to redesign the curriculum and to change the culture and ethos at this school. Leaders have developed the curriculum to ensure that all learning sequences are ambitious and meet the needs of pupils.

Many subjects are being taught effectively, which helps pupils to know and remember more. In some subjects, however, learning sequences are not always implemented consistently well. Consequently, pupils find it difficult to recall prior knowledge and link it to their learning.

The school is developing leaders at all levels to enable them to check how well the changes to the curriculum have led to improvements. However, there are inconsistencies in how well these checks precisely identify what is working well and what is not. As a result, there is an overly generous view of how well the curriculum is being delivered.

Some staff use assessment well to identify gaps in pupils' learning. They then adapt learning to meet the needs of pupils. However, this is not consistent, which leads to misconceptions not being identified and addressed.

When this happens, pupils repeat the same mistakes, and this affects the progress they make.

Children in the early stages of their education are increasingly being well supported. The school has made some significant changes to the early years environment and has successfully engaged parents, who enjoy visiting to see what their children are learning.

Children learn to enjoy stories and are beginning to read accurately. Many are now showing a readiness for their learning. They play well together and have strong relationships with key adults.

Children are now achieving better than they had previously and are better prepared for more formal learning in key stage 1.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are increasingly well supported, and their needs are accurately identified. The school has ensured that strong systems are now in place to assess and review learning plans.

Those agencies working with the school do so effectively to remove barriers that may affect a pupil's ability to learn. Most are making good progress from their starting points.

Pupils feel safe in school, and the relationships they have with adults support them to feel this way.

Some pupils show positive attitudes to their learning. However, a significant minority of pupils experience low-level disruption to their learning.

Pupils receive a rich set of experiences to supplement their learning in class.

They learn about the importance of being a kind citizen and how to keep themselves safe online. Opportunities to visit the local library and take part in clubs at the weekend are just a few of the things that they appreciate.

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 lessons, low-level disruption affects pupils' ability to learn. As such, not all pupils engage in lessons, and this affects their understanding. The school should ensure there is high expectation for behaviour and that the school's behaviour policy is applied consistently.

• The school has not precisely identified the weaknesses in the curriculum implementation. As a result, there are inconsistencies in how well teachers deliver the planned curriculum. The school should ensure that leaders at all levels receive the necessary training to be able to check and address the inconsistencies in the curriculum delivery and the impact on pupils' learning.

• On some occasions, misconceptions in pupils' learning go unnoticed and unaddressed. This means that pupils continue to make the same mistakes, which limits the progress they make. The school should ensure that all staff understand how to apply the principles of the school's assessment processes to identify and close gaps in pupils' learning.

• Despite ongoing work, standards of pupils' written work continue to be weak. As a result, pupils do not develop the skills and knowledge to become more fluent and independent writers. The school should ensure that all staff have higher expectations of the work that pupils produce.