Willoughby Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

From the moment that they start school, pupils feel special.

The youngest children make spider biscuits as they start in the Reception class and the oldest pupils receive books full of memories as they leave. Pupils treasure these traditions. They appreciate what staff do to make their time at Willoughby Primary School unforgettable.

Pupils said that the best thing about the school is that they live together happily. They said that because the school is small, everyone knows each other really well. When they fall out, teachers help them to sort it out.

Leaders address any rare incidents of poor behaviour straight away. Teachers make sure that pupils know what... bullying is and why any kind of name-calling is wrong.

Parents said that their children are eager to get to school.

Pupils feel that their teachers give them help if they find something difficult. All staff want pupils to know as much as they can. They work together to develop and improve what pupils learn during their time in school.

They provide many opportunities for pupils throughout the day from a lively 'Wake and Shake' to a range of after-school clubs.

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

All staff want children to get off to the best possible start. Children who are about to join the school get to know the teachers before they start in September.

Staff make sure that parents find out what their children are learning. Leaders have raised expectations of what children will know and be able to do by the end of their Reception Year. Children have plenty of chances to practise the new words that they learn.

They are proud to explain that owls are nocturnal animals. They count to check how many flies are caught in a spider's web during story time.

Teachers have changed the phonics curriculum.

Pupils get off to a quick start learning the sounds that letters make. The books that the youngest children read closely match the sounds that they know. Teachers spot when pupils have not remembered a sound.

They sort out misconceptions straight away. Leaders plan to improve the new phonics curriculum further to make sure that all pupils at the early stages of reading keep up with their peers. Older pupils read widely and often.

They can explain how what they have read before helps them to understand the humour in the story. They recommend favourite authors, and use their reading as a starting point for discovering new authors and finding out more about topics that interest them.

Leaders have begun to improve the curriculum so that pupils remember more.

In some subjects, teachers clearly identify what they want pupils to know and how it builds on what they learned before. Pupils in key stage 1 learn about toys from the past and compare them to the toys that they play with. Pupils deepen their knowledge as they talk about the materials that toys were made from, and begin to put them in order from the oldest to the newest.

However, the improvements to the curriculum are not yet complete. Pupils do not consistently revisit and recall what they have learned before.

Pupils described the school as 'like a big family'.

They enjoy the activities that they do altogether, such as whole-school trips and the yearly nativity production. Pupils relish responsibilities such as being on the school council. They work together to raise awareness of recycling and raise money for charities, such as through a 'Wigs and Onesies' day.

Pupils demonstrate tolerance and respect. They enjoy learning about a range of cultures and beliefs. However, they do not recall well enough what they have been taught about different faiths.

Staff work together to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They have high expectations of what pupils with SEND will be able to do, and make sure that they get the right help to access the same curriculum as their peers.

Parents feel that they are kept well informed and know about the progress that their children are making.

This has continued throughout the pandemic. Parents praised the efforts that the school made during the COVID-19 restrictions so that their children could continue to learn.

Governors check that the changes which leaders are bringing about are making a difference.

Leaders make sure that staff get training to help them to implement the new curriculum, and more is planned. They take staff workload into account. Staff said that leaders are supportive and prioritise the well-being of the staff team.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders make sure that pupils have regular lessons about how to keep safe. They learn about dangers in the world around them as well as how to stay safe online.

Older pupils know that this will help them to stay safe when they use mobile phones in the future.

Staff have received training so that they know what to do if they are worried about a child. Leaders check that staff have understood this.

Parents feel well supported by the actions that leaders take to help them during difficult times.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school's curriculum is not yet sufficiently well planned in some subjects. However, it is clear that leaders have already taken action to plan next year's curriculum and to train staff in how to deliver it.

For this reason, the transitional statements have been applied. Leaders have updated the curriculum in all subjects. However, they have not yet identified with precision what they want pupils to remember in every subject.

They have not consistently sequenced this so that pupils deepen their knowledge. Not all pupils recall what they have learned before. Leaders should make sure that they have identified the key knowledge in every subject.

They should make sure that teachers know what pupils learned before and what will come after. Leaders should check that pupils have the chance to recall and build on this knowledge. ? Leaders have begun to implement a more ambitious curriculum in the early years and the teaching of phonics.

These are at an early stage of implementation. Leaders should make sure that they review these curriculums so that all staff have the chance to deepen their subject knowledge. They should continue to check that this is making a difference to what pupils know and can do.