Wilthorpe Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Wilthorpe Primary School is a joyful and vibrant place to learn where pupils feel, and are, safe. Pupils enjoy learning and have a thirst for knowledge. They are kind and caring towards each other and model tolerance and respect.

Pupils have excellent relationships with adults and are proud of their school.

The school is ambitious for its pupils. This is reflected in the carefully planned curriculum.

Pupils thrive and spend the day with a smile on their faces. They enjoy learning to read and appreciate every opportunity to practise their reading. There is a calm sense of purpose around school.

Pupils concentrate and work hard in lessons.

Par...ents and carers appreciate the high level of care and support given to pupils and their families. This is especially so for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in this highly inclusive school.

Expectations for behaviour are very clear and pupils enjoy meeting these expectations. They behave well almost all of the time. Pupils insist that bullying is rare.

They are confident that it is dealt with effectively if it does occur. They are proud that they have leadership roles and can contribute to school improvement.

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

Since the last inspection, leaders and governors, in partnership with Every Child Matters Academy Trust, have ensured rapid and significant improvement.

They have focused on the right things at the right time in order to secure improvement in all areas of the school's offer.

Early years provision is now a strength. Children are welcomed every day into a highly engaging environment.

Detailed planning and thoughtful teaching ensure that children are excited and curious learners. Children in Nursery learn the skills, routines and knowledge they need to be successful in Reception Year. By the end of Reception, children are well prepared for key stage 1.

The school has prioritised reading. Early reading and phonics are especially effective. Pupils in Reception and Year 1 benefit from a rigorous, structured approach to teaching phonics.

Staff are well trained so teaching is precise and interventions are delivered with expertise. Pupils learn to read quickly, accurately and fluently. Older pupils talk about reading enthusiastically.

They confidently describe the books that they are reading in detail and can discuss how they use skills like retrieval and inference in lessons. They particularly enjoy being read to by their teachers.

The detailed and sequenced curriculum that is now in place flows from the early years through to Year 6.

Teachers use this to plan learning that builds over time and helps pupils know and remember more. Vocabulary and oracy development underpin the whole curriculum. This helps pupils to understand, make connections and discuss their learning.

Lessons have a good pace, and teachers use whole-school approaches, such as partner talk, to keep pupils engaged. In all subjects, pupils can talk about their learning and are able to recall key facts that they have been taught.

During lessons, teachers ask skilful questions to establish whether pupils understand what is being taught.

This is effective in identifying and addressing any misconceptions pupils may have. However, in some subjects, checks made at the end of a sequence of learning are still developing. This means that sometimes, teachers are not fully aware of what pupils have learned over time.

Leaders are already aware of this and work to address it is already well underway. However, there remains more to do.

Inclusion is at the heart of this school, and leaders are ambitious for pupils with SEND.

The learning needs of each pupil with SEND are accurately and clearly identified and targets set are meaningful and relevant. This means that staff can effectively support all pupils in lessons. As a result, pupils with SEND learn well and play an active part in school life.

For some pupils, however, sometimes learning lacks the challenge needed to allow them to fully extend and deepen their learning. Opportunities for pupils to use and apply their skills and knowledge, such as to reason and solve problems, are sometimes overlooked. This hampers some pupils' ability to reach the higher levels of attainment.

Pupils benefit from an effective personal, social and health education curriculum. This equips them with knowledge to help them navigate their changing world. They are learning to be responsible citizens through the many leadership roles that they have.

They can talk about ideas like democracy and discrimination and understand how to be healthy. Pupils know what healthy relationships are and have a good knowledge of protected characteristics. However, not all pupils are secure with their knowledge and understanding of other faiths and cultures.

During the recent drive to improve the school, leaders have worked hard to ensure that staff workload is manageable. Staff well-being is fully considered. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school and appreciate the recent improvements, especially in communication and their access to senior members of staff.

Parents enjoy increased opportunities to be part of the school. One parent said, 'My child's class assembly was amazing to watch; it demonstrated the children's passion for learning.'

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Assessment at the end of a sequence of learning is not used as effectively as it could be in some subject areas. This means that in some subjects, teachers do not know exactly what pupils have learned or the details of what they know. The school should continue its work to ensure that summative assessment is used effectively in all subjects to support teachers when planning lessons to meet pupils' differing needs.

• Sometimes, some pupils do not get sufficiently challenging opportunities to extend their learning further. This hampers their ability to reach the higher levels of attainment that they are capable of. The school should make sure that the strategies that teachers use consistently give pupils challenging opportunities to use and apply their knowledge and skills, such as to reason and solve problems, to support them to reach the higher levels of attainment.