Winterslow Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Winterslow Church of England Primary School is a place where pupils 'explore, discover and sparkle'.

Pupils enjoy coming to school and attend well. The 'gem' rewards motivate pupils to engage well with their learning.

The school has high expectations of pupils' behaviour.

Most pupils live up to these. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and sustain their concentration well. Pupils benefit from the strong and caring relationships they have with adults in school.

They trust adults to help them with any concerns. As a result, pupils are happy and feel safe.

Pupils enjoy the regular opportunities to take part in sporting events.

...The school makes clear that participation in these events is as important as performance. Pupils receive rewards for showing respect and compassion in sport.

The school supports pupils' wider development well.

Pupils enjoy attending clubs including choir, eco and coding club. They deepen their curriculum knowledge through visits, for example to a Roman site. Pupils talk enthusiastically about their roles as school councillors and collective worship leaders.

This gives them a voice within school and helps to develop pupils' character.

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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum. It has identified the knowledge it wants pupils to learn in most subjects as they move through the school.

This starts in the Reception Year. This knowledge is well sequenced so that pupils build on what they already know. In some wider curriculum subjects, the knowledge the school wants pupils to learn is not identified precisely enough.

Where this is the case, pupils develop gaps in what they know and remember.

The school has implemented an effective phonics programme that children learn as soon as they start school. Adults are experts in the teaching of early reading.

They check that pupils understand what they have learned and help them to correct errors. This means pupils deepen their knowledge well. Pupils who are at risk of falling behind receive extra support, which helps them to keep up.

Children in Reception Year recall and blend sounds into words. They use this knowledge to write accurate sentences. Adults model language and vocabulary well.

This supports children to develop their own language.

Pupils read a wide range of books. These books help them to develop their understanding of diversity.

Older pupils talk with enthusiasm about reading. They are eager to share their reading books. They say, 'Listening to stories makes your mind forget about everything else.'



The school has an accurate understanding of the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils receive adult support and use classroom resources to help them access the same school curriculum as their peers. As a result, pupils with SEND progress well through the curriculum.

In most curriculum subjects, the work pupils complete helps them to learn the curriculum and deepen their knowledge. In some wider curriculum subjects, teachers do not always have the subject knowledge they need in order to design learning that supports pupils to build on what they know. This means a small number of pupils do not progress as well through the curriculum.

The school is calm and orderly. Pupils are polite and they behave well. Older pupils set a good example to younger pupils.

Pupils focus well during lessons and there is little disruption.

The personal, social and health education curriculum teaches pupils to keep themselves mentally and physically healthy and safe. This starts in Reception Year, where children learn to develop respect for themselves and each other.

As pupils move through this curriculum, they learn about different world views and religions. This means they think about, reflect on and challenge injustice.

Pupils learn about the importance of being a responsible citizen.

They organise and lead a range of events that make a positive contribution to their school and the wider community. For example, they raise money for the school by selling cakes and ice creams. This work supports them to develop a sense of money and budgeting.

The curriculum and school assemblies support pupils' understanding of fundamental British values and protected characteristics. Pupils know that everyone at school is equal. They show fairness in the way they treat each other.

Pupils learn about the importance of democracy and how having a voice in school can bring about positive change.

Governors and trustees have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and development areas. They provide support and challenge to ensure the school continues to improve.

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 wider curriculum subjects, the school has not identified the precise knowledge they want pupils to learn. This means there are gaps in what pupils know and remember.

The trust needs to ensure that the key knowledge that pupils need to learn is precisely defined and gaps in knowledge are addressed. ? In some wider curriculum subjects, the learning provided for some pupils does not help them to build their knowledge well. The trust needs to ensure that teachers are supported to develop their subject knowledge to design purposeful learning that supports all pupils to build knowledge well over time.

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