Wittering Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a friendly school, where everyone receives a warm welcome. Many pupils join the school at different points and only attend for a short period of time. Some of these pupils are new to the country or have not attended school before.

They settle in quickly and make friends. Pupils enjoy coming to school every day and feel safe.

Most pupils focus on their learning and want to do well.

They engage with the tasks that they are doing and will ask for help when they need it. They know that the staff want them to do their best and are there to support them when they need it. Pupils take pride in their work and achieve well.

The majority of pupils unde...rstand behaviour expectations and they meet them, in lessons and at playtime.

Pupils enjoy a variety of trips and visits that link to the work that they are doing within the curriculum. They enjoy the additional opportunities that they have available to them, for example singing and bicycle safety sessions.

Sporting opportunities are vast; these include yoga, boccia and table tennis. There are also competitive and non-competitive sporting opportunities, which the school is successful in, and pupils enjoy.

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

The school has developed a broad and balanced curriculum.

It is well sequenced and suitable for the pupils who attend the school. In most subjects, the key knowledge and vocabulary that pupils will learn are identified clearly. Pupils know and remember this knowledge, enabling them to achieve well in these subjects.

However, in a few subjects the precise knowledge that pupils should know and remember has not yet been identified. In most subjects, staff check what pupils know and understand. When pupils need more practice on a topic, staff ensure that they do this.

However, in some subjects, staff do not check what pupils know and so do not build on pupils' knowledge as effectively or address any misconceptions that they might have.

Phonics is consistently taught following the chosen programme. In Reception, children enjoy sharing books and discussing them in depth.

The sharing of high-quality texts with their teachers continues as the pupils move through the school. Children in Reception start to learn phonics soon after they start at school. They practise their sounds by reading books that are well matched to what they know.

The school encourages parents and carers to read with their children. It supports parents with how to do this effectively. Staff check pupils' reading knowledge carefully and adapt their support as needed.

Pupils enjoy accessing the school library and the wide range of texts that their teachers share with them.

The school quickly identifies pupils' needs and puts support in place. This includes for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

More recently, this also includes the level of spoken English that pupils have, or how much previous schooling they have received. Staff know how to adapt learning so that pupils are fully included in the curriculum. Some pupils with SEND have a more personalised approach to their learning in the Rainbow Room or Happy Hub, rejoining their class when appropriate.

This enables all pupils to be able to learn in the way most appropriate to their needs.

Well-established routines and expectations are set from the early years. Behaviour around the school is settled.

For those who need additional support to meet the high standards the school expects, staff are effective at helping them make the right choices. The school monitors pupils' attendance carefully. The school works hard to ensure that all pupils attend regularly and overcome any barriers they might have to attending school.

This ensures that attendance levels are high.

From the early years, pupils learn about differences and the importance of including everyone. In Reception, children start to learn about different types of families and throughout the school they learn about different religions and cultures.

Democracy is an important part of school life. The school council is an active voice in decision-making. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including online.

Pupils have a variety of leadership opportunities available to them around the school, including supporting the younger pupils. For example, pupils who are known as 'sheepdogs' support pupils in the lunch hall.

Leaders work collaboratively with the trust.

The school ensures that staff have regular guidance and training. A focus has been on subject leadership. This has enabled a high-quality curriculum to develop, in most subjects.

Staff are well supported to manage their well-being and workload. Most parents are positive about the experience that their children receive 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 few subjects, assessment processes are not yet in place. In these subjects, teachers and leaders do not check what pupils know and can remember and therefore cannot build on pupils' knowledge or address misconceptions successfully. The school should ensure that effective processes are put in place to check what pupils have understood and use this information to inform next steps in learning.

• In a few subjects, the key knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to know are not clearly identified. Therefore, pupils are not taught the subject-specific knowledge or vocabulary in detail. The school should ensure that key knowledge and vocabulary are clearly identified in all subjects so that teachers know what to teach and when.