Worple Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Worple Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and harmonious school. Leaders know all the pupils by name, which parents and carers greatly appreciate.

Many children say how kind everyone is. They feel happy and safe. Pupils know who to talk to if they are worried about anything.

The school has high expectations for pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils who join the school at different points of the year are welcomed warmly by all and get the help they need to settle in swiftly. Pupils say that learning is fun at the school.

They talked excitedly about... their learning in different subjects. Children in the early years enjoy learning about words and numbers. The school has worked hard recently to improve the curriculum, particularly in mathematics and phonics.

Pupils appreciate the opportunities for leadership. School council members spoke proudly about their application to become a 'Rights Respecting School'. Pupils can also become sports leaders, prefects, librarians or mathematics ambassadors.

The school teaches pupils about the importance of being a good citizen and to experience outdoor learning.

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

Leaders have made reading a big priority at the school. In Nursery, children listen to songs, stories and rhymes.

In Reception and Year 1, pupils practise segmenting and blending sounds effectively. The books that pupils read match the sounds that they are learning in class. All staff, including support staff, are early reading experts.

They teach phonics consistently well across the school. Pupils at risk of falling behind in reading receive support to keep up and catch up. Reception children act as 'phonics experts', supporting Nursery children.

Pupils in Year 6 buddy with younger pupils in reading.

Overall, the school has created a broad and balanced curriculum. Leaders identify the key knowledge and vocabulary that pupils must learn carefully.

For example, in mathematics, pupils deepen their understanding of fractions, shape and place value as they move through the school. Staff support younger pupils with effective strategies, such as using repetitive addition when multiplying. In early years, staff provide children with many opportunities to 'bump into numbers'.

This enables children to practise their number bonds to 10 while playing bowling. In art, pupils create artistic patterns in Year 2, and in Year 4 they apply this learning to create Islamic-style art.

Leaders support staff to develop strong subject knowledge through regular training opportunities.

Activities are well chosen and the classroom environment supports pupils' learning effectively. Staff identify pupils with SEND quickly and support them to access the curriculum through a range of carefully chosen strategies. Pupils who struggle with their writing take part in a writing support programme regularly.

However, in a small number of subjects, systems to embed important subject content in pupils' long-term memory are not as secure. This limits some pupils' deeper knowledge and skills in these subjects.

Pupils' attendance was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It has improved since. Leaders analyse attendance carefully and intervene with support or follow-up actions as required. The school has high expectations of pupils' behaviour.

The numbers of suspensions and exclusions are low and these measures are used appropriately. Pupils behave very well inside and outside lessons. The school supports pupils to manage their emotions through the effective use of 'sensory zones'.

In the early years, staff ensure that children remain focused on their learning. Children take turns and cooperate with each other very well.

Pupils study a structured programme of personal, social and health education.

This supports the school vision of preparing pupils for their future in modern Britain. Staff teach pupils that 'we're all different, all welcome'. Pupils attend a range of clubs, such as karate, comic books, cooking or science.

They go to places of worship and museums and take part in river trips and theatre visits. Pupils regularly complete the 'Worple Whizz', which helps them to be physically active.

Staff appreciate the work of leaders to support their workload, well-being and career development through high-quality training.

Governors know the school well and are committed to its further improvement.

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 small number of foundation subjects, systems to embed subject content into pupils' long-term memory are not secure.

This limits pupils' deeper knowledge and understanding in these subjects. The school must ensure that staff use strategies to embed key knowledge in pupils' long-term memory so that they know and remember more across all subjects.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2014.