Worthington Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils with whom we spoke, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), said that they are happy at the school. They enjoy their learning, including their special trips and meetings with visitors. They achieve strongly.

Pupils succeed because staff have high expectations of them. Staff include and support pupils properly in activities. Many pupils attend extra clubs at the school, including gymnastics and the choir.

They are proud of their school, attend often and arrive punctually to lessons.

Children in Nursery learn new words and much knowledge. This is because staff make the Nursery a wonderful place for learning to happen....r/>
In the early years, key stages 1 and 2, children and pupils take part in meaningful conversations with staff.

Pupils told us that they have plenty of friends at the school. They said that bullying, including online, and disruptive behaviour by other pupils are rare.

They said that staff are quick to resolve any issues that arise.

Pupils said that they feel safe at the school. They told us that they trust staff and tell them about their feelings and opinions.

They said that staff listen and respond to them kindly. Pupils act sensibly. Relationships between pupils are positive.

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

Leaders model warm acceptance towards staff. They show this same behaviour to children and pupils. Many parents and carers praise the quality of relationships that they experience at the school.

Pupils, including those with SEND, respect one another. They feel an equal part of the school community. It is little wonder that there is a long list of parents who want their child to attend this school.

Leaders and staff plan well for the development of pupils' personal skills and knowledge. For instance, they ensure that pupils learn about different people. Staff teach pupils about the abilities of disabled people.

Pupils learn of the important contributions of Black people to the development of the world. Leaders and staff prepare pupils properly for their lives in the diverse world of modern Britain.

Pupils told us that they enjoy the curriculum.

A typical pupil comment was: 'Staff teach you in a fun way; they make learning interesting.' Pupils behave well when at school, including in classrooms. Staff can focus on teaching the curriculum.

Staff place pupils' work in attractive displays on the walls of classrooms and corridors and on some furniture around the school. Staff use such displays to assist pupils' further learning. This starts in Nursery, where children can dress as a special character in the 'superhero den'.

Nursery staff use such opportunities for teaching well. They help children, including boys, to want to write about their learning.

Leaders act on reasonably clear plans, including in the early years, to strengthen the curriculum.

The work of the school continues to improve. Where most successful, leaders and staff focus lots of their attention on improving a subject. Leaders' and staff's understanding of the curriculum in some subjects has improved because of training, including with other local schools.

Staff are starting to consider more carefully the words that pupils should learn. For instance, in Reception, children can explain words such as glided and gloomy that they have learned through recent stories. In upper key stage 2, pupils understand words such as antiquated, quintessential and trepidation.

This is because of the teacher's deliberate focus on deepening pupils' understanding of language. Even so, not all curriculum subjects are planned as successfully as others. Some pupils do not remember all the knowledge, including vocabulary, that they should.

In some work, pupils learn less well. Staff do not plan some units of work to link logically with pupils' previous or future learning.

Pupils' attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics in key stage 2 are above average.

Pupils with SEND achieve well. Not all disadvantaged children and pupils learn as successfully as they should. Leaders and staff are acting to address this issue.

Staff are starting to make better use of fiction and non-fiction books to teach new knowledge to children and pupils. However, pupils' reading skills vary. In the early years, Year 1 and Year 2 some children and pupils do not gain the knowledge and skills that they need to become confident, fluent readers.

The school's curriculum for phonics and reading should be better planned. Some leaders and staff do not have up to date knowledge of phonics and reading. Some teachers and their colleagues incorrectly say the sounds that letters make.

However, by the end of their time at the school, many pupils do become confident, skilful readers.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Pupils told us that they feel safe at the school.

In lessons and extra activities, pupils learn about staying safe. Pupils, including those in key stage 1, understand how to stay safe online. Leaders make sure that staff complete regular training on safeguarding.

Staff, including those in the early years, understand their roles and responsibilities for protecting pupils from harm. Leaders and staff give pupils extra help to support their feelings and behaviour. Leaders refer concerns about pupils appropriately to other agencies.

However, leaders' record keeping is not thorough enough.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Some pupils do not read as well as they should. This holds them back from using their reading to learn strongly in other subjects.

Leaders should ensure that staff have up to date knowledge of the teaching of phonics and reading, including how to say the sounds that letters make. Leaders should make certain that struggling readers practise with books that match their knowledge of phonics and words. By making these improvements, staff will be more able to teach all pupils to read accurately and fluently.

. Some pupils do not remember their previous learning well enough. Some do not know enough key vocabulary for some subjects.

This means that pupils do not achieve strongly in all their work. Leaders should make sure that in curriculum plans for all subjects staff consider fully the essential knowledge, including the vocabulary, that pupils will learn. Leaders should identify more precisely the order in which pupils will learn information.

This will enable pupils to develop and remember the knowledge that they need across the curriculum. . Leaders should make sure that they record all safeguarding information about pupils thoroughly.

Also at this postcode