Wouldham, All Saints Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Wouldham All Saints Primary is a school where pupils feel welcome and secure.

Staff and pupils' relationships are strong and built on trust and respect for one another. Pupils feel safe and they are happy. If there is any bullying, it is stopped quickly.

Staff support pupils to do their best.

Pupils want to do well and are attentive in lessons. They behave well in and around the school and look after each other.

Pupils are proud of their extra roles and responsibilities.

Pupils enjoy the range of activities offered to them. They particularly enjoy trips and visits to places in the locality and wider afield.

There is an extensive off...er of clubs and sports sessions. Pupils, parents and carers appreciate these opportunities. All pupils are enabled to take part as leaders support those who are disadvantaged with transport.

Pupils of all ages develop independence and resilience. Leaders want pupils to aim high. However, in some subjects, pupils find it hard to remember what they have learned and have gaps in their knowledge.

Leaders recognise this and are acting upon it. Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) helps them to access the learning and achieve well.

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

Leaders place a high emphasis on reading from the moment children join in Reception Year.

They have enabled staff to teach phonics well by providing regular training. There is a range of support for pupils who struggle to read. This is effective and helps pupils to develop in their fluency and confidence.

Pupils enjoy reading and they talk with excitement about the range of books they read.

In most subjects, such as mathematics, leaders clearly identify and set out the knowledge and skills pupils need to learn over time. In other subjects, while leaders have considered what key skills and knowledge should be included in the curriculum, they have not shared it precisely enough with all staff.

In these subjects, pupils remember the exciting activities that teachers plan rather than the knowledge that teachers wanted them to learn. For example, in science, pupils know that they are growing plants and can recall how plants grow, but do not recall what they learned about plant structure, such as stems and root systems.

Overall, teachers use assessment well and this supports them to check what pupils know.

For example, they check how much pupils remember at the start of mathematics and phonics lessons. From this, teachers quickly identify and make up any gaps in pupils' knowledge. However, this is not yet the case in all subjects.

In a minority of subjects, gaps in pupils' knowledge are not addressed as quickly as leaders intend.

Leaders have ensured that pupils with SEND are identified and supported well throughout the school. Leaders ensure that staff are knowledgeable about what to look for and how to best adapt activities to ensure that pupils' needs are met.

As a result, these pupils receive effective reinforcement to help them learn well. Leaders monitor the support pupils receive and use this well to plan further training for staff.

Pupils are polite with each other and with adults.

They behave well in lessons and during social time. Behaviour in the school is good. Leaders track incidents of poor behaviour and use this information to support pupils who require it.

Leaders have a range of supportive staff available to help them with this.

Leaders in the early years have made sure that children have well-planned activities which support them to learn well and develop skills and independence. Teachers and teaching assistants work very well as a team, sharing their knowledge of what children can do and what they need to do next.

They ensure that all children, including those with SEND, develop well. Children are happy, behave well, make good relationships and are ready for their next steps in Year 1.

Leaders plan for and are passionate about giving pupils a wide range of experiences.

Pupils enjoy the rich range of external speakers and activities. They develop a strong understanding of topics such as democracy. Pupils are proud to represent their school and each other, for example through the school parliament.

They are particularly proud when they get to ring the 'achievement bell'.

Leaders consider the well-being of the staff, and staff value this. Governors challenge leaders well, with the needs of the pupils at the heart of their work.

Staff are proud to be part of the school and feel well supported by the whole team.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff understand the importance of safeguarding.

Leaders check systems and processes regularly. They ensure that all staff have comprehensive training and know what to look for and how to act. Staff report concerns promptly and leaders act on these concerns quickly.

Leaders have designed a curriculum which supports pupils well in knowing how to keep themselves safe in a variety of circumstances. Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe online and how to develop positive relationships. They have a range of adults who they know they can talk to.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not set out key knowledge and skills precisely enough in a few subjects. As a result, teachers plan learning based on activities rather than the key knowledge that pupils need to know and remember over time. Leaders need to ensure that intended key knowledge and skills are clearly understood by all staff in all subjects.

• In a minority of subjects, teachers do not assess what pupils know and remember precisely enough. This means that some gaps in pupils' learning are not addressed swiftly. Leaders should ensure that teachers are able and confident to assess what pupils know, and therefore adapt activities to meet pupils' needs.