Wynstream Primary School Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders know that the quality of education is not good enough.

Pupils do not always achieve as well as they should. This is because there are gaps in pupils' knowledge. Once children leave early years, some foundation subjects have little or no logical progression.

This means that pupils do not develop their knowledge and skills well enough. Pupils do not remember what they have learned. Plans are in place to improve the quality of the curriculum.

However, these plans are not being implemented quickly enough. Leaders' ambition is not yet being realised.

Pupils have good behaviour and positive attitudes to learning.

They enjoy school very muc...h. Very few pupils are absent. Pupils told us that bullying does not happen.

However, they do say that sometimes some older pupils are not very nice to each other when they use the internet at home.

The school is the hub of the community. Relationships between home and school are positive.

Staff know pupils and their families very well. Parents value the additional support they receive. Pupils place much faith in staff and their trusted adult.

Staff want the very best for every child.

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

The quality of education has declined since the previous inspection. Leaders and governors have not acted swiftly enough to stem this.

Leaders, including curriculum leaders, know there is much to do to address the priorities for the school.

In subjects, such as modern languages, geography and music, the order of learning is not well organised. This hampers pupils' learning, including that of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils cannot remember important learning as they progress through the curriculum. The leader responsible for pupils with SEND ensures that pupils receive timely support to meet their needs. However, due to the frail organisation of the curriculum, pupils do not reach their full potential.

Pupils are focused and eager to learn. The curriculum for writing and mathematics is organised better.

The physical education (PE) curriculum is a strength.

The PE curriculum is well organised, and pupils have achieved great success across a range of sports. The girl's futsal team are the current national champions.

The reading curriculum is not as well organised as it needs to be.

Some pupils in key stage 2, who find reading challenging, do not have the fundamental skills to be able to read fluently. The books that teachers give to pupils to practise their reading are too difficult. This means that pupils do not develop their ability to read well and gain confidence.

Leaders are in the process of changing the approach to early reading. This is because they recognise that too many pupils are not succeeding in reading. Staff are being trained currently on the new approach.

There are positive signs that the changes are starting to have an impact. Now, pupils in key stage 1 are securing the necessary knowledge and skills to be more successful in their reading.

Pupils do not know the meaning of key words that they have learned already.

Leaders have started to focus on ensuring that pupils secure an understanding of language. The leader responsible is determined to improve the school's approach to developing language. However, it is too early to see any impact of this work.

Pupils have many opportunities to grow as citizens. Wynstream has received several awards for its horticultural work in the community. Leaders have worked hard to prepare pupils for society.

Pupils live by the school values of curiosity, integrity, aspiration, responsibility and resilience. Additional curriculum opportunities enable pupils to reflect upon local and global issues. During the inspection, pupils in Year 2 were able to debate the impact of plastic pollution.

Children in the early years achieve well. The very large majority of children enter the early years with below expected knowledge and skills. Children learn lots of exciting things in an inspiring classroom that includes role play, such as a pet shop.

Activities build precisely on what children already know. Early reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Staff develop children's love of reading through a wide range of approaches.

Recently, children visited the local supermarket to support their understanding of their class text 'Super Potato', and healthy living. Children in the Reception class achieve well.

Staff morale is high in the school.

Recently qualified teachers are well supported. Leaders are focused on ensuring that staff's well-being is a priority.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders provide strong support to vulnerable pupils and their families. All staff receive appropriate training and regular updates. They know how to spot the signs of a pupil who may be at risk of harm.

Staff know the procedures to follow to raise any concerns.

Pupils are adamant that they are safe in school. Leaders have worked tirelessly to teach pupils and parents how to stay safe online.

Nevertheless, a small proportion of pupils do not use the internet appropriately at home. Pupils say that staff deal with any concerns swiftly.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Leaders are not providing a good enough quality of education.

This is because the content of most foundation subjects is not as well organised as it needs to be. Leaders need to ensure that subjects are planned carefully and that end points are clearly identified.Weaknesses in pupils' knowledge across the curriculum contribute to pupils' weak achievement.

Leaders need to ensure that pupils know more, remember more and can do more over their time in school. . The reading curriculum needs attention.

The content pupils learn needs to be organised in a more coherent way. This will enable pupils to build their knowledge and skills effectively over time. .

Pupils in key stage 2 have reading books that are too challenging. Leaders need to ensure that words in reading books match the sounds that pupils already know. This will help pupils to develop their fluency and achieve success when reading.

. Pupils find difficulty in understanding the meaning of words. This hinders their understanding of what they are learning and leads to guessing.

Teachers should assure themselves that pupils understand the meaning of vocabulary before progressing to new words. . The vast majority of curriculum leaders have not established the skills and expertise required to lead their subject.

Therefore, they are unable to support the development of their subject. Leaders need to provide these subject leaders with appropriate training, so they have the knowledge and skills they need to improve their subject planning. .

Governors have worked hard to halt the decline in standards. However, they do not have a strategic understanding of the national curriculum. Governors must develop this and ensure that leaders create an ambitious curriculum for pupils.