Wyvern Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Wyvern Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming and caring school that sits at the heart of its community.

Leaders encourage pupils, staff, and parents and carers to work together in line with the 'Wyvern Way'.

Teachers know pupils well. Pupils know that they can talk to teachers about any problems they might have.

As a result, pupils say that they feel safe and happy at school.

Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve academically, as well as what they could go on to achieve in the future. Many pupils leave this school in Year 6 being more confident than when they arrived, ...because of these expectations.

Pupils enjoy lessons. They show positive attitudes towards learning new things in different subjects. Many of them talk enthusiastically about their favourite subjects and things they know now that they did not know before.

Lessons are purposeful and pupils are able to learn.

There is very little poor behaviour. Pupils get on well with each other and their teachers.

Bullying is also rare. Staff do not tolerate it. When it occurs, adults take swift action, which always includes re-educating those who engage in such inappropriate behaviour, so they do not repeat it in future.

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

Leaders have redeveloped the curriculum for all foundation subjects. The curriculum matches the breadth and depth of the national curriculum. Leaders have identified the most important concepts in each subject that they want pupils to learn.

They have broken these down into small blocks of important knowledge. These small blocks build towards the larger concepts. This ensures that teachers know exactly what knowledge to teach and when to teach it.

In turn, this enables pupils to know and remember what they have learned. The curriculum allows them to build their knowledge over time across all subjects. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can access the full curriculum.

Teachers have good subject knowledge. They receive training from subject leaders. In many lessons, teachers choose resources well to support pupils to learn the most important knowledge.

Teachers use assessment well to check that pupils remember important knowledge before they move the learning on. In some subjects, such as mathematics, teachers sometimes assess pupils several weeks after they have learned a topic. This is one way in which they check that pupils have remembered important knowledge over time.

On occasions, teachers present too much information all at once. When this happens, some pupils have too much to consider and do not remember the most important knowledge.

The curriculum starts in early years.

Through the assessments they undertake, teachers identify where each child needs to develop. They use this information to plan learning activities. Children know that teachers have selected activities especially for them if they notice their own picture on the activity set.

Early learning facilitators are on hand to support children to learn and develop through guided play.

Pupils become fluent readers by the time they leave the school. The teaching of early reading is prioritised.

Leaders ensure that all staff are trained so that they are experts in early reading. Teachers assess pupils' phonics knowledge daily. If pupils fall behind, they receive support to help them catch up quickly.

Leaders match books closely to the sounds that pupils know. Pupils become more confident in reading over time. In early years and key stage 1, teachers read key texts to pupils daily.

This helps pupils to develop a love for reading. Pupils continue to read every day in key stage 2. They can talk enthusiastically about their selected texts, such as 'Coraline' and 'The nowhere emporium'.

This develops further their love for reading and encourages them to read their own books for pleasure.

Leaders ensure that teachers have access to 'strategy profiles' for pupils with SEND. These provide teachers with the information they need to support these pupils.

Leaders regularly check how well pupils with SEND are achieving. This enables them to ensure that these pupils are well supported.

Pupils learn about personal safety, online safety and relationships education.

Many take up roles such as those of pupil governor, eco-warrior and rights and responsibilities officer. Pupils know about discrimination and equalities. Many benefit from attending one of the after-school clubs, such as chess club and yoga club.

Pupils often take the lead in planning assemblies for religious events they observe at home. Pupils learn to celebrate diversity and respect differences. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Leaders have made changes and have continued to improve the school since the previous inspection. While making these changes, they have engaged with staff and the local community. Staff say that leaders are considerate of their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff receive regular training so that their safeguarding knowledge is up to date. They understand the issues that are prevalent in the local community and keep a very close eye on pupils.

Staff know how to identify, record and report concerns about pupils.

Leaders work with external agencies to provide support for families that need it. A family support officer is available to make immediate contact with local services.

This ensures that the most vulnerable pupils receive the right support quickly.

Governors perform regular checks to make sure that staff are following safeguarding procedures.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some lessons, teachers present too much information all at once.

In these lessons, some pupils do not remember the most important knowledge as well as they should. Leaders must ensure that all teachers understand how to present the most important knowledge so that pupils are able to understand and recall it well.

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

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in April 2013.