Wykeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. Leaders have ensured that pupils understand the behaviour system well.

Leaders have mapped out the curriculum across different subjects.

However, their vision is not being consistently put into practice by staff. Teachers sometimes do not spot when pupils are making mistakes or help pupils to correct them.

Sometimes, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not get the adaptations that they need to their work, to be successful. Some pupils are not as confident as they need to be in areas such as their knowledge of fractions in mathematics or how to use pencils to sketch in art.

Pupils a...re polite and respectful to each other.

They know the school values well and they try to show 'friendship' and 'joy' in what they do. Bullying is very rare and when it happens, staff deal with it well. Pupils feel safe and happy in the school because there are always staff around to help them.

Pupils enjoy the opportunities that leaders provide for them. They like cooking on a fire or learning how to tie knots in their forest school sessions. Pupils learn about culture by visiting art galleries or places of worship outside their local community.

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

Leaders have successfully improved some aspects of school, such as how phonics is taught and how well teachers use the behaviour policy. This has meant that pupils learn in calm and purposeful environments. Children get off to a positive start in their reading.

However, there is still much to do to improve other parts of the curriculum and how it is taught.

Leaders have designed a new curriculum which maps out what pupils should be able to know and do, and by when. Curriculum subject leaders have then broken down the knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn into smaller steps.

This has only just been done in some subjects, such as art and design, so teachers are not using this reviewed curriculum in all subjects. Leaders recognise that all curriculum subjects need developing, and so have improved subjects one or two at a time to allow staff to understand the new curriculum in batches. Leaders have not completed this work, so teachers are not clear of what to teach in some subjects.

This is also true in some areas of learning in the early years, such as 'expressive arts and design' and 'understanding the world'.

Leaders have also made it clear how teachers should teach each subject. This is linked to what they want pupils to know and focuses on pupils practising the basics and then discussing their new knowledge and vocabulary with each other.

In phonics, teachers use techniques like pinching fingers for each sound, and this helps pupils get better at what they are doing. However, in other subjects, sometimes teachers do not use techniques that are helpful. Some teachers do not have the subject knowledge that they need to explain new ideas and to show pupils what to do across the range of subjects.

Teachers sometimes do not assess well. On too many occasions, teachers miss opportunities to correct when pupils have made basic errors, such as writing numbers the wrong way round.

Leaders have made significant improvements to the teaching of phonics and the culture of reading across the school since the last inspection.

Children in Reception enjoy listening to books and start learning the sounds that make up words and how they are written. Pupils continue to practise these sounds and learn new ones. Teachers make sure that pupils keep up with this curriculum or help them to catch up quickly if they need to.

Pupils practise by reading books that are well matched to the sounds that they know. Older pupils also enjoy listening to books at the end of the day and take books home that they can read and enjoy.

Leaders are ambitious for the inclusive culture in the school.

Leaders work with other agencies to get the help that pupils with SEND need. There is a speech and language specialist who helps some pupils with SEND to develop their communication skills. However, as with other aspects of the school, some of the leaders' ambitions are not matched with what some staff are doing.

Staff sometimes do not adapt the work that pupils with SEND are doing, and pupils then struggle to be successful.

Governors have the knowledge and skills they need to fulfil their roles. They have an accurate view of the strengths of the school and what needs to improve.

Governors regularly meet with leaders in school to see how well they are getting on with improvements. They have a clear focus on quality of education and what needs to be done.

Leaders and governors have ensured positive pupil behaviour in school.

Classrooms are calm and purposeful and pupils are respectful of each other and their teachers. Pupils try to 'reach for the stars' in their class charts and want to gain points for their house. Leaders make sure that pupils are coming to school regularly and that pupils are on time each day.

Pupils know and use the school values like 'respect' and 'friendship' well. They are taught about the different beliefs across the world and locally, and how families can look different. Teachers provide helpful activities to get pupils to understand the importance of being healthy.

Leaders check what pupils know or want to understand better and add more to their personal, social and health education (PSHE) lessons if needed. For example, some pupils were unsure about the value of sleep in being healthy, so teachers have taught more lessons about this.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and staff are particularly skilled in listening to pupils and considering their views. This helps pupils to feel safe as they have someone to talk to if they need it. If pupils do say something that may indicate an issue, then staff are very quick to respond.

Leaders then continue to support pupils and talk to them about their wishes and feelings throughout any difficult periods. All of this information is shared with other agencies so that children and families get they help they need. Staff are well trained to do this and are vigilant.

Leaders have a very clear understanding of the potential local risks. One such area is online safety, and so they have clearly included this in their curriculum and trained staff in how to look out for potential issues. Leaders also work with parents and carers to support online safety in the home.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• While all subjects in Year 1 to Year 6 and areas of learning in Reception have been planned out by leaders, some are at a very early stage and are not currently being used by teachers. The current curriculum in some subjects and areas of learning is not supporting pupils in developing their long-term knowledge and skills. Leaders should ensure that all subjects and areas of learning are fully mapped out and contain the precision needed for end points and the components needed to achieve them.

• Some teachers and teaching assistants do not have the subject knowledge needed to deliver some parts of the curriculum well. Staff sometimes use pedagogical techniques that are not useful in helping pupils to remember key concepts and knowledge. Leaders should train staff in how to teach the curriculum using the pedagogy that they have matched to the intent of the curriculum.

• Teachers do not assess well in some subjects across the curriculum. They sometimes miss where pupils make basic errors or have not understood something, and do not correct or explain it. Leaders need to check that teachers are assessing pupils in what they know and can do, and responding when they have clear gaps in these knowledge and skills.

• Leaders are ambitious for pupils with SEND but staff are not realising this ambition in their practice. Staff do not adapt work for pupils with SEND sufficiently and, sometimes, pupils with SEND are asked to do work that is unhelpful or does not sufficiently consider their individual needs. Leaders should train and develop staff so that teachers know how to match provision to the individual needs of pupils with SEND, including adapting their work.

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