Willenhall Community Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 27 February 2024

Recent changes at Willenhall Community Primary School have led to many improvements. The new headteacher and leadership team have made widespread changes in a short period of time. Increasing numbers of pupils and parents now report that the school is 'part of their community' and feel that it is a happy place to be. Leaders know that there is much work still to do to improve the school further. While outcomes are improving in some subjects, they are not yet in others. There has been some work to improve writing outcomes, but not all pupils are consistently well supported to write to the expected standard. Many pupils report that they feel safe in the school and that staff take care and support them. They also feel that they are now more excited to take part in new learning. Not all pupils are yet showing this same positive behaviour and can become easily distracted, which can affect their own learning, as well as that of others. The school has successfully ensured that pupils' wider development is a priority. Pupils feel lucky to have opportunities to take part in after-school clubs, go on a residential visit to Spain and raise money for charities in the local area.

What the school should improve

• In some lessons, low-level disruption affects pupils' ability to learn. As such, not all pupils engage in lessons, and this affects their understanding. The school should ensure there is high expectation for behaviour and that the school's behaviour policy is applied consistently.
• The school has not precisely identified the weaknesses in the curriculum implementation. As a result, there are inconsistencies in how well teachers deliver the planned curriculum. The school should ensure that leaders at all levels receive the necessary training to be able to check and address the inconsistencies in the curriculum delivery and the impact on pupils' learning.
• On some occasions, misconceptions in pupils' learning go unnoticed and unaddressed. This means that pupils continue to make the same mistakes, which limits the progress they make. The school should ensure that all staff understand how to apply the principles of the school's assessment processes to identify and close gaps in pupils' learning.
• Despite ongoing work, standards of pupils' written work continue to be weak. As a result, pupils do not develop the skills and knowledge to become more fluent and independent writers. The school should ensure that all staff have higher expectations of the work that pupils produce.

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