Wychbold First and Nursery School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 18 October 2022

Pupils are happy and safe at Wychbold First and Nursery School. The school's values of 'safety, trust, achievement, respect and sharing' (STARS) are at the heart of the school. Pupils know and understand why these values are important in life. One pupil explained, 'STARS is about sharing thoughts and ideas and having respect for each other.' Relationships throughout the school, at all levels, are warm and trusting. Teachers set high expectations for pupils' learning and personal development. Pupils rise to these. They work hard and achieve well. Leaders make sure that pupils experience a rich and ambitious curriculum. Pupils especially love computing, art and design, and learning outdoors in the forest school. The school council helps pupils to learn about democracy and gives all pupils a voice in school life. Pupils' behaviour is good and their learning is rarely disrupted. They learn and play well together. Bullying is not a problem in the school. Pupils enjoy a range of activities beyond lessons. They are proud to take part in activities such as the campaign to 'walk a million miles' with other trust schools. They are excited about working with a local football club and a visit from their local Member of Parliament. These activities help to develop pupils' wider interests.

What the school should improve

• Leaders have not always communicated effectively with parents. As a result, some parents feel that they do not know why changes have been made to school routines and expectations. Leaders should find new ways of engaging with parents so that everyone can work together to support the improvements being made to the school.
• Teachers do not ensure that the small number of pupils who have fallen behind in their reading have sufficient time to practise the sounds that they have learned. As a result, they do not become fluent readers quickly enough. Leaders should ensure that children who fall behind in reading can practise new sounds frequently so that they can become successful and confident readers.
• Leaders have not ensured that all pupils enjoy listening to a wide range of stories, poems and non-fiction texts. This slows pupils' progress in language comprehension and vocabulary, especially for those children who do not experience reading beyond school. Leaders should ensure that teachers receive sufficient guidance and support to improve this aspect of the reading curriculum.

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