The monitoring inspection of Wyke Primary School took place on June 23, 2023, following two consecutive judgments of requires improvement. The inspection aimed to assess the progress made since the last graded inspection. Discussions were held with the headteacher, special educational needs coordinator, subject leaders, the acting chair of governors, and representatives from the local authority to evaluate the actions taken to improve the school. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was also considered during the inspection.
The findings indicate that Wyke Primary School continues to require improvement, with leaders making insufficient progress in enhancing the school's performance. Changes in the teaching team have occurred, including the appointment of an early careers teacher in key stage 2 and the presence of an acting chair of governors. Although reading has been prioritized, with a new scheme introduced that has increased teachers' confidence in teaching reading, there are still issues with the assessment process. Some pupils, particularly those at the earliest stages of reading, are not provided with books that match their reading abilities, which hampers their progress.
The development of the wider curriculum has been slow, resulting in insufficient impact. Subject leadership is underdeveloped, with leaders lacking expertise and not receiving adequate training in curriculum leadership. Consequently, planning and assessment do not effectively support pupil learning, leading to gaps in knowledge across subjects. For instance, while pupils learn various facts in history, they do not engage in critical evaluation of evidence, which is essential for deeper understanding.
Improvement plans lack a systematic approach and clear focus, and governors do not hold school leaders accountable for the slow progress being made. Although there are small steps toward improvement, the pace is not sufficient for the school to achieve a good judgment in the next inspection. However, there has been successful progress in improving access to the curriculum for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The monitoring processes for these pupils have been enhanced, leading to better-targeted support and teaching, particularly in English and mathematics.
Despite these improvements, the learning of SEND pupils across the curriculum is still hindered by inadequate assessment and unclear planning. The school's efforts to educate pupils about different cultures and fundamental British values are in the early stages, with pupils expressing a lack of understanding of how school values relate to British values. There is minimal evidence of cultural education in the curriculum, and pupils feel they are not taught enough about diverse lives.
The school has not effectively utilized external support, with the local authority not providing the usual level of assistance for schools with consecutive requires improvement judgments. Although the local authority's reports are useful, they have not sufficiently addressed the breadth of areas needing improvement. Leaders have been slow to respond to feedback regarding weaknesses in planning and assessment, contributing to the overall slow progress in educational quality.
In summary, Wyke Primary School remains in a position of requiring improvement, with leaders needing to implement more effective strategies and accountability measures to enhance the quality of education and ensure that all pupils are well-prepared for their future educational stages.
