Wimborne St Giles Church of England First School and Nursery

Overview

Wimborne St Giles Church of England First School and Nursery continues to be a good school, fostering a community where pupils describe the environment as ‘one big family’. Leaders’ vision is realised through a curriculum that prepares pupils well for the next stage of their education, supported by high expectations and a focus on compassion.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy an ‘ambitious and broad curriculum’ where leaders identify important knowledge and design learning so pupils ‘regularly revisit this knowledge’ to deepen understanding.
• The school provides a wealth of opportunities, including trips to the British Museum and work with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, which ‘strongly develop pupils’ musical talents’.
• Staff support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) with resources like visual prompts, enabling most to ‘achieve the same end goals’ as their peers.
• There is a ‘positive and consistent approach to managing pupils’ behaviour’, with clear routines helping pupils to ‘manage their own behaviours’ and persevere with difficult tasks.
• Staff feel supported in managing their workload, and the curriculum gives pupils an ‘excellent knowledge of relationships’ and inclusivity.

Areas to improve

• Staff need to identify pupils’ errors more quickly to ‘rectify misconceptions and build their knowledge well’, as current delays limit understanding.
• Leaders must ensure reading books are ‘consistently well matched to their stage of phonics’ so pupils can read with increased fluency rather than just accuracy.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with leaders providing thorough training and trustees seeking external advice to validate the school’s work.