Wychbold First and Nursery School

Overview

Wychbold First and Nursery School continues to be a good school where pupils are "happy and safe." The report highlights a "rich and ambitious curriculum" underpinned by the school’s STARS values, with strong relationships and high expectations for learning. While staff feel supported and pupils achieve well, the inspection identifies specific inconsistencies in reading provision and parent communication that require attention.

Strengths

• Pupils benefit from "warm and trusting" relationships and a curriculum that includes popular activities like the forest school and computing.
• There is a "strong focus on securing pupils’ confidence and mental mathematical fluency," with secure foundations laid in early years.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included and "achieve well" through adapted activities.
• Staff feel "valued" and supported by leaders regarding workload and well-being, contributing to a positive school culture.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must improve communication with parents, as some feel uninformed about recent changes to routines and expectations.
• Teachers need to ensure pupils who have fallen behind in reading have sufficient time to practise sounds to become "fluent readers quickly enough."
• Leaders should provide guidance to ensure all pupils consistently listen to a wide range of texts to improve language comprehension and vocabulary.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, characterised by a "strong, whole-school culture of vigilance" where staff are well-trained and prioritise children’s safety.