Pupils ‘flourish’ at Wykeham CE Primary School
Staff and pupils at Wykeham CE Primary School are celebrating following their recent Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) report. The report commends “a culture of wellbeing and care for one another” at the school and highlights the impact of the school’s vision which it says enables staff and pupils to “flourish”.
Inspectors remarked that “Wykeham is a unique school [with a] thriving community. A sense of loving family permeates meaning that adults and pupils are nurtured.”
The report also emphasised the strength of the school’s partnership with Hackness CE Primary School, with whom it is federated, in providing pupils with a wider circle of peers and shared experiences such as joint residentials. It also celebrated the school’s work in the local community, noting that “pupils’ keen sense of justice and responsibility shines out beyond the confines of the school gate… pupils show love for others, through letter writing and fundraising. Village litter picking encourages pupils to take seriously their role as custodians of the world.”
Within their report, inspectors also found that:
· The vision of ‘life in all its fullness’ enables the entire school community to flourish, including those who are vulnerable, and is underpinned by caring relationships and respectful debate.
· The school’s curriculum is infused with spirituality, supporting children to consider ‘big’ questions and to develop tolerance and respect through diverse experiences. Its RE curriculum enables children to learn about a range of religions and understand different perspectives.
· Pupils behave well and this is underpinned by their understanding of justice, restoration and forgiveness. Older pupils are able to resolve problems without interventions from adults.
· Links with the local church, Christian organisations and York Diocese ensure that collective worship is of consistently high quality and enables children and adults with opportunities to reflect and connect with one another.
Janet Spittal, Executive Headteacher at Wykeham CE Primary School, said: “We are proud of our Christian vision at Wykeham and Hackness, which is centred around enabling all pupils to have ‘life in all its fullness’ so that they can reach their full potential and flourish. We work hard to ensure that, as small schools, our children understand their place in a global community through diverse curricular and extra-curricular opportunities in our local area and further afield. I am delighted that inspectors recognised impact of this work at Wykeham.”
The full report is available on the school’s website at SIAMS | Hackness and Wykeham Church of England Schools Federation (hacknesswykehamcefederation.co.uk).