Woodhill Primary School

Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 20–21 March 2012 Inspection number 376353 Woodhill Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 100145 Local authority Greenwich Inspection number 376353 Inspection dates 20–21 March 2012 Lead inspector Madeleine Gerard

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 462 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alan Reed Headteacher Graham Gibson Date of previous school inspection 12–13 May 2009 School address Woodhill London SE18 5JE Telephone number 020 8854 5055 Fax number 020 8854 2296 Email address admin@woodhill.greenwich.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked

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after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. The inspectors observed teaching and learning in 32 lessons, taught by 19 teachers, and held meetings with groups of pupils, staff and members of the governing body. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection. They observed the school’s work, looked at work in pupils’ books, and tracking data showing pupils’ attainment and progress. The school’s development plans and records for safeguarding pupils were also scrutinised. The inspectors considered responses to questionnaires received from 80 parents and carers, 104 pupils in Years 3 to 6, and 17 staff.

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Information about the school

This is a larger than average-sized primary school with Early Years Foundation Stage provision for children in two Nursery and three Reception classes. The majority of children attend the Nursery part time. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is above average. A higher proportion than average speaks English as an additional language. Few are at an early stage of speaking English. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is above average. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is average. Most of these pupils have speech, language and communication needs or behaviour, emotional and social difficulties. More pupils join and leave the school part way through their primary education than is found nationally. The school has met the government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress. The school has undergone a period of expansion, with a high number of

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Information about the school

staffing changes over recent years, including the leadership team. The school organises and manages a breakfast club. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 This is a satisfactory school that has made a number of improvements since the previous inspection. However, inconsistencies remain in the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement and, as a result, the quality of education is satisfactory rather than good.  Achievement is satisfactory, and improving. Attainment at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 is rising. Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage. In some classes in Years 1 to 6 pupils make rapid progress, but this is not consistent enough in all classes to secure good progress overall.  Teaching is satisfactory. Information gathered about the progress pupils make is not always used to match work to their specific learning needs. Consequently, expectations of what pupils can do are not always appropriately challenging to secure consistently swift progress. Feedback on pupils’ work and individual targets are inconsistent in showing pupils how to improve their work.

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Key findings

 Pupils are kept safe and behaviour is satisfactory overall. This is because, although most pupils are caring and considerate, they make a satisfactory contribution to their learning. The school works hard to manage behaviour effectively. Previously low attendance has improved, and is now average.  Leadership and management are satisfactory. Recently-appointed senior staff are having a significant impact on the pace of improvement and in supporting the headteacher. Regular checks by senior leaders on the quality of teaching ensure the school has an accurate view of provision. Additional training for staff to manage performance is securing developments. However, some improvement planning to enhance provision does not always indicate clearly how success will be measured against outcomes for pupils. Members of the governing body do not understand pupils’ performance data well enough to hold the school fully to account.

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Key findings

 Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate pupils’ progress and raise attainment further by:  increasing the proportion of good teaching, by November 2012, by ensuring teachers have a shared understanding of the pace, challenge and expectation required to enable all pupils make swift gains in their learning  using information from tracking pupils’ progress, assessment and marking to plan work that is consistently well matched to all pupils’ needs  ensuring pupils know their targets and how to improve in order to move up to the next level in their work.  Increase the rigour with which developments to improve the school’s work are measured against outcomes for pupils.  Enhance the skills of members of the governing body in using performance data to challenge the school to improve further.

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Achievement of pupils

The questionnaires indicate that most parents and carers were confident that their children are making good progress. Inspection evidence shows that achievement is satisfactory overall. Children join the school with skills that are generally below those expected for their age. They progress well in Nursery and Reception classes, particularly in communication, language and literacy, and in problem solving, reasoning and numeracy. Attainment is average by the end of the Reception Year. Rates of learning and progress are satisfactory in Years 1 to 6. Good progress in some classes is helping to raise attainment. As a consequence, attainment overall, and in reading, is now broadly average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Gaps are narrowing compared with all pupils nationally as a result of reading recovery strategies.

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Achievement of pupils

Most pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They listen attentively to explanations and start work readily when teachers give them tasks to do. However, the speed of learning slows when pupils spend too long listening to the teachers’ instructions. This limits opportunities for them to work on their own and practise new skills. This was illustrated in a mathematics lesson observed in Key Stage 1. Pupils concentrated hard on the work they were doing, although they made only satisfactory progress because they were not confident in their understanding of new mathematical work. In an English lesson for older pupils, they made satisfactory progress because some pupils were not suitably challenged to work at a consistently brisk pace. In another English lesson in Year 3, the quality of pupils’ learning was good; pupils were very involved in writing dialogues. They were clear about what they had to do, were

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Achievement of pupils

motivated by the challenging work set, and followed the teacher’s instructions closely.

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Achievement of pupils

Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, including those with Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Achievement of pupils

speech, language and communication needs, enjoy working with adults in individual and small group sessions. They make satisfactory, rather than good, progress overall because the quality of their learning is uneven when support is less effectively tailored to their needs during whole-class teaching. Pupils with behaviour, emotional and social difficulties make good progress in their personal and social skills because they learn strategies and skills that help them to respond positively to situations they find challenging. They make satisfactory progress in their academic skills. Progress for pupils from minority ethnic groups, and those known to be eligible for free school meals is satisfactory. Those speaking English as an additional language make good progress in developing their spoken English, and in literacy and numeracy skills. They work hard with additional adults to develop word recognition and reading skills and

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Achievement of pupils

complete the same work as other pupils. Pupils are friendly and welcoming so that those who join the school part way through their education make friends quickly and achieve satisfactorily. This reflects the school’s successful promotion of social and emotional development.

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Quality of teaching

In the Ofsted questionnaire, most parents and carers felt that their children are well taught at the school. Inspectors found teaching is good in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Through the rest of the school, although good in a minority of classes, overall teaching is satisfactory. Staff in the Early Years Foundation Stage create an environment where children develop good personal and social skills, and are happy. There is an appropriate balance between adult-led tasks and activities for children to choose for themselves. In the Reception classes, for example, adults rightly prioritise developing children’s literacy and numeracy skills. Children quickly develop their knowledge of letters and the sounds they make (phonics), numbers and counting. Children in a Reception class were observed confidently writing new words using phonics skills they had just been taught. The session was well tailored to children’s

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Quality of teaching

needs. Higher-attaining children were set longer words to write, and children speaking English as an additional language were well supported by the adults.

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Quality of teaching

Throughout the school, teachers manage classes successfully and make effective use of a variety of resources, including computers, to make learning interesting. Reading and the enjoyment of books are promoted strongly. Prizes for reading the most books help to motivate pupils to read regularly. Handwriting is well taught to support pupils in writing fluently and neatly. The school carefully tracks the progress individual pupils make. However, teachers do not always use the information carefully to ensure pupils are suitably challenged in their learning. When teachers set pupils fairly similar tasks to do, despite the range of abilities in the class, the rate of pupils’ progress slows. Marking in pupils’ books, and individualised target setting, are not always used effectively to make clear to pupils what the next steps are to improve their work. Sometimes, additional adults spend time waiting for the teacher

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Quality of teaching

to finish an activity involving the whole class before they begin to support or challenge a specific group of pupils.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers promote pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development soundly by, for Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Quality of teaching

example, being good role models and enabling pupils to learn about a variety of faiths and cultures. The planned curriculum promotes pupils’ interests well. Extra- curricular clubs, together with outings to a range of local places of interest, are popular. These include homework and computing clubs as well as a residential visit to Kent for pupils in Year 5. Social clubs, and counselling, for targeted pupils help boost their self-confidence and self-esteem. The breakfast club provides a calm start to the day for the small number of pupils who attend.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

In the survey, most parents and carers confirmed that their children feel safe at school. A few parents and carers did not agree that behaviour is good and a small minority felt that bad behaviour disrupts lessons. The inspection judged behaviour and safety to be satisfactory. Pupils from diverse backgrounds get on well together. Most pupils behave well and show consideration to one another. In lessons, the inspection found that pupils’ contribution to learning varies according to the quality of teaching. When pupils are interested in what they are learning they apply themselves well. On other occasions, for instance if the pace of learning is slow, there are a few examples of reduced concentration. Pupils respond quickly to reminders from staff about the behaviour that is expected. Incidents of bullying are rare and the school community is aware of the various forms in which it may occur. Pupils say there is some name calling, or occasionally some physical incidents, which

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

are usually dealt with swiftly by staff, as the school’s records confirm. Discussions with pupils, and their responses to the questionnaires, indicate they feel safe at school. Guidance on keeping safe, for example when using computers, and on dealing effectively with inappropriate behaviour helps pupils to develop a sound awareness of how to keep themselves safe from harm. Previously low attendance is now average, and improving, as a result of a concerted drive to meet ambitious targets.

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Leadership and management

Recent changes in the leadership of the school have re-invigorated the school’s drive to raise the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement. The school ensures that every pupil has an equal chance to learn and tackles any discrimination. Actions taken by leaders support different groups in making the progress of which they are capable, so that equality of opportunity and inclusion are effective. Senior and middle leaders, and members of the governing body, provide a broad and balanced curriculum that promotes pupils’ learning, as well as their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Together with the staff, they work as an effective team to secure improvements. Since the previous inspection, developments to provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage have resulted in improved outcomes for children at the end of the Reception Year. Enhancements to the curriculum in Years 1 to 6, such

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Leadership and management

as the prioritising of regular reading, a particular focus on writing at length in a variety of styles, and ensuring pupils build steadily on their skills in mathematics, have successfully raised previously low attainment to broadly average. Self- evaluation is accurate. Rigorous monitoring by senior leaders identifies accurately Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Leadership and management

where weaknesses remain; coaching and additional support is in place to secure further improvement. Consequently, teaching and pupils’ achievement are improving. All these strengths show the school’s capacity to improve further. Development plans are very detailed. However, the criteria for measuring their impact on securing improvements to pupils’ progress or attainment are not always made clear. The governing body is keen to take a greater part in challenging the school to improve further. However, their understanding of assessment and performance data is not as secure as it should be. Arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet statutory requirements and staff receive regular training in child protection. The site is secure and well maintained.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Woodhill Primary School, London SE18 5JE

Thank you for your friendly welcome and for helping the inspectors when we visited your school recently. We enjoyed talking to you all and listening to what you had to say. This letter is to tell you about the judgements that we reached during our visit.

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Inspection of Woodhill Primary School, London SE18 5JE

Woodhill is a satisfactory school. The youngest children get off to a good start in the Nursery and Reception classes. You make satisfactory progress through the rest of the school and reach similar standards compared to other pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6. Your behaviour is satisfactory and you know how to keep yourselves safe. You told us that you feel safe at school.

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Inspection of Woodhill Primary School, London SE18 5JE

To make the school even better, we would like the staff to make all of the teaching good and set work that is the right level of difficulty for you. All of you can help by telling your teachers if the work is too easy or too difficult. When teachers mark your work, we would like them to give you clearer ideas about what you need to do to improve, and to make sure that you know what your individual learning targets are. All of you can help by remembering these targets and checking regularly for yourselves that you are meeting them. We have asked the school to make even more checks on its work, and your progress, so that you do better. All of you can help by continuing to attend school regularly.

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Inspection of Woodhill Primary School, London SE18 5JE

Finally, I would like to thank you again and wish you well in the future.

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Inspection of Woodhill Primary School, London SE18 5JE

Madeleine Gerard Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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