Woodcroft Primary

Woodcroft Primary School 37 Woodcroft Lane, Waterlooville, Hampshire, PO8 9QD

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Inadequate 4 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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This is a good school

 The school has been transformed over the past 18 months; it is now a very different place. The executive headteacher has provided purposeful leadership and strong direction for the school.  Leaders check the quality of teaching rigorously and regularly. They give teachers precise and detailed feedback about their work. They follow this up with valuable training and guidance which helps them to improve.  Teaching has improved significantly and is now typically good in all year groups. Some teaching is outstanding.  Pupils across the school now make good progress. Younger pupils now attain levels that are close to those typically seen in most schools. Older pupils are making rapid progress and catching up quickly.  Children make an excellent start to school in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They settle quickly and make rapid progress during the year.  The way in which staff measure and check pupils’ academic progress is very good. This is

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This is a good school

done regularly to identify any pupils who are falling behind. These pupils are provided with valuable additional help to enable them to catch up. Pupils’ attendance and behaviour are also tracked carefully.  Pupils enjoy school, behave well and feel safe. They are friendly, polite and positive.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There are a few remaining inconsistencies in teaching.  Few pupils attain the higher levels. The more able pupils typically make less progress than other pupils because they are not always fully challenged by work in lessons.  Pupils’ attainment in the older year groups is typically below average.  Attendance levels remain below average.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 10 lessons. These observations were carried out alongside the executive headteacher or head of school. Inspectors also listened to pupils read.  Meetings were held with pupils, staff, parents, a representative of the local authority and members of the school’s governing body.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of documentation. They also considered 15 responses to the online (Parent View) questionnaire, which were all made during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Christopher Russell, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Crystal Gail Robertson Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with section 13 (4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

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Information about this school

 When Woodcroft Primary School was inspected in July 2011, it was judged to require special measures. The school was subsequently visited on three occasions by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors. At its last monitoring inspection, the school was judged to be making good progress.  The school is now part of a federation with Mill Hill School, which is also in Waterlooville. An executive headteacher provides overall leadership for the federation; a head of school provides day-to-day leadership for the school.  Most of the teachers have joined the school in the past 18 months.  The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Around half of the pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium. The government provides additional funding to support these pupils because they are at particular risk of underachieving.  A below-average proportion of pupils are from minority ethnic groups; few pupils speak English

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Information about this school

as an additional language.  The proportions of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are above average. This includes those supported at school action, or at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  The school meets the current government floor standards, which set minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and/or progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Reduce any remaining inconsistencies in teaching and increase the amount of outstanding teaching so that attainment levels across the school reach or exceed national averages, in particular by ensuring that:  all lessons provide sufficient challenge for more able pupils  pupils always respond to comments and suggestions made by teachers when they mark their books.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Work closely with pupils and families to raise levels of attendance across the school, particularly in younger year groups.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement has improved significantly in the past 18 months.  Children generally join Reception with skills, knowledge and understanding that are well below expectations for their ages. They make rapid progress during the year. Many children catch up, although some are still significantly behind at the end of the year.  National test and assessment results improved dramatically last year, although they were still below average. All Year 6 pupils made the progress expected, given their Year 2 assessment results.  Pupils across the school are now making good progress. As a result, pupils in the younger year groups now commonly reach average levels of attainment. The attainment of the older pupils is generally below average, but gaps are closing quickly. However, few pupils reach the higher levels of attainment.  There are no major differences between the academic progress that different groups of pupils

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The achievement of pupils is good

make. Those in receipt of pupil premium funding do well; gaps between the attainment of these and other pupils are closing and are small in the younger year groups. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs typically make at least as much progress as other pupils.  In many cases, they make more rapid progress, because their individual needs are identified very precisely, high-quality intensive support is provided to help overcome their difficulties, and this support is evaluated carefully to ensure that it is having a positive impact. More able pupils sometimes make slightly less progress than other pupils.  Pupils’ reading and writing skills are improving rapidly. Many pupils’ basic reading skills have improved significantly over the past 18 months because they have been intensively supported by skilled support staff.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has improved significantly. Inadequate teaching has been eradicated, most teaching is good and some is outstanding. Pupils and parents recognise the considerable improvement.  Teachers have positive and productive relationships with their classes. Lessons are interesting and move along at an appropriately brisk pace. Teachers make use of a good range of activities to hold pupils’ interest.  Teachers’ planning for English and mathematics lessons is very thorough. Teachers identify how they will adapt the lesson to meet the needs of different pupils. Useful work has been done to strengthen teachers’ planning in other subjects.  Lessons generally meet the needs of pupils of different ability well. However, in some lessons, work is not adapted sufficiently to stretch and challenge more able pupils fully.  Teaching assistants provide skilled and effective support in lessons. They work skillfully with

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The quality of teaching is good

individual pupils and groups. They ask good questions that help pupils to learn, but they are careful not to take over.  Pupils’ work is now marked thoroughly in line with the school’s marking policy. Comments help pupils to understand what they have done well and what they need to do next to improve. Leaders have recognised that they need to do more to ensure that pupils in all classes respond fully to these comments.  Much has been done to ensure that pupils are able to read well. Good work has been done to develop the way in which younger pupils learn phonics (the links between letters and sounds). Teachers and teaching assistants have benefited from good training that has helped to establish a consistent and effective approach across the school. Much has also been done to promote pupils’ love of reading.  Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is very effective. Pupils benefit from a rich

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The quality of teaching is good

classroom environment and carefully planned activities that help them to develop the skills necessary to work independently and succeed as they move through the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils now have good attitudes to learning. They are resilient and able to work for long periods of time on their own or with each other. Lessons are calm and purposeful.  Pupils behave well around the site and are well supervised at lunchtime and playtime. Pupils are very polite and friendly.  Pupils feel safe in school. They say that there is now much less bullying than there was and that staff deal appropriately with any incidents that occur.  Any incidents of misbehaviour are carefully tracked and assiduously followed up. Pupils who are finding it hard to behave are given a range of very effective help and support. The number of incidents of misbehaviour has fallen sharply over the past year. Lessons are now rarely interrupted.  Staff also track pupils’ attendance very carefully. Any pupil whose attendance falls below 90% is monitored very closely. Staff are tenacious in following up absences and offer a wide range of

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

help and support to pupils and families. They have, for example, collected pupils for school or telephoned early in the morning to ensure that pupils are getting ready for school. However, despite these actions, attendance levels remain below average.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s leadership and management have been strengthened significantly and are now good. The executive headteacher has had a considerable impact on the school. She and the head of school have very high standards and great ambition for the school’s future development. They check the school’s work carefully; this gives them a thorough understanding of strengths and areas of potential development. Other leaders also make a good contribution to the school’s work.  The main focus has, rightly, been on establishing good teaching in all classes. Senior leaders visit lessons regularly to check the quality of teaching. There is a good balance between observations of individual teachers to check their practice and more general observations across the school to spot common strengths and potential areas for development in teaching. Individual teachers are given tailored support and training to help them to improve.

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The leadership and management are good

 Teachers are set demanding targets for the year. Appropriate systems have now been established to ensure that they are only rewarded if their performance merits it.  The way in which staff check and analyse pupils’ achievement is a significant strength. The results of this give them a very clear picture of each pupil’s achievement. The achievement of pupils in each class is reviewed each half-term in a pupil progress meeting. A range of staff attend these meetings. This enables the school to consider a wide range of strategies and actions if a pupil is underachieving.  The federation is playing an increasing role in the school’s development. A number of support staff now work across the two schools.  The school’s improvement has been well supported. Local authority staff have monitored progress and provided valuable assistance, for example to support the development of mathematics. They have also worked with the school to devise a leadership course for staff in

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The leadership and management are good

the federation’s two schools. This has been well received and is helping to develop the leadership skills of a range of staff.  The school’s curriculum meets pupils’ needs. Well-taught lessons across a range of subjects provide good support for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Systems and processes that keep pupils safe meet requirements.  The governance of the school:  Governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They have a realistic picture of pupils’ current achievement and the quality of teaching. They have built up this understanding by visiting regularly and from the thorough and honest reports that the headteacher writes for them. This helps them to question the school’s leaders and, where necessary, challenge their thinking. They check carefully to ensure that individual teachers are being challenged and supported to improve their teaching. Robust procedures are in place to

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The leadership and management are good

set challenging targets for the headteacher and to review her performance. The governing body ensures that resources are used sensibly and hold the headteacher to account for the way in which the pupil premium funding is being spent. Governors are well trained. One governor has particular responsibility for analysing individual governors’ training needs, based on their skills, knowledge and committee membership. She then seeks out training opportunities that meet these needs.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 135529 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 408759

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 153 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sandy Keefe Headteacher Diane Lawry Date of previous school inspection 6–7 July 2011 Telephone number 023 9259 3939 Fax number 023 9259 5563 Email address admin@woodcroft.hants.sch.uk guidance ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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 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

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School details

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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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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