Woodside Primary School

Woodside Primary School Whitchurch Way, Halton Lodge Estate, Runcorn, WS7 5YP

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 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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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  All pupils make good progress and achieve well in all subjects throughout the school. The standards reached by pupils are rising rapidly.  All teaching is typically at least good, and some is outstanding. Teachers know their pupils well and plan interesting lessons for them.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are well taught and soon settle into school, so they learn new skills quickly.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are well taught and supported. They make good progress both in their learning and personally.  Pupils learn to read successfully.  Pupils behave well. They feel safe, work hard in lessons and want to do well.  The headteacher, well supported by his leadership team and the governing body, is improving the quality of teaching and raising pupils’ achievement.  School leaders check carefully the quality of teaching and the progress that pupils are

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

making.  The school provides pupils with an interesting range of subjects, topics and experiences. This helps pupils to enjoy school.  There is a very warm and caring atmosphere in the school. Each pupil is valued as an individual, and relationships between adults and children are very good.  Parents are very positive about the school and its leaders.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not yet outstanding. In some lessons the work is not hard enough for the more-able pupils.  Teachers sometimes spend too long introducing lessons before pupils can work on their own, which slows their progress.  Teachers’ marking does not tell pupils clearly how to improve their work.  Pupils do not have enough chances to write at length in all of their subjects. This means some pupils, especially the more able, do not reach the highest standards in their writing.  A few pupils do not attend school regularly enough.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 13 part-lessons, two of which were jointly observed with the headteacher. All classes and full-time teachers were seen. Inspectors attended an assembly, listened to pupils read and looked at pupils’ work.  Meetings were held with pupils, staff, school leaders, governors and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors spoke to parents at the start of the school day, and at other times during the inspection. They looked at the 21 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and at the school’s own survey of parents. They also considered 13 staff questionnaires.  Inspectors looked at documents including the school’s own self-evaluation, its plans for improvement, records of the quality of teaching, school information on the progress of pupils and at nationally published results. Inspectors also looked at records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance, and at how the school keeps its pupils safe.

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Inspection team

Michael Phipps, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Maureen Coleman Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The school has specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs. This currently caters for seven pupils aged from 7 to 11 who have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is approximately twice the national average. The proportion who are supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also approximately twice the national average.  Almost all pupils are of White British heritage, and speak English as their home language.  Approximately three quarters of pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which is much higher than the national average. The pupil premium is the additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and

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Information about this school

those children who are looked after. Most supported children in this school are those known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of pupils who join or leave the school at times other than the usual points is higher than average.  A privately run playgroup operates on the school site. It is not managed by the governing body and is separately inspected. Inspection reports for the playgroup can be found on the Ofsted website at www.ofsted.gov.uk.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The headteacher was appointed in February 2013 following a period as acting headteacher.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that more is outstanding by making sure that:  teachers consistently plan work with a high level of challenge for the more-able pupils  pupils can move more quickly to work on their own without a lengthy introduction from the teacher  teachers’ marking consistently tells pupils the next steps they should take to improve their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the standards of pupils’ writing, especially of the more-able pupils, by giving them more chances to write longer pieces, for different purposes, in a number of subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Take more effective action to work with the few parents who do not send their children to school regularly.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join the school with skills considerably below those expected for their age. They make consistently good progress through the school and, by the end of Year 6, pupils attain standards that are above average.  Lesson observations and checks of pupils’ work confirm that pupils are making good progress in all subjects and year groups.  Children get off to a good start in Reception. They soon settle in and are well taught, so they start to catch up. Because many children have such low starting points, especially in their language development, their skills are still below the expected level for their age when they enter Year 1.  Pupils make good progress in Key Stage 1, and continue catching up. Results at the end of Key Stage 1 are rising, although by Year 2, pupils’ standards in reading, writing and mathematics are still below average, and few pupils reach the higher levels of achievement.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils learn to read successfully. Their understanding of phonics (the sounds that letters make) is improving because of recent changes in how phonics is taught. Pupils enjoy reading, and are encouraged to read regularly at home. Older pupils talk enthusiastically about their favourite books.  Progress in Key Stage 2 is good. Results at the end of Year 6 are rising rapidly and, in 2013, pupils’ standards were above average in both English and mathematics.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress in their academic and personal skills. This is because they are taught well and receive good quality support from teaching assistants.  Funds from the pupil premium are spent effectively on additional teaching assistants, on one-to- one tuition and on subsidising visits and activities for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. These supported pupils do well: in Year 6 in 2013, they attained more highly in both

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The achievement of pupils is good

English and mathematics than other pupils in the school who were not eligible for free school meals.  Pupils who join the school at times other than the usual points are well supported. Their needs and abilities are quickly assessed so they make similar good progress to other pupils.  Pupils develop their mathematical skills well and have the chance to use these skills in different subjects.  The more-able pupils make generally good progress in line with other pupils, though the proportion of pupils reaching the highest levels in writing is below average.  Pupils develop their writing skills reasonably well. Although they are given different writing experiences, they do not have enough chances to write at length, and for different purposes and in different styles, in all subjects.

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The quality of teaching is good

 All teaching is typically at least good, and an increasing proportion is outstanding.  Teachers know pupils well and generally plan lessons which are at the right level for them. For example, in an outstanding English lesson, Year 3 pupils made excellent progress in writing. This was because the teacher planned a number of activities which matched each pupil’s ability closely, including the more-able pupils, and different groups were well supported by the teacher and the teaching assistant.  Teachers have consistently high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. For instance, in Reception, children made good progress in learning the sounds that letters make because clear classroom routines meant that children started work quickly, took turns and cooperated well.  Relationships between teachers and pupils are good, and teachers plan interesting lessons for their pupils. For example, in an outstanding lesson in Year 5, the teacher dressed up and stayed

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The quality of teaching is good

in role as a Second World War evacuee, which captivated and inspired pupils. They made outstanding progress in understanding how the war affected children.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are taught well. Their individual needs are quickly established. Work is well matched to their abilities and interests. Teaching assistants give effective support to groups and individuals to help them make good progress.  In some lessons, the work that teachers plan is not hard enough for the more-able pupils. For example, in a mathematics lesson, the more-able Key Stage 2 pupils enjoyed an activity working on their six-times table. However, they already knew this well, so they made little progress in this activity.  Teachers sometimes spend too long introducing lessons before pupils can work independently. This slows the progress of some pupils, especially the more able.  Teachers’ marking is detailed, frequent and supportive. However, it does not consistently and

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The quality of teaching is good

clearly tell pupils how to improve their work. Teachers do not always give pupils the chance to respond to this marking.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well in class and around school. They are polite and friendly, and enjoy talking to visitors.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good. There is a very positive atmosphere in school in which all pupils are encouraged to do their best. As a result they work hard, enjoy learning and want to do well. They enjoy answering questions and offering opinions. Disruption to lessons from poor behaviour is very rare.  Pupils say they feel safe in school and are taught how to stay safe. They understand different types of bullying and say bullying in this school is rare. The school’s records confirm this. Pupils are confident that any bullying would be dealt with quickly if they told an adult.  Pupils’ behaviour is managed well. Pupils value the rewards they receive for behaving well and working hard. Sanctions for poor behaviour are rarely needed. Exclusions and racist incidents are very rare.  Parents have no concerns about pupils’ behaviour. They say that pupils behave well in school,

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

are well looked after and feel safe.  Pupils’ behaviour and safety are not outstanding because, although attendance rates are improving and are now close to national average levels, a few pupils do not attend school regularly enough.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, well supported by his leadership team, is improving the quality of teaching. As a result, pupils’ achievement has risen rapidly in the last two years.  Systems to manage teachers’ performance are robust and are linked to salary progression. Judgements are based on pupils’ progress. School leaders regularly check the quality of teaching, and there are good opportunities for teachers to develop their skills.  School leaders carefully check the progress that pupils make. Teachers are held to account in regular meetings to discuss pupils’ progress. If pupils fall behind, effective help is quickly given.  Leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Children settle in quickly, lessons and opportunities for them to learn by finding out for themselves are carefully planned, and children’s progress is regularly checked. Relationships with parents are good, and there are good

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The leadership and management are good

links to pre-school settings.  Leadership of the school’s provision for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is good. Staff are skilled and experienced, and teaching assistants benefit from regular opportunities to improve their skills. Parents speak highly of this provision.  The school provides pupils with an interesting range of subjects, topics, visits, clubs and experiences. This helps pupils to enjoy school, and contributes well to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and their physical well-being.  The emphasis on all pupils doing their best and achieving well shows the school’s commitment to equality of opportunity and to seeing that discrimination is not tolerated.  Extra primary sport funding has been spent on staff training and on specialist coaching. This has improved the range of sports available, and has increased the numbers of pupils taking part. The

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The leadership and management are good

school has plans to evaluate the impact of this funding.  Parents are very positive about the school and its leaders. One, speaking for many, described the school as ’a welcoming and friendly place’ in which ‘each child is valued and feels happy and safe’.  The school’s arrangements to keep its pupils safe meet legal requirements.  The school has benefitted from good support from the local authority in recent years.  The school’s record of improvement and its accurate view of its strengths and weaknesses show that the school leaders have the capacity to make further improvements.  The governance of the school:  Governors are keen to see the school improve still further. They have carried out learning walks to get first-hand experience of the life of the school. They know the strengths and weaknesses of the school but are not greatly involved in helping to decide the school’s priorities for improvement. They offer good support for school leaders, but are aware that

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The leadership and management are good

they need to challenge leaders more robustly by asking more probing questions. They know about the quality of teaching, how teachers’ performance is rewarded and how any under- performance is tackled. They have an increasing understanding of what pupil performance data tell them about how well the school is doing compared to other schools nationally. They oversee the school’s budget well, and know how extra funds, for example from the pupil premium, are spent, though they are less clear on the impact of this spending. They are keen to improve their skills and several governors have undertaken further training.

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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 111125 Local authority Halton Inspection number 426118

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School details

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

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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 159 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ken Wooldridge Headteacher Richard Collings Date of previous school inspection 22 November 2011 Telephone number 01928 564031 Fax number 01928 591538 Email address sec.woodside@halton.gov.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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