Woodfield Primary School

Woodfield Primary School Wigan Lane, Wigan, Lancashire, WN1 2NT

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Outstanding leadership has ensured that the school has maintained outstanding academic success, at the end of Year2 and Year 6, over the five years since the previous inspection.  Robust checking of teachers’ work and successful additions to the teaching team have improved teaching quality and leadership in the school. They have also made a significant contribution to pupils’ excellent academic achievement and personal development.  Governors support the school exceptionally well.  Pupils conduct in lessons and around the school is exemplary, as are their attitudes to learning. They say, ’We can’t get a better school than this’. They feel completely safe in school and their attendance is consistently above average.  Outstanding teaching overall means that expectations are very high and challenging work brings the best out of pupils. Sometimes, feedback to pupils could be clearer.  Standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are well

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

above average in reading, writing and mathematics and pupils make excellent progress from Year 1 to Year 6. In 2014, the proportions of pupils reaching the highest possible standards in writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6 was most impressive, compared with schools nationally, and there was some excellent achievement in other subjects.  Children in the early years (Reception) class get off to a good start, but not an outstanding one, because over time the number making better-than- expected progress, given their starting points, could have been better.  The school’s relationships with parents is exceptionally strong.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 16 lessons and part-lessons. Two of the observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.  Meetings were held with members of staff, pupils, parents, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority  Also taken into account were 41 responses from parents via Ofsted’s on-line questionnaire (Parent View) as well as questionnaires completed by staff members. Inspectors also considered the results of parent surveys carried out by the school.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and examined a wide range of documentation that included: national assessment data and the school’s own assessments of pupils’ progress; minutes from governing body meetings; the school’s own view of its work; curriculum information; samples of pupils’ work and safeguarding documents.

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Inspection team

Kevin Johnson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school in which almost all pupils are White British.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by pupil premium funding is very low when compared with schools nationally. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority.  A very small proportion of pupils is supported by school action only.  The proportion of pupils supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The school meets current floor standards which are the minimum government expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  Before and after-school care is provided on site. This provision, entitled Kids United, is not managed by the governing body and receives a separate inspection and a separate report, which is available on the

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve children’s achievement at the end of the Reception year by: - making sure that children’s abilities, when they start school and thereafter, are fully and accurately recognised in the activities planned for them - continuing to use the much-improved outdoor area effectively to ensure that children are consistently challenged to the full.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that feedback given across all subjects is clearer and moves pupils’ learning on to the next steps more effectively.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 This is a happy and industrious school where the highest standards of work and pupils’ personal conduct, including their attendance, are very evident. Staff members welcome and value pupils and parents alike, and as team members provide excellent role models. Their commitment to the school’s success is unquestionable and is reflected in pupils’ overall excellent achievement.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher have led a very strong leadership team over time. Despite the relatively recent appointment of some senior leaders, this effectiveness has been maintained. They have already had a positive impact by introducing new ways to challenge pupils in mathematics and writing to maintain, and raise, the standards already seen at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2. The early years leader, appointed this term, has been very quick to assess children’s abilities, recognise the potential for quicker progress for some children, and begin to put necessary plans for them in place.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Leaders follow stringent systems for checking the school’s work, and gaining pupils’ opinions, so that all have a very accurate view of the school’s performance.  The local authority has no concerns about school leaders’ ability to manage its own improvement and, as such, provides only light-touch support and advice.  The management of teaching and learning has been highly effective. Longer-serving staff have continued their journey to improvement because of a very rigorous programme of professional training and checking of their work in the classroom to ensure they promote pupils’ learning to the full. Similarly, rigorous support for more recently appointed staff means that they are very quickly in tune with the school’s aims and expectations. As a result, there is no slackening of pace to pupils’ learning.  Middle leaders in charge of subjects, have maintained the quality of the curriculum since the previous

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The leadership and management are outstanding

inspection. They have worked hard to adapt successfully the changes needed to meet the requirements of the new National Curriculum for primary schools. It provides equality of opportunity that pupils need during and outside of lesson time, to excel in areas of sports, music, art and to develop their outstanding personal attributes and prepare pupils very well for life in modern Britain. The school is currently focused on promoting high-quality writing across all subjects and there are also numerous opportunities for pupils to use their mathematics and computing skills for different purposes.  Minutes from governors’ meetings indicate how impressed they are with the progress made in physical education (PE). This is due to the effective spending of the primary school sports grant. Pupils are very successful in competitive tournaments with other schools and there has been a noticeable increase in the

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The leadership and management are outstanding

range of activities provided and the numbers of pupils who take part in them. There is designated time for teachers to plan with and observe the best practice in PE by working with specialist coaching staff.  The governance of the school:  Governors check the school’s performance in detail, measure it against other schools nationally and challenge school leaders very effectively. They expect swift action from the school particularly over questions about pupils’ achievement. Although the amount of pupil premium funding received by the school is small, its use is checked with no less rigour to make sure that disadvantaged pupils who are supported by the pupil premium have the same opportunities as others to achieve their best.  There is a very good range of expertise and professional knowledge among governors and relevant training leaves them very well placed to challenge and support the school in equal measure and to

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The leadership and management are outstanding

contribute to its future plans. Governors have an accurate overview of teaching quality. They are trained in the delivery of the pay policy and understand how teachers’ salaries are linked to performance management targets. Financial and other statutory responsibilities are met in full, including the management of the sports grant. Safeguarding measures also meet government requirements.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils consistently show exemplary attitudes to learning. They quickly become engrossed in their work, concentrate hard and are always keen to do their best. They take pride in what they do and present their work very neatly. Learning is not disrupted and this contributes to the excellent progress they make in lessons. They say, ’School extends your learning’ and ‘You always do as much good work as you can.’  Pupils know what constitutes acceptable behaviour and set the highest standards for themselves.  They move around the school in a safe and orderly way. They are invariably courteous and well mannered and know how to behave in different situations, such as in assembly or in the dining hall.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral social and cultural development develops exceptionally well. Through their multicultural links with an Asian community group and visits to different places of worship, for example,

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Behaviour

they become very mindful of the different circumstances and cultural lifestyles of others. They raise generous sums for local and national charities.  Aspects of personal development and appreciation of life in modern Britain are frequently highlighted in assemblies. A very good example was a discussion about pictures of the poppy arrangement currently displayed at the Tower of London, what the display means and reflection about Remembrance.  In school, pupils are generous with their time and willingly take on additional responsibilities’ for example as buddies to younger pupils, play leaders or members of the school council, which works hard to bring about improvements. A recent success is the conversion of the former computer suite into a well- appointed library. Pupils also enjoy a thriving gardening club and are finalists in North West in Bloom.  Pupils smart appearance in school uniform, above average attendance, excellent punctuality and their

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Behaviour

extremely welcoming manner are major contributions to the ‘can do, will do’ ethos of the school.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.  Pupils say that they have no concerns about their safety in school. They like the idea that it is a ‘telling’ school because it means that someone always listens. Pupils have very trusting relationships with adults and one another.  They are fully aware of the different types of bullying and say that it does not occur in school, nor is there any offensive name-calling. They know how to avoid potentially risky situations including when using the internet.  Parents fully endorse their children’s views about their safety and are highly supportive of the school. They are especially pleased with the high levels of care and support given to pupils considered to be potentially the most vulnerable and the progress that these pupils make.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Samples of pupils past work, and the standards they achieve over time are clear indicators of outstanding teaching and improvement since the previous inspection.  Pupils know that their work is valued and that the highest standards are expected from all. Work is always presented neatly as a result, and pupils strive to do their best.  Pupils varying abilities are always taken into account in Key Stages 1 and 2. In the early years this has been less evident so some children have not done as well as they might have done. The new early years teacher is getting to grips with the issue of challenge for different groups but it is too early, at this stage, to see the full impact of this improvement.  Mathematics lessons are fun for pupils because they enjoy new challenges. There is a good emphasis on learning about numbers and how they work. Year 6 pupils, for example, learned the meaning of ‘mode’ and ‘range’ in numbers and how that knowledge can be used to solve problems. There are good

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

opportunities for pupils to investigate other mathematical topics such as area, perimeter and shape as well as chances for pupils to use mathematics skills in other subjects.  Literacy skills are also developed exceptionally well. Story writing in a Year 2 lesson, for example, was very impressive because the pupils ‘performed’ their stories beforehand by speaking them aloud. The quality of their speaking, the expression they used and the excellent vocabulary they chose all translated into first class writing. Pupils are given some choices about how they plan their writing which makes it more meaningful for them. For example, pupils in Year 6 did homework research about people they admired in order find the information they needed to test their skills at writing biographies. Spelling, punctuation and grammar are taught effectively and pupils use those exceptionally well. Pupils choose their reading from a well-stocked library thanks to the work of the school council who had a hand in its

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

planning.  Teaching assistants make a very effective contribution to pupils’ learning by providing skilled support during activities and actively checking progress in lessons. Some pupils say that feedback from teachers is helpful and in some instances it clearly guides pupils to the next steps in their learning. This is not an entirely consistent picture, however, across all classes.  Teachers’ subject knowledge is secure and resources, including technology are used very well.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 From typical starting points when they first start school, pupils reach well above average standards, both academically and in their personal development, by the end of Year 6.  They build very well on their achievements in the early years and make excellent progress in Key Stage 1. The results from the national Phonics Screening Check for pupils in Year 1 show that almost all pupils reached the expected standard in their knowledge of letters and the sounds that they make (phonics). This was very high compared with the national average.  This rate of progress continues so that standards in reading, writing and mathematics are well above average at the end of Year 2.  Excellent progress in Years 3 to 6 is evident in pupils’ work and in the school’s robust assessments. These show that, currently, pupils in Year 6 are well on track to maintain outstanding results in reading, writing and mathematics, given the proportions who have already exceeded the expectations for their age.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

Assessments also show similar patterns of progress in the other year groups.  Pupils achieve exceptionally well in reading. In Year 2, pupils use their knowledge of phonics as well as other cues such as pictures in books to make sense of what they read. They enjoy stories and love to talk about the characters and events. They know the difference between fiction and non-fiction and enjoy reading regularly at home. By the end of Year 6, pupils read fluently with very good understanding and expression. They select their reading from a wide range of authors and understand the importance of reading for different purposes.  Pupils’ achievement in 2014 was above average rather that well above. The relative dip in standards was anticipated by the school and great deal of support was arranged to address the barriers there were to some pupils’ learning. Whereas all pupils made expected progress from their starting points in reading and

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

writing, only 90% did so in mathematics. Having said that, the proportions of pupils reaching Level 5 in all subjects compared well with the national averages.  The school provides vey effectively for the most able pupils. Their potential is quickly recognised and the work planned for them ensures that there is sufficient challenge. The recent introduction of an on-line mathematics challenge is having a very positive impact for all pupils, not just the most able but for some parents too! In 2014, more pupils than previously reached the highest possible Level 6 in writing and mathematics.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are carefully planned for and supported and their needs are met very well. Their progress is checked regularly at senior leaders’ meetings. Parents are consulted at every stage. Overall, the relatively small group of pupils make good progress from their different starting points.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Very few pupils are supported by pupil premium funding. In 2013, there was no difference between the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and others nationally in reading and mathematics and it was only slightly lower in writing. Their attainment was lower that of others in the school. This picture reversed in 2014 where those known to be eligible for free school meals did better than others nationally in all subjects and performed better than other pupils in the school.

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The early years provision is good

 The progress of children in the early years is good.  From generally typical starting points, the proportion of children who achieve a good level of development is above the national proportion.  Nevertheless, some children are more advanced when they start their Reception year especially in their ability to communicate with others and in their knowledge of the world.  These children, although reaching a good level of development, have not always made the progress they should, given their starting points.  Inspection evidence indicates that historically, early assessments of children’s abilities have not been accurate enough and therefore activities planned for them have not been as challenging as they should have been.  New leadership in the early years is good and is beginning turn that situation round but it is too soon to see the full impact of the new improvement measures. Assessments are more accurate now and activities,

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The early years provision is good

whether led by adults or chosen by children themselves, are beginning to challenge children more effectively. Teaching is good because there are still aspects to improve. Making sure that all children’s needs are catered for in phonics sessions, for example, and that expectations in writing are always made clear, are some aspects on which staff are continuing to work.  Children’s personal and social skills are developed well and their behaviour, and levels of confidence are excellent. The outdoor area has been transformed since the previous inspection and provides an ideal environment for children to develop physical and other skills independently in a meaningful and creative way. Staff are continuing to work on this aspect of children’s learning.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 106402 Local authority Wigan Inspection number 448900

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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 211 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair L Porter Headteacher Julie Charnley Date of previous school inspection 19 October 2009 Telephone number 01942 243675 Fax number 01942 821841 Email address enquiries@admin.woodfield.wigan.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 and 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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