Woodcote Primary School

Reading Road, Woodcote, Reading, Berkshire, RG8 0QY

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher is providing strong and effective leadership in developing the school. Together with other leaders, managers and governors, this has ensured that teaching and pupils’ achievement have continued to improve.  Governors have an accurate knowledge of the school and provide good challenge to school leaders to improve all pupils’ achievement.  The staff are very supportive of the leadership and are working together to develop the school.  The school’s plan for improvement has clear measurable outcomes which help leaders to check that their actions have been effective.  Teaching is good because of the well planned lessons and the good relationships the teachers have with the pupils.  Teaching assistants are used well to support the pupils’ learning.  Pupils feel safe, enjoy their learning and are well behaved around the school. They are polite and courteous to each other and adults.  Pupils achieve well because the teaching is good,

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

and they have good attitudes to learning.  The Early Years Foundation Stage is good. The activities are well planned using accurate knowledge about children’s individual abilities.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not yet enabling pupils to make rapid progress in reading.  Teaching of phonics (the sounds letters make) is not planned at an appropriate level for many of the children and does not always maintain children’s interest.  Teachers are not consistently challenging all pupils to do their best.  Teachers do not always make sure that pupils follow up on comments about how to improve their work.  Teachers have limited opportunities to see outstanding teaching.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching and learning in 17 lessons or part lessons. Three lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher.  The inspection included observations of playtime and lunchtime.  The inspectors looked at pupils’ work and heard some pupils read.  Meetings were held with pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and two other governors, and with senior staff.  The inspectors held a meeting with a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors took account of the 67 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View.  The inspectors took account of the 22 responses to the staff questionnaire.  The school’s work was observed and a number of documents considered, including the school’s data on pupils’ progress, planning and monitoring documentation, records relating to pupils’ behaviour, attendance, safeguarding and the management of the performance of teachers.

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Inspection team

John Taylor, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller-than-average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are of White British origin, with a few from a range of other ethnic backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well below average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is above average.  The proportion known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional funding to support children in local authority care and those known to be eligible for free school meals) is well below average.  The Early Years Foundation Stage consists of one full-time Reception class.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school works in partnership with other local schools to share expertise and to help each other improve teaching and leadership.  There is a privately-run early years provision on site. This was not part of this inspection.

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Information about this school

 There have been a number of changes to leadership in recent years. The current headteacher was appointed in April 2014.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching to outstanding so that the rate of pupils’ progress speeds up and achievement rises, by making sure that:  the teaching of phonics (the sounds letters make) to the younger children is planned at the appropriate level and maintains the children’s interest  pupils are given challenging work to develop their reading which engages them and extends their skills and knowledge  teachers consistently give more challenging work to all pupils  pupils always follow up on the teachers’ comments on how they can improve their work  teachers have more opportunities to observe outstanding teaching.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides strong and respected leadership. This is clearly having a positive impact on the quality of teaching and the pupils’ achievement.  The introduction of a more regular and robust assessment system has resulted in the school being able to quickly focus on the appropriate areas for development. These are having an impact on improving pupils’ progress.  The school’s self-evaluation is accurate and means that plans for improvement are based on accurate priorities. The plan shows which staff are responsible for each area, and how the impact is going to be monitored.  Subject leaders are very supportive of the headteacher. One of them commented, ‘Now there is more sharing, everyone is on board, and this is a happy place to be.’ Leaders are increasingly taking on a role of monitoring progress in their area, and providing support to teachers on how to improve the pupils’ learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is accurate in her observations of teaching, focusing on the pupils’ learning. She uses her observations to provide useful feedback to teachers, telling them how they can improve their teaching. Marking now clearly shows pupils how to improve their work, although pupils do not regularly respond to the feedback.  High expectations of the pupils’ learning have been set by the headteacher. However, teachers do not always provide all pupils with appropriately challenging work to make sure that they achieve the higher levels.  Pupils feel part of the school because of the teams they are all in. The curriculum gives them opportunities to think about the beliefs of others through celebrating a range of festivals. The school fosters good relations and tackles discrimination. Pupils know right from wrong, understand the consequences of their actions and respect the law. They enjoy a wide range of clubs, and visits and are well prepared for life in

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The leadership and management are good

modern Britain.  The primary school sport funding is used well. It successfully raises the awareness of, and opportunities for, pupils to take part in a wide range of sporting activities. It is also used to train teachers. It has resulted in a larger number of pupils taking part in sporting events, especially netball.  The school has worked effectively with two different partnerships of local schools to develop its leadership, curriculum and teaching.  There is a robust system of performance management for teachers and support staff. The school has shown how this is linked to improving pupils’ progress and informs identification of appropriate training.  Parents and staff are very positive about how well the school is led and managed.  The local authority has an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas for development. It is now providing effective targeted support to help the school develop further.

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The leadership and management are good

 The use of the pupil premium funding is effective. Recently improved monitoring of the small number of disadvantaged pupils shows their progress is improving. The school’s strong commitment to equal opportunities is shown by the action it is taking. These actions are starting to have an impact on making sure the disadvantaged pupils do not fall further behind other pupils.  Safeguarding meets statutory requirements and arrangements are effective.  The governance of the school:  Governors are effective and provide robust challenge to the school’s leaders based on their good knowledge of the school. They are aware of the strengths and the areas that need development. They know how the pupil premium funding and the sport funding are spent and are aware of their impact on the pupils. They have a detailed understanding of the assessment system and receive regular reports on how well the pupils are doing. They know about the quality of teaching, and have an overview of the

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The leadership and management are good

performance management of teachers and how this is linked to pay. They are aware how underperformance is tackled. Governors are appreciative of the training they receive from the local authority. They rigorously and frequently check the school’s finances. They have ensured safeguarding meets statutory requirements.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. A very large majority of the parents who completed the questionnaire agree.  In lessons pupils are eager to learn, focused on their work and willing to contribute to the lesson. One pupil commented to an inspector, ‘Everyone helps us learn.’ Around the school, pupils are polite and respectful. School records show behaviour has improved. In the playground, pupils play well together. There is very little bullying, and pupils are confident that their teachers deal with any problems that they have. Pupils say, ‘We don’t call each other names as the teachers have spoken to us and don’t like it.’  Pupils know about the school’s behaviour policy and about the rewards and sanctions.  Attendance remains above the national average and pupils arrive on time.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils feel safe around the school and the vast majority of parents agree.  The pupils are aware of how to keep safe outside school and on the internet. They know about the dangers of cyber bullying and what to do if it occurs.  The school is near the River Thames and so the school ensures that all children learn to swim.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The pupils learn well because the teachers are encouraging and have good relationships with them.  Pupils enjoy learning and have good attitudes to their work. They quickly follow instructions and move purposefully from one task to another. This ensures that little time is wasted.  Teachers always tell the children what they are meant to learn, and show them how to achieve this. Pupils find the work interesting, but it is not always challenging enough for all pupils.  The classrooms have a calm and purposeful atmosphere where most pupils make good progress.  Teachers are skilled at using questions to check pupils’ understanding. Pupils are willing to offer answers and contribute to the lessons.  In most year groups, teaching assistants are used well and guide the pupils’ learning by a good use of questioning.  Teaching of reading does not always ensure that all pupils are fully engaged in learning. The tasks given

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The quality of teaching is good

to children do not always engage the pupils or extend their skills and knowledge to make sure that they make swift progress.  Teaching of phonics to the younger pupils is not well planned. They are not always given the appropriate level of work. It does not always engage their interest or help them learn quickly how to read and write.  Marking is regular. It praises success and shows pupils how to improve their work. However, teachers do not make sure that pupils always act on this advice.  Pupils say that they enjoy learning, and the vast majority of parents who expressed a view are right to think their children are taught well.  Pupils say that they enjoy their homework and this effectively supports pupils’ learning and progress.  Although teaching is good, teachers do not have enough opportunities to observe outstanding practice to make their teaching even better.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ achievement is good. All groups of pupils, including White British pupils and those from all ethnic groups, are making good progress from their different starting points. By the time they leave the school they are well prepared for the next stage of their education.  The school’s information shows that pupils are making faster progress than they did in the past. This is supported by the quality of work in the pupils’ books which the inspectors looked at.  Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is improving. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics is at least average in all subjects.  In Key Stage 2 the pupils make good progress in writing and mathematics because lessons support pupils well in developing their writing and mathematics skills.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make similar progress to that of their peers,

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The achievement of pupils is good

due to the school’s well-focused support.  The rate of progress of the most-able pupils is similar to that of others. They achieve well, especially in writing, because work is usually hard enough to make them think.  In 2014, the very small number of disadvantaged pupils who left the school were about three months in front of other pupils in mathematics, about six months in front in reading and 20 months in front in writing. Gaps have closed and they now do better than other pupils in the school. Throughout the school, actions are ensuring that the progress disadvantaged pupils is making is improving. When comparing the attainment of this group with pupils nationally, they had caught up with other pupils in reading and mathematics and were 16 months ahead in writing. The gap between the disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally has decreased.  The progress pupils make throughout the school is weaker in reading than in mathematics or writing. This

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The achievement of pupils is good

is because, in the younger years, phonics (the sounds letters make) is not always at the right level or engaging for pupils. With the older children the teaching of reading does not extend their skills and knowledge enough for them to make faster progress.  Parents and staff have a very positive view about how well the pupils learn.

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The early years provision is good

 In the Reception Class, children make good progress, particularly in mathematics and reading. This is because they are given a good variety of well planned activities.  The range of activities provided for the children is based on accurate assessment of the children’s needs. The activities are planned to ensure that children have choices, opportunities to be inquisitive and creative and are well supported by the teaching assistants. Parents are involved in supporting their children’s learning through regular opportunities to visit the class.  Disabled children and those with special educational needs make similar progress to the other children.  The Early Years Foundation Stage leader understands the strengths and areas that need developing. Assessment of individual children is accurate. Children know how to keep themselves safe. They are well behaved and happy to work together. They enjoy learning.

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The early years provision is good

 The teaching of phonics (the sounds letters make) is not always exciting and does not motivate children to learn. This slows down their progress.  Safeguarding procedures are implemented and reviewed appropriately.

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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 123040 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 444227

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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 Maintained Age range of pupils 5–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 190 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Tim Mason Headteacher Elizabeth Hunt Date of previous school inspection 18–19 March 2010 Telephone number 01491 680454 Fax number 01491 680674 Email address office2510@woodcote.oxon.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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