Woodridge Primary School

Woodridge Primary School Southover, North Finchley, London N12 7HE

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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This is a good school

 The recently appointed headteacher has worked closely with governors and leaders and has an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and what needs improving further.  Teaching is consistently good and most pupils across the school make good progress. Teachers’ enthusiasm is reflected in pupils’ excitement about learning.  Provision in the early years is good. Children quickly grow in confidence, making good progress, as a result the proportion of children achieving a good level of development is above the national figure. They are prepared well for Year 1.  The governing body is knowledgeable and knows the school well. Governors have high expectations of staff and pupils at the school and provide good levels of support and challenge for leaders.  The curriculum supports pupils’ learning effectively. Outings, activities and visits from professional performers capture pupils’ interests, further developing their understanding.

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This is a good school

 The school is a happy, caring and inclusive community. Pupils enjoy school, behave well and feel safe. Parents actively support the school through their involvement with a thriving ‘Woodridge School Association’.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not all leaders across the school use information about pupils’ progress sharply enough to check how well different groups of pupils are learning to further accelerate their good progress, particularly for boys in reading and writing.  Teachers do not always use ongoing assessment to set work that is hard enough and ask questions that challenge pupils further in their learning.  Opportunities for staff to observe outstanding teaching and share best practices are not yet fully effective.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that expectations of what pupils can achieve are ambitious and work provided is hard enough to challenge them to make the best possible progress by: – developing teachers’ use of questioning to deepen and challenge pupils’ thinking – developing teachers’ use of ongoing assessment so that planned learning is adapted to move pupils onto work that is hard enough.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop leadership and management at all levels by ensuring that leaders use assessment information more effectively to accelerate the progress of all groups of learners, particularly boys’ progress in reading and writing.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 To ensure that staff have further opportunities to observe outstanding teaching and assessment practices beyond the school and then apply these new skills in their own setting.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The governing body and new headteacher’s shared vision and ambition for the school is providing a common purpose to raise pupils’ outcomes further. Following the decline in boys’ progress in reading and writing, governors swiftly commissioned an independent review. Clear action plans are in place to further develop teaching, learning and assessment practices and to continue to strengthen leadership capacity across the school.  With the retirement of the previous headteacher and the recent appointment of the new headteacher, the local authority has recognised the need to ensure stability. They have delivered good support to improve the school’s future planning and provided training to target the actions identified on these plans. As a result, progress is accelerating. Swiftly, the new, experienced headteacher has reviewed tracking systems to provide a revised framework to track pupils’ progress towards the requirements identified for their age.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Leaders are fully aware that although there have been improvements in outcomes in the early years, the Year 1 phonics check and in the attainment of pupils in reading and mathematics at Key Stage 1, attainment at Key Stage 2 has dipped. It remains above the national average in reading but was broadly in line with the national average for writing and mathematics. All leaders and staff are clear of the need to accelerate boys’ progress further in reading and writing.  Leaders ensure that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered strongly through a broad and balanced curriculum. Through music and art, performances and visits, and through learning about a wide range of cultures and faiths, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Pupils eagerly shared their school’s values, explaining how they were chosen by their parents and the school community. They talked knowledgably about the five aspects, displayed in every classroom, which

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

are the foundations upon which our fundamental British values are based. They have a strong appreciation of democracy and the right to vote. Opportunities to stand as school councillors, learning representatives, Year 6 ambassadors and sport ambassadors are celebrated in displays around the school. Pupils take pride in their efforts to promote care for the environment by joining the Eco-club, where they learn about recycling and grow vegetables.  The physical education (PE) and sport premium for primary schools successfully enhances sporting provision at the school. It funds opportunities for pupils to engage in events with other schools, including a dance festival and an athletics day.  Effective use of the pupil premium fund is supporting improving progress for the small number of disadvantage pupils across the school. However, though impact is recorded through an overview of pupil progress, the impact of each initiative is not recorded in detail, so it is unclear which initiatives were the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

most effective.  Leaders have facilitated partnerships with other local schools within the authority. Opportunities are being created for staff to share best practice within the school and to observe outstanding teaching in other schools. However, these partnerships are not yet fully effective in driving further improvements and there are too few instances of outstanding practice to make pupils’ achievement outstanding.  The governance of the school – The governors provide strong leadership. They provide good support and challenge, and monitor the impact of initiatives. – Governors ensure that good teaching is linked to pay progression and that underperformance is identified and acted upon to improve outcomes for pupils.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. However, policies have not always been updated swiftly on the website to take account of the latest guidance. Records and arrangements for checking the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

suitability of staff to work with children are fit for purpose. Staff have had recent training, updating their understanding of the latest statutory guidance. Members of the governing body have attended training on safeguarding, including safer recruitment practices. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and Chair of the Governing Body are all trained to lead on safeguarding matters.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The quality of teaching across the school is good. This was confirmed by the work in pupils’ books and the school’s own checks on the quality of teaching. As a result, pupils learn well.  Teachers and teaching assistants work closely together to support pupils. Following recent pupil progress meetings, the school’s special educational needs leader is offering planning support for year groups to target pupils identified as requiring additional help. As a result, these pupils, including those who have special educational needs or the disadvantaged are making good progress from their starting points. This initiative has resulted from one of the key actions identified on the school’s new action plan, to track the impact of additional support.  Teachers effectively use creative strategies to support pupils’ independent writing and to apply their new knowledge and skills well in mathematical activities. New reading literature is engaging boys’ interests in

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

reading. Teachers’ careful choice of topics is capturing boy’s interests. The impact of this is evident in pupils’ books in Key Stage 2 where boys are producing engaging writing from walks in the forest and their research into historical battles. Pupils use class ‘washing lines’ and ‘working walls’, interacting with the prompts and ideas on them fully, helping pupils to explain their thinking and review their progress.  However, teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are not always high enough. Sometimes pupils, including the most able, are not given work that is hard enough to challenge them to make the best possible progress. Teachers’ use of questioning is not always adapted to challenge pupils’ immediate learning experiences and so opportunities to deepen their thinking further are lost.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupil’s personal development and welfare is good.  Adults successfully work together as a team to model the attitudes and behaviours they wish to see adopted. As a result, relationships between pupils of all ages and adults are warm and encouraging. Pupils who spoke to inspectors said how happy they were at the school and parents are right to be confident about the systems in place to support the safety and well-being of their children.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe when using the internet and how to use the ‘dolphin’ on the screen to report a concern. They are clear what bullying is and how it differs from name calling and teasing. Pupils know who to tell if they are worried or upset and are confident that it will be dealt with.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils’ enjoyment of school is confirmed by the higher than national attendance rates, with attendance in the early years being particularly strong.  Pupils move calmly and confidently around the site and between the many lunchtime activities on offer. The playground and lunch hall are harmonious places for pupils to play and socialise together. The environment is clean and litter-free. Attractive displays of pupils’ work brighten the corridors and shared areas, celebrating pupils’ creative achievements.  In their classrooms, pupils show very positive attitudes to learning. Just occasionally, when planned learning is not adapted swiftly enough to provide greater challenge, a few pupils display restless behaviour.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 An increased focus on reading and the regular teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds that they make) across Key Stage 1 has led to an improvement in the results of the Year 1 screening check and reading at the end of Key Stage 1. In 2015, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in both the Year 1 phonics check and reading at the end of Year 2 were above the national.  Outcomes at Key Stage 1 remain good: school assessment information, and work in pupils’ books, show that they typically make good progress overall in reading, writing and mathematics as well as other subjects.  However, at Key Stage 2 boys’ progress in writing and reading is not always as strong as other groups in the school and this has an impact on outcomes at the end of Key Stage 2. Reading in 2015 remained above the national average and results were in line with the national for mathematics and writing. Leaders already have actions in place to address this.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Imaginative use of technology is helping pupils at the early stages of learning English to develop their understanding of the language quickly and to be fully included in the school’s curriculum. They also benefit from targeted support and a ‘buddy’ system to help them build their spoken knowledge and settle well into school routines.  The very small number of pupils with special educational needs, and the very small number of disadvantaged pupils, benefit from tailored support and interventions. This ensures that they make good progress from their starting points.  Overall the most-able pupils make good progress but at times the lack of challenge does not ensure that they always make enough progress.

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Early years provision is good

 Most children join Reception with skills and knowledge that are broadly typical for their age. From their starting points the children make good progress. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development has remained above the national average for the past three years and the children are well prepared for Year 1.  Good leadership is ensuring that provision in the early years is good. Changes to the outdoor environment since the last inspection are enabling children to develop a deeper knowledge and understanding of the world. Children were seen enjoying choosing whether to play in the outdoor den, dig in the garden, paint the shed or practise their writing with chalk, pencils and pens.  Children quickly grow in confidence and self-esteem because they are given regular opportunities to make choices about their learning. They move sensibly within the setting. They demonstrated good cutting

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Early years provision is good

skills when making their cress sandwiches, taking care to spread the butter evenly unaided. Good relationships mean that children quickly feel secure in school, contributing to their strong independence.  Adults ensure that the early years is a safe environment. Indoor and outdoor areas are organised well so that children can move between activities safely. The outdoor area is supervised effectively and securely fenced.  There are many opportunities that motivate children to practise their skills, explore and be imaginative, like the art of paper folding, origami. However, on occasions the potential to challenge and extend children’s vocabulary further are not always promoted by adults well. Adults do not always seize opportunities to use questions to make links between learning, for example paper folding and the children’s knowledge of shape. As a result, opportunities to deepen children’s thinking further are lost.

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Early years provision is good

 Good links are made with nurseries and parents on transition into Reception, with visits to the children’s homes or nurseries. Sharing of information is strong. However, leaders’ more effective use of this information on transfer would support planning for the accelerated progress of all groups of learners, particularly boys’ writing. Learning journals highlight the next steps in children’s learning in most areas but this is less evident in writing.

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School details

Unique reference number 101298 Local authority Barnet Inspection number 10003668

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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 238 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Nick Parker Headteacher Colin Dowland Telephone number 020 8445 5478 Website www.woodridgeprimaryschool.com Email address office@woodridge.barnetmail.net Date of previous inspection 11–12 July 2011

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection nearly five years ago, there have been two headteachers. The current experienced headteacher has been in post for two months, joining the school in January 2016.  This is an average-sized primary school with one class in each year group. The school has expanded since the previous inspection to incorporate a bulge class in Year 4.  The early years comprises one Reception class.  At a third of the school population, White British pupils account for the largest ethnic group. Two thirds of pupils are from a range of minority ethnic backgrounds and this is well above that found nationally.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is high.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is below the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported through the pupil premium funding is below the national figure. The pupil premium is additional government funding that schools receive to support those

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Information about this school

known to be eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club which is managed by the governing body.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set out the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 13 lessons or parts of lessons in all year groups. Nine of these observations were made jointly with senior leaders. During the inspection, the Year 6 class were absent for the week on a residential visit.  Inspectors observed pupils at other times of the school day, including during play and lunchtimes, and on arrival at the start of the school day. Inspectors visited the breakfast club provision managed by the governing body.  Inspectors held discussions with groups of pupils, staff, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority. Inspectors listened to pupils read, looked at work in pupils’ books and scrutinised the school’s information showing pupils’ progress and attainment.  Inspectors examined a range of documentation provided by the school, including the school’s own self- evaluation. Records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding were also considered.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors took account of the 111 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, and considered the 25 responses to Ofsted’s optional, online staff survey. Inspectors met a number of parents informally to hear their views of the school. These meetings took place before the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

Jean Thwaites, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Anna Bosher Ofsted Inspector Mirella Lombardo Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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