Westwoodside Church of England Academy

Westwoodside Church of England Academy Nethergate, Westwoodside, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN9 2DR

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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 Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 The headteacher has resolutely addressed inconsistencies in the school’s performance and rapidly improved the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. As a result, this is an improving school.  Pupils make strong, sustained progress from their starting points across a broad range of subjects. The progress of disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs or disability is similar to that of other pupils.  Teaching is now good. The best practice in the school has been shared and embedded effectively. Pupils’ progress is now much more consistent across classes and subjects.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well promoted. A strong sense of values underpins all aspects of the school’s work.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. They conduct themselves well at social times and sustain their concentration well in lessons.  Individual support for more vulnerable children is

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This is a good school

strong. Partnerships between the school and families are highly effective in ensuring that pupils get the help they need.  The early years provision enables children to get off to a good start at the school. They settle quickly and make good progress in both the Nursery and Reception classes.  The governors are highly committed and determined to promote improvements. They have become astute at checking the school’s performance and consequently know where to challenge and support leaders.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Some teaching does not provide sufficient opportunities or challenge for the most able pupils to fully develop their potential.  A small minority of pupils do not take sufficient care with their presentation and handwriting.  Some middle leaders need to develop their skills of evaluation further in order to drive improvements within their area of responsibility more proactively.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to strengthen the quality of teaching, in order to further raise standards of achievement, by: ensuring the most able pupils are consistently challenged in mathematics through more demanding challenges that test their ability to use and apply their subject knowledge developing the resourcefulness of some pupils so that they have strategies to help themselves when they are not sure what to do making sure that pupils’ presentation and handwriting are always of the highest standard.  Further improve leadership and management by: developing the skills of middle leaders, in order to allow them to deliver improvements more independently within their areas of responsibility ensuring most-able children in the early years have more frequent opportunities to develop their interest and learning in literacy, numeracy and information technology.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher provides skilled and tenacious leadership. She is well supported by effective senior leaders and an energetic and demanding governing body. She has raised the expectations of staff and pupils and been prepared to lead by example in order to set out clearly what the school requires.  Leaders demonstrate good capacity for improvement and have a good track record in addressing weaknesses in the school’s performance. Central to this is their detailed knowledge and understanding of pupils’ needs. Senior leaders have an accurate picture of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and have planned improvements meticulously.  The large majority of parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, expressed their support for the actions taken by leaders to improve the school. Results from the staff survey were not as positive, however. Changes, which have driven up standards since the last inspection, have not

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

always been well received by all members of staff, but leaders continue to communicate the reasons for these changes to ensure that the school continues to grow and develop.  Middle leaders are increasingly able to fulfil their responsibilities, although some still need to further develop their skills to drive improvement independently of the headteacher’s guidance.  The school has effective systems in place to check the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils’ learning. Progress meetings are held regularly and are used to identify and plan additional support for any pupil who has not made the expected progress.  Arrangements for managing teachers’ performance are well established. Teachers have annual objectives to reach which are closely linked to the ambitious targets in the school development plan. Teachers have more training opportunities than in the past and are benefiting from working regularly with colleagues in

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

local schools and other strong providers further afield.  The curriculum is developing rapidly, as teachers have worked together to write their own framework of topics and become less reliant on published materials. There are strong artistic and musical opportunities and varied science, humanities and religious education topics that stimulate pupils’ curiosity and develop their investigation skills. The promotion of British values is woven across the curriculum effectively. For example, pupils learn about the origin of democracy through studying the ancient Greeks and through holding their own European Union referendum. A continual focus on the school’s values ensures that pupils are respectful and tolerant of one another, members of staff and visitors. The mathematics curriculum has improved rapidly because subject leaders have made effective use of external training to reshape topics in line with the more rigorous demands expected nationally.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 A strong feature of the school is the extra mile leaders go to ensure that disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs or disability receive the support they need. Parents told inspectors they feel leaders are very responsive and quick to implement strategies that help their children’s development. The pupil premium funding is targeted effectively and contributes directly to the good progress disadvantaged pupils make. As such, leaders demonstrate a strong moral purpose and determination to address inequality.  Primary school physical education and sports funding is also targeted well. The school uses much of the funding to access sports coaches. The school has a successful swimming team, the ‘High 5s’ netball club and ensures that pupils are physically active through initiatives such as skipping promotions and ‘bike- ability’ training. The school sports leader has ensured that every child in the school has taken part in

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

competitive sports with other local schools this year.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. The early years team is particularly skilled in developing pupils’ personal and social development. This is built on effectively through a wide variety of cultural opportunities. For example, the school is fostering links with schools in Kenya and Zambia. More locally, pupils play a significant role in church festivals and many are members of a blossoming music club.  The governance of the school – Governors contribute significantly to the strategic direction of the school and have played a major role in ensuring that core values of respect, honesty, friendship, love and compassion are widely embraced. – Governors are highly committed and determined to improve the school. They do not accept information at face value, and make thorough checks to determine whether leaders’ actions are having

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

a positive impact. – Their astute analysis has ensured that they have accurately challenged areas of underperformance. They have provided additional resources, where necessary, in order to support the headteacher to address weaknesses. – Governors have also become more outward facing since the previous inspection, recognising the need to access external support and evaluation of the quality of education the school provides. The local authority has worked effectively with leaders to develop the quality of teaching and provide rigorous scrutiny and challenge.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Policies and procedures are up to date. Staff are well trained and know how to recognise the signs that children and young people may be at risk. As a result, they act quickly and decisively to protect them from harm. The school works closely with parents and a wide range of services to provide the help and support children and their families need.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teaching, learning and assessment have improved and are more consistent than they were in the past. As a result, teaching now leads to strong and sustained progress across subjects and key stages.  Leaders have ensured that the best practice in the school has been captured, shared and embedded into everyone’s teaching. For example, there are now common approaches to sharing learning objectives, and pupils are much clearer about what they need to do to be successful.  More regular access to training and professional development has brought new ideas into the school. The teaching of mathematics has been overhauled and mathematics lessons now are more challenging, as pupils strive to reach ‘silver’ or ‘gold’ level work. There are regular opportunities for pupils to develop their mental mathematics skills. Those pupils who show a strong grasp of topics are provided with further challenges designed to take them deeper into the subject and test their ability to use and apply their

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

mathematical knowledge. However, some teachers and teaching assistants are less skilled at challenging the most able pupils, and some challenges set are not sufficiently complex.  The teaching of phonics (the sounds letters and groups of letters make) in the early years and key stage 1 is now effective. Pupils are able to use their phonics skills to decode new words effectively. Reading is heavily promoted across the school through initiatives such as ‘book chatter’ in the early years and through visiting authors. The library has been improved considerably since the previous inspection and is now highly valued by pupils and parents.  Teachers’ marking and feedback are much more tightly focused on addressing misconceptions and making improvements. Pupils are increasingly willing to ‘take that extra step’ and revisit pieces of work in order to reach a higher level.  Most pupils take care with their work and pride in the quality of their handwriting and presentation.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

However, some pupils are less careful with their handwriting and some do not develop sufficiently methodical approaches to setting out their work. Occasionally in mathematics, this leads to errors in calculations.  Leaders have prioritised the development of a consistent approach to assessment. Pupils’ progress is assessed regularly and stringent checks are made to ensure that assessments are accurate and reliable. Teachers use this information increasingly well to tailor their planning to meet pupils’ needs. In addition, pupils identified as having gaps in their learning receive good additional support, tightly focused on helping them to catch up.  Teaching assistants work closely and effectively with teachers. In lessons, they know their roles well and contribute effectively to supporting learning. Most provide highly effective additional support to small groups or individual pupils across the day.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils work hard and are proud of their learning and achievements. Almost all are keen to do well and have positive attitudes to learning. This can be seen in the quality of work in their books and folders in a wide range of subjects.  Pupils are self-confident and are quickly learning how to be more successful learners. Pupils show determination and resilience when tackling difficult work and are willing to ‘have another go’ to improve their work. Most pupils are keen to contribute to discussions and in response to teachers’ questions. Occasionally, some pupils are not as resourceful as they need to be to learn independently and consistently well. Sometimes they are too reliant on adults when they ‘get stuck’ because they have not developed other ways of working things out on their own.  Pupils build on their strong start in the early years to develop as increasingly responsible, mature, tolerant

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Personal development and welfare

and respectful young people. Importantly, Year 5 and Year 6 pupils are proud of the positive and effective contribution they make to the school community as ‘playground buddies’, ‘sports leaders’, ‘play leaders’ and ‘lunchtime servers’. This is helping them to develop the skills and qualities they need to be good, responsible citizens.  Records show that bullying is rare and senior leaders tackle bullying incidents quickly and decisively. Pupils say that they would talk to an adult if they were being bullied. Crucially, they said that they are confident it would be quickly stopped.  Pupils are knowledgeable about many aspects of safety including personal safety, online safety and road safety. Senior leaders are proactive in seeking the help and support of a wide range of professionals and services, for example NSPCC, health professionals and the police, to support this important work.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils’ conduct and behaviour are positively promoted throughout the school. The school’s expectations are consistently high and closely linked to its core values, which are at the heart of life in the school.  Pupils behave respectfully in lessons and sustain their concentration well. Pupils are able to work independently and cooperate well with one another to support each other’s learning.  Pupils’ attendance, which was below the national level in 2015, has improved and is just above the national average for the current academic year. Leaders have worked closely with families where pupils were regularly absent, and most of these pupils have improved their attendance markedly. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs or disability who are regularly absent has declined sharply and is now similar to that of other pupils.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Standards of achievement across the school have improved since the last inspection, because expectations have been raised and the quality of teaching has become more consistent.  The school’s own assessment information shows that pupils currently in the school are making better and more even progress than they did in the past. As a result, a higher proportion of pupils are on track to reach expected or better levels of attainment. This is confirmed by the work in pupils’ books, which shows that pupils are making strong and sustained progress across a broad range of subjects.  Standards attained at the end of key stage 1 in 2015 were in line with those seen nationally. However, outcomes in the Year 1 phonics screening check declined in 2015 and were well below the national average. Leaders have taken decisive steps to address this, including reorganising staffing, providing additional training and purchasing more suitable texts to support pupils’ reading development. Inspectors

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Outcomes for pupils are good

found phonics teaching to be good and pupils’ skills to be much improved. The most recent assessment information indicates outcomes in 2016 are on track to be well above last year’s national average.  Standards attained at the end of key stage 2 in reading and writing were also broadly average in 2015. Pupils’ progress in mathematics was a little weaker. However, the concerted efforts of leaders to strengthen the quality of teaching have accelerated the progress of pupils currently in the school. The teaching of mathematics is now more challenging and engages pupils more. Pupils told inspectors, ‘Lessons have got harder, but more interesting.’ Pupils in Year 6 are on course to attain stronger outcomes than last year, which represents good progress from their starting points. Consequently, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.  Disadvantaged pupils make similar progress to other pupils in the school in reading, writing and

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Outcomes for pupils are good

mathematics. The school is strongly committed to providing disadvantaged pupils with additional support. Skilled teaching assistants regularly provide further teaching for individual pupils or small groups to consolidate their knowledge and understanding. This helps them to make good progress.  The headteacher has also ensured that the support for pupils who have special educational needs or disability has been improved. She has further enhanced the quality of provision through the appointment of a special educational needs coordinator. Pupils’ needs are now very well understood and met. As a result, most make similar progress to other pupils in the school, although a few pupils with more complex needs make slower progress.  In the past, the most able pupils made similar progress to that of other more able pupils nationally. Leaders have begun to check more closely on whether these pupils are being challenged sufficiently in

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Outcomes for pupils are good

lessons. Where teaching is strongest, the most able pupils are regularly challenged and, consequently, in some classes they have begun to make more rapid progress.

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Early years provision is good

 Leadership and management of the early years are effective. The vision of the early years leader has steadily improved and refined the provision. Aspects of teaching that develop children’s personal and social development are outstandingly well embedded across the early years team.  The proportion of children reaching a good level of development at the end of the Reception class has risen steadily since the previous inspection to a level well above that seen nationally. Additional funding is used effectively to ensure that disadvantaged children receive extra support. Consequently, they make rapid progress and catch up with other children. Overall, children make good progress from their starting points in the Nursery and Reception classes and are well prepared to start Year 1.  Teaching in the early years is good. Excellent training and professional development has ensured that all adults operate as a highly effective team. They work together to stimulate learning and encourage

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Early years provision is good

imaginative and creative play. Children play and learn cooperatively. They are active and curious learners who participate enthusiastically. Effective teaching ensures that children in the Reception class use equipment and resources creatively and imaginatively to extend their play and solve problems.  Leaders have highly effective systems to check on children’s progress. Their assessments are underpinned by a good range of evidence which includes pieces of pupils’ work and close observation of their capabilities. Good internal and external moderation ensures that assessments are accurate. This information informs the curriculum and, consequently, learning activities are closely matched to children’s needs.  The indoor and outdoor learning environments provide a rich range of experiences and opportunities for children which are extended by opportunities to learn beyond the school, for example through dance

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Early years provision is good

performances and visits to galleries and the theatre. There are, however, too few opportunities for the most able children to develop their interest and learning in literacy, mathematics, and information and communication technology in the activities they choose for themselves.  Relationships between members of staff and families are strong and purposeful. Unequivocally, parents value the effective communication between home and school, and many say staff go ‘above and beyond’ to meet their children’s needs. Strong partnerships with external agencies ensure that support for children who have special educational needs or disability is effective.  Children’s behaviour is good because teachers quickly develop their understanding of rules and boundaries.  Safeguarding in the early years is very effective. All statutory safeguarding and welfare requirements are met. Child protection policies and procedures are up to date. A culture of vigilance ensures that children

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Early years provision is good

are safe and have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe.

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School details

Unique reference number 138713 Local authority North Lincolnshire Inspection number 10012078

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 193 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Maria Potter Headteacher/Principal/Teacher in charge June Richardson Telephone number 01427 752355 Website www.westwoodside.n-lincs.sch.uk Email address head.westwoodside@northlincs.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 1–2 May 2014

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Information about this school

 Westwoodside Church of England Academy is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is well below average. The pupil premium is additional government funding provided for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or who are looked after.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress at the end of key stage 2.  In the early years, Nursery children attend part time and Reception children attend full time.  The school’s website meets statutory requirements.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in all classes. Several lesson observations were undertaken jointly with the headteacher.  Inspectors scrutinised a broad selection of pupils’ work, some of which was undertaken jointly with the subject leaders for mathematics.  Inspectors listened to pupils read.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other leaders, representatives of the local authority, the chair, vice-chair and other governors, some of whom are also academy trust members. Inspectors also met with a group of pupils and a number of parents.  Inspectors observed pupils at social times and attended an assembly.  A broad range of documents were scrutinised, including the school’s self-evaluation summary, the school development plan, assessment information, safeguarding information and attendance records.  Inspectors took account of the 38 responses that had been submitted to Parent View, and the 13

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Inspection team

Chris Smith, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Nicholas Whittaker Her Majesty’s 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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