Woodside Primary School and Children's Centre

Woodside Primary School Morland Road, Croydon, London CR0 6NF Inspection dates 8–9 June 2016

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a school that requires improvement

 Leaders’ checks on the quality of teaching have not secured consistently good teaching and learning. Leaders do not ensure that their advice to teachers is consistently followed so that it has a strong impact on improving pupils’ learning.  Consequently, although improvements have been made in some areas, leaders and governors have not secured improved outcomes for pupils overall since the previous inspection.  Leaders do not identify quickly enough where and how best to improve pupils’ learning, particularly for the most able.  Teaching does not provide tasks that challenge pupils of all abilities to learn as well as they can.  Teaching is not consistently good, and consequently, pupils do not make consistently good progress in their learning.  Behaviour is not reliably good in lessons and around the school. Pupils are sometimes unkind to one another.  Children in the Reception classes do not receive

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This is a school that requires improvement

enough opportunities in the outdoor play areas to develop their language and number skills.  Leaders have not improved attendance rates sufficiently.  Leaders’ communication with parents is not good enough. Parents are not always confident that their concerns will be heard and action taken.

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The school has the following strengths

 Middle leaders, well supported by senior leaders, are enthusiastic and effective. Their well-planned actions have improved the quality of writing, particularly that of boys, throughout the school.  Governors are knowledgeable and involved in the life of the school. They successfully challenge the school and hold it to account, where necessary.  Additional government funding for disadvantaged pupils is used successfully to improve their outcomes.  Some teaching is strong, with good questioning and effective ways of encouraging pupils to learn.  Pupils are encouraged to assess their own work and that of their fellows, and this helps them understand how to improve.  Pupils in Year 1 learn good skills in phonics (sounds and letters).  The school is inclusive and promotes British values well.  Provision for two-year-olds in the Nest and for children in the Nursery enables these children to get off to a good start and make good progress in

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that leaders secure the highest quality teaching, so that it makes a stronger impact on the quality of pupils’ learning, by: – making sure that teachers provide pupils of varying abilities with learning tasks that challenge them fully – regularly checking the quality of teaching and ensuring that any subsequent advice on how to improve is rigorously followed – using the school’s information on pupils’ progress effectively to tailor teaching and learning so that pupils make consistently good progress in all subjects.  Ensure that leaders engage more closely with parents, by:  improving lines of communication with parents, so that parents feel confident in expressing concerns about their children, and feel that they will be listened to and action will be taken  creating more ways to ensure that parents are aware of the link between attendance and achievement.  Improve pupils’ behaviour and welfare by ensuring that pupils are fully engaged in their learning and that

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

occasional incidents of unkindness are tackled more effectively.  Improve the provision for Reception children by ensuring that they have a wider range of learning opportunities, particularly in the outdoor play areas, to improve their language and number skills.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Although improvements have been made, particularly in pupils’ writing, leaders have not raised the overall quality of teaching sufficiently to enable all pupils to make the progress they are capable of. Teaching is inconsistent in quality. The advice leaders give where teaching is not good enough is sometimes not sharply focused on improvement. Leaders do not always ensure that teachers improve quickly enough.  Leaders have introduced new systems for checking pupils’ progress. However, these are not used effectively enough to secure the best learning from all groups of pupils. Assessment information does not make clear enough which groups of pupils are making the strongest progress. As a result, staff are not always able to put their best efforts into raising the achievement of some groups, such as the most able and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Overall, these groups do not

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

make the progress they are capable of.  Communication with parents and carers is not always as full and productive as it should be. Parents who spoke to inspectors or responded to the online survey, Parent View, said that their concerns are sometimes not listened to or sufficiently addressed.  The school does not always work closely enough with parents to ensure that pupils attend school regularly. Pupils’ attendance is tracked so that the school knows which groups of pupils habitually miss more school than they should. However, this does not always translate into effective enough action to get pupils to attend more regularly.  Leaders understand the strengths and weaknesses of their school. However, their self-evaluation errs on the side of generosity. The local authority shares the school’s view that teaching, learning and leadership are good. As a result, leaders are not always challenged enough to take action to make rapid

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

improvements.  The school has the capacity to improve. The school’s plans for future improvements cover the right priorities. The middle leaders, including year-group and subject leaders, are supported effectively by senior leaders, and are growing in strength and capability. For example, the leaders’ drive to improve the quality of writing, particularly for boys, has been effective in raising the quality of writing across the school.  The curriculum has an adequate balance between the teaching of core literacy and numeracy skills, and enabling pupils to access a broad range of other subjects, including science, music and French. The classroom topics are supported by a wide range of trips and visits to such places of interest as theatres, museums and sites where pupils can engage with nature. Overall, the curriculum enables pupils to make progress.  Inexperienced teachers told inspectors that they appreciate the support they receive from leaders and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

mentors. They feel that their in-school training and the additional courses they attend help them to grow in confidence and impact positively on their teaching.  Leaders and governors use the additional government funding for disadvantaged pupils in appropriate ways. These pupils make progress in line with other pupils across the school, and gaps in attainment between the two groups are closing.  Leaders and governors use well the additional government funding for primary sports and physical education (PE). For example, the school listened to pupils’ requests for more skipping ropes, both for playtime and PE lessons. Pupils are attracted to new sports, such as gymnastics and dance. Sports coaches train class teachers in delivering good-quality lessons, and this ensures that pupils’ involvement in sport continues to grow.  The school is mindful of the importance of teaching pupils to grow up with secure British values. Pupils

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

are encouraged to engage in debate and to challenge intolerance, should they encounter it. The school has recently received the Inclusion Quality Mark for its contribution to tolerance and inclusiveness.  The school actively promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, in one key stage 1 assembly, pupils enjoyed having a mystery letter read aloud to them. This letter contained a message about respect for others and pupils were able to absorb its message in a moment or two of reflection.  The governance of the school Governors play an active part in the life of the school. They know its strengths and, at the same time, recognise that there are aspects of the school’s work that require improvement. They ask challenging questions and hold leaders to account. Governors undertake learning walks and meet regularly with leaders responsible for pupils’ learning. However, their involvement, though well informed, has not

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

led to an overall improvement in pupils’ outcomes. Governors spend additional government funding prudently. Disadvantaged pupils throughout the school now achieve better than they did at the time of the previous inspection. This focus on the effective use of funding is a direct result of the external review, required by the previous inspection. Governors ensure that the benefits of the additional sports funding will continue into the future. Governors are well trained in safeguarding procedures and ensure that pupils are safe and not subject to extremism of any kind.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Background checks on those who work with children are robust. Staff training in child protection procedures is up to date. New staff know whom to contact should they have a safeguarding concern about any pupil.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 The quality of teaching is variable across the school. Where teaching is not good, pupils do not make good progress in their learning.  Tasks set for pupils do not consistently challenge or inspire them to learn well. Sometimes tasks are too demanding for pupils in danger of falling behind. In these instances, pupils sometimes get stuck and do not make enough progress. At other times, teaching does not offer enough challenge to the most able pupils to enable them to learn and develop well.  Where teaching is strong, tasks are challenging. In these instances, the teachers’ effective questioning enables pupils to think for themselves. For example, in one Year 6 English lesson, based on pupils’ reading of Siobhan Dowd’s novel, ‘The London Eye Mystery’, pupils were encouraged to write their own journals. They read these aloud to their classmates, who listened with concentration and used the ensuing discussion to improve their own work.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 Teaching assistants are deployed usefully to help pupils, particularly those requiring additional support, to make progress in line with that of others.  In line with the school’s policy, teachers’ feedback, both oral and written, provides pupils with clear pointers on how to improve. In the best instances, pupils themselves help one another to improve. In one Year 5 lesson, for example, pupils studied a fellow pupil’s work displayed on the interactive white board, and suggested ways it could be improved. This enabled pupils to see where they could use the same skills to improve their own work.  A particularly successful aspect of teaching is phonics. This enables pupils in Year 1 to acquire a good understanding of the skills involved in understanding sounds and letters, and how these combine to form words and sentences.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement. Pupils occasionally display unkindness or thoughtlessness towards one another. Parents told inspectors of a few examples of bullying that, in their view, were not handled well by the school. Inspectors explored each concern with the school. They concluded that appropriate actions were taken by the school to resolve these issues, but that communication with parents was not always successful in allaying their concerns.  The school has effective systems for tackling occasional instances of unkindness or bullying. The school takes these incidents seriously. Pupils who cause most concern are quickly identified. The school compiles behaviour support plans for them and puts in place additional staff support. Recent evidence indicates that such action is leading to improvement in these pupils’ attitudes towards others, and

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Personal development and welfare

creating a safe environment for all pupils.  Pupils who spoke to inspectors said that they were given strategies for dealing with unkind behaviour and knew what sentences to use if they faced it, such as, ‘If you don’t stop, I will tell the teacher’. They understand that bullying can take various forms. They report that bullying in all forms is rare but that it exists. If they have any concerns, they can talk to an adult or put written concerns in the ‘worry boxes’ in their classroom. They are confident that their concerns will be successfully addressed.  Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe at school. They are confident in how to keep themselves safe when not at school. The school teaches them to beware of dangers from strangers, or from cyber- bullying, and pupils are alert to potential risks when accessing the internet.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. Exclusions remain higher than average. One pupil, when asked what would make his learning better, replied, ‘A quiet atmosphere’. This remark was typical of others from pupils who told inspectors that the behaviour of other pupils sometimes affects their concentration.  When pupils are gathered in large numbers, for example in assemblies, behaviour can be restless, particularly when the topic does not sufficiently engage their interest.  Behaviour in the playground, though boisterous, is well supervised by adults.  Pupils’ attendance requires improvement. Attendance is currently a little below average, and has slightly declined since the previous inspection.  The school is inclusive and pupils from a wide range of backgrounds and heritages are considerate towards each other and generally get on well. Pupils are friendly and polite to visitors and show respect

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Behaviour

towards each other and staff.  Pupils keep their classrooms tidy and show pride in their work, keeping their books neat and tidy. They are ready to come to order after discussing topics with one another.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Outcomes require improvement because leaders and teachers have not successfully improved pupils’ outcomes since the previous inspection. In 2015, pupils’ attainment and progress dropped compared with outcomes in 2014. Inspection findings are that current attainment and progress remain much the same.  The school’s current tracking of pupils’ attainment and progress does not show with sufficient clarity how some groups, particularly the most able, are achieving. On a day-to-day basis, the school knows which individuals are attaining well and making good progress. However, without the most accurate measuring of the achievement of groups of pupils, it is not easy for leaders and governors to know how best to cater for them.  Information provided by the school does not show clearly enough how much progress the most able pupils make. As a result, teachers are not always directed by leaders to improve the outcomes for these

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

pupils, and therefore do not always provide sufficient challenge for them in their teaching.  Published data for 2015 and the school’s assessment information for the current academic year show that outcomes for pupils who have a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities are not as strong as they should be. Though these pupils are identified early in the Nursery and Reception classes, support for them throughout the school is not strong enough for them to achieve well.  Writing, particularly that of boys, has been prioritised as a whole-school focus. The efforts of senior and middle leaders to improve boys’ writing are beginning to make a difference, and progress in this area is now more aligned to other subjects. Currently, pupils’ achievement in reading and mathematics by the time they leave school at the end of Year 6 is broadly average. In terms of acquiring literacy and numeracy skills, the school prepares them adequately for the next stage of schooling.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Pupils’ outcomes include strengths as well as weaknesses. For example, disadvantaged pupils are provided with flexible support tailored to their needs, and any additional support they receive is carefully monitored to ensure that it is effective. As a result, this group achieves well.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language are provided for well. Their language needs are assessed as soon as they arrive. They are provided with support that enables them to achieve at least in line with other pupils and, particularly in mathematics, often better.  Year 1 pupils’ skills in reading familiar and unfamiliar words in the phonics screening check have improved over the past three years. This reflects the well-planned and effective care given by the school to establishing good reading skills in Year 1.

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Early years provision requires improvement

 The early years provision requires improvement because provision in the Reception classes is not as good as that in the Nursery classes and in the Nest, which provides for two-year-olds.  Outcomes in the early years provision are inconsistent. Children in the Nest and Nursery get off to a good start in learning speaking and listening skills and beginning the process of writing by making marks on paper. By the end of Reception, progress has slowed. Reading and writing are the weakest areas by the end of the early years.  Leadership of the early years provision is not good. Leaders have not planned well enough to improve provision in the Reception Year. As a result, the number of children reaching a good level of development at the end of Reception is expected to be much the same as the 2015 figures.  Leaders do not ensure that the quality of teaching is consistent across the early years, particularly in the

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Early years provision requires improvement

Reception classes. In some activities, adults do not check carefully enough that the children are fully engaged in their learning. Leaders do not fully make sure that children have worthwhile activities, enabling them to explore and find things out for themselves.  Teaching, particularly in the Reception classes, does not enable children to develop strong enough language and number skills. This is particularly true of the outdoor play areas. These are cramped for the numbers of children using them. There are too few high-quality activities for them to enjoy and benefit from. When children move from more formal learning activities indoors to the outside spaces, there are too few opportunities for them to extend their learning by putting into practice the skills they have learned.  Teaching in Nursery and the Nest is good. The adults develop children’s language skills well by talking to them and asking them questions. For example, a ‘tea party’ in the Nest fully engaged the children who

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Early years provision requires improvement

took part. The supervising adult encouraged children to understand and use phrases such as ‘pour the tea’ and encouraged children to understand simple spatial concepts such as filling a cup.  Activities in Nursery and the Nest are varied, and successfully provide children with many opportunities to explore all areas of learning. For example, children learn to test their bodies and develop good coordination through riding wheeled vehicles, and are encouraged to ‘book’ their vehicle by writing their name on a list.  Behaviour in Nursery and the Nest is particularly good and the children are fully absorbed in learning. Behaviour in the Reception classes is cooperative, but children sometimes lose concentration and wander off if tasks are not challenging enough.  Throughout the early years provision, adults are careful to help children with a range of additional needs. Any needs are quickly identified and adults put support in place to help children to catch up. This

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Early years provision requires improvement

is particularly strong for children who arrive at the school with little or no English. They are helped to find their way about with pictures. Adults patiently help them develop their basic vocabulary. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are also identified quickly and the school works with a range of external agencies to provide for their needs. Parents are introduced to the key person for their child at the start of the year, and are kept informed of what and how well their children are learning.  Children are prepared adequately for entering formal schooling in Year 1, with skills in literacy, numeracy, speaking and listening that are typical for their age. Disadvantaged children in the early years do not achieve as well as they do later on when the school’s effective systems for closing the gaps have had more time to make an impact.

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School details

Unique reference number 101750 Local authority Croydon Inspection number 10011910

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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 Community Age range of pupils 2–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 944 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Chris Adams Headteacher Claire Howarth Telephone number 020 8654 5333 Website www.woodside.croydon.sch.uk Email address admin@woodside.croydon.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 19 June 2014

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Information about this school

 Woodside Primary is much larger than the average primary school.  The children’s centre on site is inspected separately.  The proportion of pupils eligible for additional government funding, known as the pupil premium, is higher than average. The funding is used to support pupils who are eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils who come from minority ethnic backgrounds is higher than average. Pupils come from a wide range of heritages, with no one group predominating. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is higher than average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is lower than average.  The breakfast club and after-school care provision are run by an outside provider and inspected separately.  There is part-time provision for two-year-olds, called The Nest. Up to 12 children attend the morning or

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Information about this school

afternoon sessions. Children attend Nursery part time in the morning or afternoon sessions. They receive their entitlement to 15 hours’ provision by staying for lunch on two days of the week. Reception children stay all day.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  The school meets the government’ s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations 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 visited classes throughout the school and observed pupils’ learning in a range of subjects. The headteacher and other senior leaders joined inspectors on most of their classroom visits.  Inspectors spoke to a number of pupils, listened to them read and looked at samples of their work. An inspector met a group of key stage 2 pupils to hear how they felt about the school. There were 18 responses to the Ofsted online survey of pupils’ views.  Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders, including those who hold responsibility for specific subjects and year groups.  A meeting was held with the chair and the joint vice-chairs of the governing body, together with two other governors. Seven governors attended the final feedback meeting.  A meeting was held with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors spoke to a number of parents during the inspection. There were 57 responses to the Ofsted

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Information about this inspection

online survey, Parent View, and inspectors took these into consideration. They also took into account the school’s own survey of parents’ views taken in the playground on the morning of the second day of the inspection.  Inspectors took into consideration 30 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire for members of staff.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents. These included the school’s own views of how well it is doing, its plans for the future, and minutes of meetings of the governing body.  Inspectors considered a range of evidence on pupils’ attainment and progress. They also examined safeguarding information, and records relating to attendance, behaviour and welfare.

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Inspection team

Natalia Power, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Ogugua Okolo-Angus Ofsted Inspector Maureen Okoye Ofsted Inspector Helen Rai 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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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