Woodseats Primary School

Woodseats Primary School Chesterfield Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S8 0SB

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Inspection dates 2–3 November 2016 Overall effectiveness Good

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school  From their starting points, pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This is the case for different groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils.  The progress of those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is very strong and has improved significantly since the last inspection. This is due to excellent leadership in this area.  Teaching is good because it meets pupils’ needs well through skilful questioning and regular checks on what pupils understand and where errors have been made.  Pupils’ conduct is good. They understand well- established routines, which they follow. Thus, there is a calm, purposeful environment around the school.  Pupils have strong attitudes to learning. They are well engaged in activities and keen to do well.  Attendance is above average and this helps pupils to make good progress. They are well cared for and feel happy and safe in school,

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

which helps them to do well in their learning.  Leaders have worked relentlessly and effectively to address the areas for improvement identified in the previous inspection.  Governors hold leaders to account well. They challenge leaders and ensure that improvements for pupils are rapid.  The provision in the early years is good. There are good opportunities for children to develop across all of their development. This is because adults plan activities which match their needs.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the quality of teaching so that more pupils reach and exceed the expected standards by ensuring that when teachers provide feedback to pupils on their work in foundation subjects, they follow the school’s policy by providing consistent opportunities in all subject areas for pupils to use the advice to improve their work.  Further develop leadership by ensuring that: – where there is a small amount of inconsistency and teaching is not as strong as is typically seen in school, the right support is in place so that improvements are rapid – the outdoor provision is further developed in the early years to increase children’s opportunities to develop physically.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders have a strong focus on teaching and monitor its quality regularly and rigorously. Over time, this has improved leaders’ understanding of the strengths in teaching and the different areas which need further development. This has led to stronger teaching across the school, which is having a good impact on pupils’ learning and outcomes. There are small inconsistencies within the quality of teaching and leaders understand the need to address these issues rapidly.  Leaders have sharpened the appraisal systems since the last inspection, which are now good. They take account of teachers’ and leaders’ impact on different areas of provision and prioritise the impact on pupils’ progress. This new level of accountability means that there are clearer targets for staff, as well as bespoke training opportunities to ensure that staff can succeed in reaching their targets.  The leadership of the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

disabilities is exceptional. This is due to the school’s very strong knowledge of this area, including how to link with external agencies and how to support parents in also making these links. This means that there is a very clear understanding of different pupils’ specific needs and how to overcome barriers to learning, using a wide range of resources. Teachers benefit from this level of expertise, led by the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo). They use knowledge of pupils to plan learning tasks, which promote strong progress in different areas of the curriculum. In addition, activities and support help pupils to work more independently over time. Parents hold this aspect of the school in high regard and were very grateful for the level of support they received themselves, along with the provision for their children.  The pupil premium funding received is used well and is having a good impact on the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

pupils who attract it. The progress of these pupils is improving considerably and is often in line with that of other pupils in school and nationally. This is because assessment identifies where there is underachievement and leads to support to ensure that rates of progress improve.  The sports premium funding is being used well to enhance the quality of physical education and to ensure that pupils have regular and varied opportunities to practise sports. This includes specialist teaching during lesson times and chances to be involved in extra-curricular sporting activities after school. This has also meant that pupils take part in more sporting competitions and are more regularly active.  The school engages very well with its parents, who have a very positive view of the school. This is the case for parents of children from all age groups. Parents feel well informed by leaders and teachers and believe that all staff are very approachable. This

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

is seen in the way parents are welcomed into the school building every morning to see their children into class and to see what their children are learning that day. This helps the mornings to start very positively for the pupils, who are proud to show their parents their work.  The curriculum is broad and balanced and it ensures that the key skills of reading, writing and mathematics are well reinforced. It is engaging and pupils enjoy the varied events linked to their learning, such as trips and visitors to school. At times, the checks that are made on pupils’ learning and understanding in the broader curriculum have less impact than in the reading, writing and mathematics lessons because they do not identify and address errors in learning as well. This is because the teachers check work in the key subjects more regularly, so that misconceptions are seen and tackled more promptly. However, the overall effect of the curriculum is that pupils make good

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

progress and find their learning interesting and relevant.  In addition, the breadth of the curriculum also enhances the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, as well as their understanding of British values. The impact of this is seen in many ways, including pupils’ resilience in their learning and their willingness to persist and persevere in activities which are new and challenging for them. It is also seen in the way they work well collaboratively and in the respect they show one another when listening to the views of other pupils, whether this be in class, in assembly or in a general conversation in the playground.  The local authority has worked effectively with the school to improve its provision. The work of the local authority, alongside the school and the governors, has ensured that leadership has stabilised and is now a strength of the school, which in turn has improved teaching and pupils’ outcomes.

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Governance of the school

 Governance is a strength of the school and is now good. Governors have a very clear view of what the school is doing well and what improvements have been made since the last inspection. They have supported and challenged leaders to ensure that rapid improvements have been made.  Governors understand the assessment information provided by the school, as well as published data on how well pupils are doing in comparison with other pupils nationally. This means that they can verify what they are told and use this understanding to challenge the school appropriately, including, for example, ensuring that the pupil premium funding is being used well and is having a positive impact on the outcomes of disadvantaged pupils.  The governors work well with leaders in school to ensure that the appraisal system works well and all staff are accountable for the quality of their work and that challenging targets are met. It also ensures that staff are given appropriate

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Governance of the school

development opportunities through training and leadership programmes. This means that staff feel valued.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school works closely with families, as well as external agencies, to make sure that pupils are safe. Leaders ensure that all staff are regularly trained and understand their responsibilities to safeguard pupils effectively and what they need to do when they have a concern. There is also clear information on the school’s website and around the school itself for parents, pupils and staff so that they understand what to do if they have a concern.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teaching is good and is having a positive impact on pupils’ learning in reading, writing and mathematics.  Teachers question pupils well, which helps pupils to be confident speakers who understand that there are high expectations of them to give full, articulate responses and to do this using correct and sophisticated language. Generally, pupils arrive with speech and language skills which are below what is typically expected for their age. High expectations of the pupils ensure that these issues are addressed well and pupils have good oral communication skills.  Strong questioning by teachers also helps them to elicit information from pupils about what they have learned. These checks on pupils’ understanding are done well throughout the curriculum and help teachers to identify any errors or misconceptions in the learning.  Teachers also check pupils’ work in books on a very regular basis. This is particularly

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

the case in English and mathematics books. Teachers use these checks to gauge how well pupils are doing and to deal with any misunderstandings. These checks often lead to teachers providing written feedback to pupils, which pupils use well to address any errors or to make further improvements to their work.  The checks are not as prevalent in the broader curriculum. While checks through questioning mean that learning is good, there are sometimes missed opportunities to identify misconceptions in pupils’ work in books, which can slow learning.  Teachers, ably supported by teaching assistants, model work well and clearly explain how to complete tasks. This is further supported by the learning discussions which happen in lessons. Teachers generate discussions between pupils about different ways they could approach a task and why they would make their choices. This gives pupils the chance to practise their verbal skills and ensures that pupils understand the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

importance of considering different options and listening to each other’s views respectfully. It also ensures that pupils understand the process of their learning and that where mistakes are made they understand how this happened and are more capable of correcting these errors.  Reading and writing are taught well. This means that the large majority of pupils have a secure understanding of phonics, which helps them to read fluently and to write with accuracy. It also means that pupils have good comprehension skills, so that they can read for pleasure and develop more complex skills well, such as understanding inference in the books they read. The teaching of grammar is also done well to enhance pupils’ writing. Pupils enjoy their writing, which is varied in terms of topic and style. They also read regularly at home. Parents are actively engaged with their children’s reading at home and feel well supported to do this effectively.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teaching in mathematics is strong. Pupils routinely learn key skills and revisit basic skills to ensure that learning is secure in this area. They also regularly apply and use their skills in a variety of ways, including working on word problems. Work is challenging and personalised so that pupils are pushed and therefore make rapid progress over time.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are safe and report that they feel safe and understand why they feel safe. They know that adults are always around and they feel cared for.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe out of school as well. This is through road- safety events, as well as learning about e-safety issues so that they know how to keep themselves safe on the internet and how to report concerns.  The school holds anti-bullying events, and pupils report that bullying is very rare. The school’s own records show this. Parents also agree that bullying is not an issue in the school. Pupils know about different types of bullying, such as racist and homophobic bullying. They report that this does not happen and records also show this.  Pupils are very proud of their school. They say that they are very lucky to go to a school where learning is fun and everyone takes care of one another. Pupils who have arrived

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Personal development and welfare

recently at the school also state that they were made very welcome and felt settled in the school very quickly.  Pupils take pride in their own appearance, and the work in their books is well presented.  Pupils know what the routines are around school and understand that there are high expectations of them. This means that there is a calm environment, where pupils need few reminders to do as is expected. Classrooms are well organised and tidy. The school emphasises the need to keep fit and healthy and the sports programme after school helps this. In addition, many pupils opt to eat school dinners which are healthy and which pupils report as being very tasty.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Behaviour remains a strength in the school. This area is led well, which means that there are very few serious issues and the school is a calm and purposeful place for learning. In addition, where pupils have difficulty managing their behaviour, there is excellent support through the inclusion team, led by the SENCo, to ensure that these pupils’ needs are very well managed and supported so that their behaviour improves.  Attendance is above average and is improving. The school has worked effectively to ensure that parents and pupils understand the importance of attendance, which has helped all groups of pupils’ attendance to improve.  In class, pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and are becoming increasingly confident and independent in their learning. Lessons are often set up so that pupils can choose resources which they know help them. This supports them in working things

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Behaviour

out, or improving their work on their own or with other pupils.  Pupils report that learning is not often disrupted because of poor behaviour and that this means that learning can continue. Parents also have a positive view of the behaviour in school.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 From their starting points, pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This is the case for all groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils.  The standards pupils reach are now much better than they were at the last inspection. Most reach, and some exceed, the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics. This means that pupils are well prepared for their next stage of learning.  Disadvantaged pupils now make good progress, which represents an improvement since the last inspection.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make outstanding progress. The provision is excellent for these pupils and their individual needs are very well understood, supported and addressed through good teaching and very strong support outside the classroom.  The most able pupils make good progress, with a high proportion reaching beyond the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics. This is apparent in the

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Outcomes for pupils Good

assessment information and in the lessons, as demonstrated in books. These pupils are highly challenged by activities and are regularly being pushed to deepen and strengthen their learning.  Reading and writing outcomes have improved. This is because pupils are now being challenged to read a variety of genres and to understand more complex reading skills, such as inference and nuance. The reading activities have also supported writing, which is now of a good standard with pupils writing well and often. They also write with accuracy because of strong teaching in spelling, punctuation and grammar.  Mathematics is strong. Outcomes have improved since the last inspection. Pupils are again well taught and are routinely challenged to use and apply their skills. This means that they understand how and when to use the different skills, which helps them to work increasingly with independence.

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Early years provision Good

 Overall, children start school in Nursery or Reception with skills and knowledge generally below what is typical for their age. This is seen particularly in children’s speech and language development when they arrive.  From these starting points, a high proportion of children leave Reception with a good level of development and a small proportion of pupils exceed this standard in certain areas. This includes disadvantaged pupils. As a result, pupils are well prepared for their next stage of learning and to move into Year 1.  Teaching in the early years is good and it meets the children’s needs well. Adults understand pupils’ individual needs, including their strengths and areas for further development. They use this information to plan activities which will develop children in a variety of areas and to engage children so that they want to learn through their play.  This is further supported by regular and accurate assessments of children, which are

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Early years provision Good

recorded and shared between all the adults. Planning is shared between the adults so that all are aware of the children’s specific needs and the focus for these children at different times.  Leaders ensure that all adults are well engaged with the children at all times. Adults observe but also interact with children to ensure that speaking and listening skills are very regularly practised. In this way, they are able to overcome some gaps in children’s learning in this area. This is working well to help children become used to talking and taking turns to listen to one another. Thus, children’s speech and language develops rapidly in the early years.  The school engages well with parents in the early years, as it does throughout the school. This means that teachers and leaders in the setting have a clear understanding of what children are doing at home and can use this as part of the assessment of children to meet their needs well. It also helps children settle quickly into school and

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Early years provision Good

reassures parents that their child is safe and happy. Parents report that they feel well informed by the school and well supported to help their child at home.  The curriculum is well planned. It engages children and supports their development well. This is because adults consider the needs of the children well and understand how different children like to learn. They also challenge the children to try different activities, which children respond well to because they trust the adults in the setting.  The outdoor provision is not as good as the indoor provision and there are not enough opportunities for children to improve their physical development because of this. The school is very aware of this and is currently raising funds to ensure that this area of the setting can be improved.  Children behave well and are safe in the early years setting. There are clear routines which they know and which they follow and this helps them to feel settled and

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Early years provision Good

confident in the environment. It also means that learning time is not wasted.

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School details

Unique reference number 107068 Local Authority Sheffield Inspection Number 10012025

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 400 Appropriate authority Local authority Chair Sarah Hall Headteacher Sinead Fox Telephone number 0114 255 4616 Website www.woodseatsprimaryschool.org.uk Email address admin@woodseats.sheffield.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 20–21 May 2014

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Information about this school

 The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  This is a larger than average-sized primary school.  The majority of pupils are White British.  A lower than average proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language.  A higher than average proportion of pupils are disadvantaged. These pupils are supported through the pupil premium funding.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average.  Children enter the school in Nursery on a full-time basis and move into Reception on a full-time basis.  The school is organised with two classes per year group.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are 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

 The inspectors observed a range of lessons.  The inspectors observed and spoke with pupils during lessons and at breaktime. They also met formally with groups of pupils from key stages 1 and 2.  The inspectors heard pupils from Year 2 and Year 6 read.  An inspector also observed an assembly.  Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders. Meetings also took place with members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at pupils’ work and a range of documents, including the school’s arrangements for safeguarding, performance management procedures and pupils’ attendance data. Inspectors also looked at information about pupils’ progress and attainment.  The inspectors considered 65 parental responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire (Parent View). They also spoke with parents as they brought their children to school

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Inspection team

Fiona McNally, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Susan Birch Ofsted Inspector Christine Cook 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 children looked after, 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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