Woodford Primary School

Woodford Primary School Litchaton Way, Plympton, Plymouth, Devon PL7 4RR

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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 Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 During a challenging time for the school, the whole community has come together. There is a remarkably strong sense of team work and an absolute focus on ensuring that the school becomes the best it can be.  Leaders, including the trust and governors, are ambitious for pupils. There is a relentless drive to continue to implement improvements to teaching, learning and assessment. As a result, the quality of the education provided is good.  The strong leadership team has secured the trust and goodwill of staff. Leaders support staff well, providing clear expectations and feedback. Because of this, staff are motivated, and morale is high.  There are strong systems for assessing pupils’ progress. As a result, most teaching and learning is built on a deep and secure understanding of pupils’ next steps. Teachers plan learning that challenges pupils to apply and extend their knowledge.  Consequently, most pupils, including

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress.  There remains some variability in the quality of teaching. At times, particularly in key stage 1, and in mathematics lessons across the school, the challenge provided to pupils is not quite high enough.  This means that some pupils, particularly the most able pupils, do not make consistently good progress throughout the school.  Teaching assistants provide precise support that targets pupils’ individual next steps well. On occasion, the support is less effective when working within the class.  The curriculum is varied and interesting. Pupils develop skills effectively in different contexts and across subjects. There is a high emphasis on promoting strong values.  Therefore, pupils’ attitudes towards their learning are strong and many are inquisitive and resilient learners. This prepares pupils well

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

for their futures.  Pupils enjoy school. Attendance is good. Pupils are polite and courteous, and the school is calm and orderly.  Leaders do not analyse patterns of behaviour over time. As a result, they are not evaluating the differences that new strategies make on the behaviour of pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment so that there is less variability across the school by ensuring that: – expectations in key stage 1 are as high as elsewhere in the school – teaching assistants use their skills to support pupils effectively during whole-class teaching.  Continue to improve outcomes so that pupils make consistently good progress across the school in mathematics by ensuring that teaching challenges pupils, including the most able pupils, to apply and extend their learning in mathematics.  Continue to improve leadership and management by ensuring that leaders check the impact of strategies used to support good behaviour.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders across the school and the trust work together effectively to secure improvements to teaching, learning and assessment. There has been an uncompromising drive to raise expectations. Leaders have challenged weaknesses and provided support and resources to secure rapid improvement.  As a result, expectations over the past three years have risen, as have outcomes for pupils. By the time pupils leave the school, most have developed the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to achieve well in their next steps. A typical comment from parents was, ‘Teachers really understand my child.’  Leaders’ roles and responsibilities for different aspects of improvement are clear. Subject leaders and other leaders have an accurate understanding of the strengths and of the areas to continue to improve. They check the differences that new initiatives or teaching strategies have on pupils’ progress.  To research best practice, staff visit other schools, particularly those within the trust. In

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

addition, staff receive detailed, frequent feedback from leaders, which helps them to reflect and act on advice. The guidance and professional development provided by the leadership team support the worthwhile improvements that have been made to teaching and learning.  Staff are solidly behind the changes that have been put in place. All staff who gave a view said that they are proud to work at the school and all say that they enjoy their job. All staff also agree that leaders ensure that staff are motivated, respected and effective and that the school is well led and managed.  Pupils benefit from a rich and varied curriculum. For example, art is highly valued across the school and pupils develop their skills well to produce high-quality examples which can be seen across the school.  Additional funding is spent well. The physical education (PE) and sport funding supports the high profile that sport has in the school. Pupils are encouraged to take

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

part in a wide range of sporting activities and local events, and many do. For example, the majority of pupils in Year 6 took part in the recent Plymouth half-marathon challenge.  Pupil premium funding is used effectively for the benefit of disadvantaged pupils. Individual plans outline how pupils are to be supported so that they are able to make accelerated progress. Regular meetings ensure that progress is being made. Leaders are able to show the positive difference this makes to pupils’ achievements.  The school has benefited from the additional leadership experience and expertise provided by the trust. Staff work collaboratively across the trust and this supports professional development and the accuracy of assessment.

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Governance of the school

 Governors have the experience and skills needed to support and challenge the school effectively. They have a detailed and accurate understanding of the school’s current strengths and areas to improve. They scrutinise the information provided to them and ask challenging questions of leaders.  Governors are assigned specific responsibilities and visit the school regularly to investigate these. They often take part in activities, such as checking improvements in pupils’ books and meeting with pupils, to gauge the differences being made to outcomes for pupils.  Governors also attend the training being provided to staff. This supports governors’ own knowledge of the curriculum and assessment procedures, which increases their ability to provide appropriate challenge to leaders.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  There is a strong culture of safeguarding. Recruitment processes are secure. Staff have the training and additional updates they need in order to understand how to keep children safe. As a result, staff are clear about signs to look out for and what to do if they have any concerns about pupils’ safety. Governors ensure that they have the training required to fulfil their responsibilities to check that safeguarding arrangements are secure. During visits to the school, they check that staff understand key safeguarding procedures.  The designated leader for safeguarding responds quickly to any concerns raised and escalates concerns if necessary. The school works well with a range of different support agencies to ensure that families receive the support they need during times of stress or difficulties. As a parent commented, ‘I feel listened to. This is a school that

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Safeguarding

goes above and beyond for pupils and supports families.’

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teaching is good overall, and this is evident because pupils develop knowledge, understanding and skills over time. Leaders are not afraid to challenge and offer support where weaknesses exist, and this leads to rapid improvement. Leaders check that sequences of lessons build on the knowledge that pupils have.  Teachers plan interesting lessons and ensure that pupils are motivated by the content. For example, links are made across writing and a range of subjects to ensure that pupils extend their writing skills by writing for a range of reasons and audiences. This supports pupils’ understanding of the reasons for, and benefits of, writing.  A strength in teaching is how quickly teachers recognise pupils’ misconceptions and how well they work to improve pupils’ understanding. As a result, pupils develop strong, positive attitudes towards their learning and feel well supported in school.  There is strong leadership of provision for pupils with SEND. Pupils’ individual learning

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

needs are identified and well understood by staff. Pupils receive precise support that helps them make good progress. Teaching assistants support this targeted learning well. Occasionally during lessons, teaching assistants do not have clearly defined roles and expectations and, when this happens, pupils’ progress is not as supported and accelerated as it could be.  Leaders have correctly identified that there is some variability in the effectiveness of teaching, learning and assessment across the school. For example, on occasion, expectations are not high enough in key stage 1. Pupils are sometimes asked to complete tasks that do not move them forward enough with their learning. When this happens, pupils do not make the progress they should over time.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  An ethos of respect and tolerance permeates the school and the three school rules of ‘respect for ourselves, respect for others and respect for our environment’ make this expectation very clear. All pupils who expressed a view agreed that the school teaches them to respect others and to treat everyone equally.  The curriculum plan includes frequent reminders to pupils about how to keep themselves safe in different environments. For example, pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe when online. Pupils also respect the information about how to eat healthily. Pupils choose healthy snacks during breaktimes.  Pupils are encouraged to take on responsibilities. This helps to prepare them well for their futures. For example, the school arts council makes decisions about aspects of the art curriculum and about changes to the environment. Pupils designed a pebble path,

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Personal development and welfare

with each contributing a pebble.  Pupils are confident that staff respond quickly and effectively to any bullying issues.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. In lessons, staff have high expectations for how pupils should respond to learning. As a result, pupils develop positive attitudes. They take care with and have pride in their work.  Attendance is good. Pupils want to attend because learning is interesting and engaging.  Pupils are polite and welcoming to visitors. They move around the school and conduct themselves well. There are very few disruptions to learning. There is a new system in place for recording behaviour incidents. This is being embedded and is not currently providing leaders with information to allow them to analyse the impact of strategies on behaviour across the school.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 The teaching of phonics is good. Pupils quickly gain early language skills. Any who need additional help receive specific extra support, and this helps them to catch up well.  Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND make strong progress. This is because leaders have ensured that pupils who need extra help to achieve well receive good support that is matched to their needs.  The focus on improving teaching and learning over the past three years has resulted in more pupils achieving well in reading, writing and mathematics each year. By the end of key stage 2, most pupils have gained the skills and knowledge they need to achieve well in their next schools. They also have acquired mature attitudes towards learning because of the high expectations that exist in the school.  Pupils enjoy reading. They read widely and make good progress. The numerous reading challenges, rewards, certificates and badges encourage pupils to read. Leaders

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Outcomes for pupils Good

check that high-quality books are available and that the teaching of reading is good. As an astute pupil said, ‘Reading is fun because there are different things to imagine.’  Pupils develop writing skills well across the school. The curriculum is planned carefully to ensure that pupils develop spelling, punctuation and grammar skills methodically. In addition, pupils write in a variety of subjects across the curriculum. This supports pupils’ vocabulary and allows them to use, and improve, their writing skills.  There are recent improvements to mathematics, designed to ensure that pupils are challenged to use their knowledge to reason and solve problems. Pupils’ books show that the challenge in mathematics is not yet embedded across the school.

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Early years provision Good

 Leaders have an accurate understanding of the strengths and areas to improve. Assessment information is used well to provide stimulating activities for children throughout their Reception year at school. Children understand the expectations and go about their learning with positive attitudes and appropriate self-control.  Teaching is good as it ensures that children develop early skills, including in reading, writing and mathematics. Staff frequently search out the latest thinking and approaches to teaching in early years classes.  Improvements made to the learning environments support interesting learning activities both inside and outside. Children confidently explore the different spaces, for example when they investigate magnets in the science role-play area.  As a result, children make good progress and most have the skills and knowledge they need to achieve well in Year 1. As we found in the rest of the school, the most able

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Early years provision Good

children could be challenged even more to reach higher standards.  Safeguarding and welfare requirements throughout the Reception classes are met.  Parents speak positively about the secure start that their children have had during their first year at the school. They appreciate the welcoming approach from staff and the communication they receive about their child throughout the year.

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School details

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

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School details

Email address woodford.primary.school@plymouth.gov.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Woodford Primary School is a large school. In June 2016, the school became an academy sponsored by Boringdon Primary School. Both schools are now part of the Plym Academy Trust, a multi-academy trust of five primary schools within the Plympton area of Plymouth. The schools work collaboratively and support each other in various ways related to school improvement.  The chief executive officer (CEO) of the trust provides strategic support to the leadership team and to the local governing body, which is known as the local advisory board.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is lower than the national average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is broadly average.

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Information about this inspection

 Together with senior leaders, inspectors visited learning across all classes. A range of pupils’ workbooks were scrutinised. Inspectors observed breaktimes and attended a school assembly.  Inspectors also considered a range of school documents, including information about pupils’ progress, the school’s own evaluation of its effectiveness and the school improvement plan. In addition, documents relating to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance were scrutinised.  Inspectors met with the CEO of the trust and with three governors.  Inspectors spoke with pupils informally, as well as meeting groups of pupils to gather their views. The 64 responses from pupils to an online survey were also taken into account.  Parents views were gathered during discussions with parents and from a letter received during the inspection, as well as from the 183 responses and free-texts provided by parents.  Inspectors met with staff during the inspection and considered the 40 responses

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Inspection team

Tonwen Empson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Claire Fortey 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

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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