Wood End Infant School

Wood End Infant School Whitton Avenue West, Northolt, Middlesex UB5 4LB

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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

 In all areas of school life, leaders’ and teachers’ expectations of pupils are now high. Leaders have worked successfully and systematically to address the previous shortcomings in teaching, pupils’ outcomes and attendance.  Governors have strengthened the way they support and challenge leaders. They hold leaders to account stringently, including whether additional funding is spent effectively.  Across the curriculum, pupils make strong progress because teaching caters well for their needs. Teachers set tasks that are suitably demanding and motivate pupils to learn. This is the case for pupils of all abilities.  In key stage 1, reading, writing and mathematics are typically taught well. Pupils are much better prepared for the next stage of their education than was previously the case. This is reflected in the increasing proportion of pupils who attain or exceed the age-expected standard by the end of Year 2.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Improvements to the curriculum have had a positive impact on pupils’ outcomes in subjects such as science, history and geography. Leaders and other staff make sure that teaching helps pupils to understand and remember important concepts. Leaders are extending this approach into other curriculum subjects.  Leaders place upmost importance on the well- being of pupils, families and staff. A happy and caring atmosphere permeates the school.  Staff are skilled in developing pupils’ self- esteem and readiness to learn. Pupils enjoy school and attend regularly.  Well-established routines ensure that pupils conduct themselves sensibly, including in the early years. Pupils are polite and considerate of others. Poor behaviour is rare.  Leaders have transformed the quality of children’s learning in the early years. Children’s language development, including their early reading and writing skills, is promoted particularly well. Leaders know what they need

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

to do to make further improvements. For example, they are taking credible steps to ensure that more boys attain a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year.  Although pupils’ progress in reading and writing is good overall, it could be even better. When practising their reading, lower-attaining pupils sometimes read books that are not well matched to their phonics knowledge. In writing, teaching does not give enough weight to ensuring that pupils develop and apply their knowledge of common spelling rules. This reduces the overall standard of pupils’ written work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen pupils’ outcomes in reading and writing by making sure that: – the books pupils read to practise their phonics knowledge only contain sounds that they know – teaching enables pupils to acquire and apply an age-appropriate knowledge of spelling patterns.  Leaders and governors maintain a sharp focus on ensuring that all pupils make substantial and sustained progress over time, by: – fully embedding strategies to improve teaching and raise standards, including in the early years – replicating the strengths evident in the curriculum for science, history and geography across other foundation subjects.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Ably led by the ambitious and determined headteacher, leaders have brought about tangible improvements in all areas of the school, including in the early years. Staff and pupils alike benefit from a nurturing ethos which inspires them to work hard and aim high.  Leaders and other staff have forged strong partnerships with families to strengthen the quality of pupils’ learning. Parents and carers speak highly of leaders’ work, and, in particular, how leaders foster a strong sense of community throughout the school.  The leadership team wasted no time in tackling the legacy of weak teaching and inconsistent outcomes identified by the previous inspection. Leaders hold staff to account rigorously and challenge them to improve their teaching skills. Pupils now make good progress from their starting points. Standards are rising across the curriculum, including in reading, writing, mathematics and science.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Staff are inspired by the effective professional development opportunities on offer. For instance, staff explained how a recent training event had renewed their enthusiasm for reading out loud to pupils. Staff were clear about the purpose of doing so, including how this contributed to pupils’ vocabulary development and ignited pupils’ interest in reading. Inspectors saw the positive impact of this work during visits to classrooms and in discussions with pupils about their reading.  The new approach to the curriculum has underpinned leaders’ efforts to secure improvements in teaching and pupils’ outcomes. In planning the curriculum, leaders have thought carefully about what they want pupils to learn and when they should learn it. Staff receive clear guidance so that they plan teaching that reflects these expectations. Educational visits and external speakers are used well to enrich pupils’ understanding and increase their enjoyment of school. This approach is firmly

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

established in English and mathematics as well as science, history and geography. Work is currently underway to extend this approach into subjects such as art and computing.  To understand whether the curriculum is being delivered well, leaders and staff check regularly what pupils know or can do. They are quick to adapt the curriculum in light of the information which these checks provide. This ensures that pupils typically benefit from opportunities to revisit and practise concepts that they have not grasped securely. Nevertheless, the delivery of the writing curriculum needs to give greater weight to pupils’ acquisition and application of spelling rules.  As well as providing for strong gains in pupils’ academic outcomes, the curriculum caters well for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils have plenty of opportunities to learn about different faiths and cultures. Through this, they

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

learn the importance of respecting the views and beliefs of others. As one pupil put it: ‘At this school, we learn to listen to and be kind to everyone because we are all important.’ The school’s warm and inclusive atmosphere also helps pupils to become considerate and respectful young people.  The primary sport premium is used effectively to increase pupils’ participation in physical activity. For example, leaders offer fitness classes for families so that parents can support their children to lead active lifestyles outside of school.  Leadership of the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is strong. Leaders leave no stone unturned in their efforts to understand and cater for pupils’ needs. Effective partnerships with families and external professionals form the basis of this work. As a result, additional funding is spent effectively, with equal attention given to supporting pupils’ academic outcomes as well as their social

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

and emotional development.  Additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils is also used well. Leaders assess pupils’ individual barriers to learning carefully. As with the provision for pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils benefit from well-targeted extra help to improve their well- being as well as their progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The leadership team has an in-depth knowledge of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Support from the local authority, as well as partnerships with other schools, has increased the rigour of leaders’ evaluation. If a particular strategy is not delivering improvements, the leadership team does not hesitate to act. Nevertheless, further work is needed to ensure that the changes leaders have brought about are fully embedded, including in the early years and in the wider curriculum.

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Governance of the school

 The governing body has been strengthened through the appointment of new members with a range of relevant skills and expertise. Additionally, the review of governance has enabled governors to sharpen their oversight of leaders’ work. Governors now have the information they need to hold leaders to account. This includes drawing astutely on external reviews of the quality of pupils’ learning, including those eligible for the pupil premium funding.  The governing body plans and acts strategically to ensure that the school is well placed to respond to any future challenges, such as those presented by the recent decrease in the number of pupils on roll. Governors have also made leadership succession planning a key priority to ensure that the quality of pupils’ education remains strong.  Governors review safeguarding arrangements on a regular basis. They make sure that policies and procedures incorporate statutory requirements and reflect the needs of the

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe and well cared for. Staff and parents who responded to Ofsted’s surveys agreed unanimously that the school keeps pupils safe.  Leaders and staff maintain high levels of vigilance regarding pupils’ safety and well- being. Thorough record-keeping enables leaders to obtain a comprehensive picture of any risks to pupils’ welfare. The introduction of online records has strengthened the school’s work in this respect, providing leaders with a clear chronology of any concerns and the action taken in response. Leaders involve external agencies appropriately to ensure that pupils and their families receive suitable extra help promptly. Records show that leaders are rigorous in checking that this extra help makes a positive difference to pupils’ welfare.  Staff receive comprehensive training in how to spot and report safeguarding concerns.

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Safeguarding

This includes the procedures for whistleblowing and allegations regarding the conduct of a member of staff. Additionally, leaders keep staff well informed about risks that may exist in the local community, including knife crime and gang-related activity. As a result, staff are alert to the warning signs that a pupil is vulnerable to harm. Crucially, leaders and staff work constructively and sensitively with families to identify potential concerns at an early stage. When appropriate, leaders signpost families to additional help that may be available, either from within the school or from external agencies.  The single central record is well maintained and shows that all adults working in the school are suitable to do so. Leaders make sure that visitors to the school receive clear guidance on what they must do if a safeguarding concern arises.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment has improved considerably since the previous inspection. Pupils flourish in the school’s culture of high expectations. Their positive attitudes to learning are tangible and contribute to their good progress.  Improvements in the curriculum mean that teaching is typically well planned and ambitious for pupils’ outcomes. This is particularly the case in reading, writing and mathematics as well as in science and the humanities.  Adults make sure that classrooms are calm and purposeful. Where necessary, they provide pupils, including those with SEND, with effective extra support to help them focus on their learning.  Staff use their expertise to set work that demands enough from pupils, including those pupils with SEND and the most able pupils. Teachers and teaching assistants plan and adapt tasks skilfully to take account of pupils’ prior learning. Effective assessment

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

strategies mean that adults spot any gaps in pupils’ understanding and correct their mistakes or misconceptions.  Teaching places due emphasis on broadening pupils’ vocabulary. Across a range of subjects, teachers plan carefully which words to introduce and revisit. This helps pupils to remember what these words mean. In turn, this approach is strengthening the quality of pupils’ writing. Pupils are increasingly confident using these words accurately in their own work.  Mathematics teaching incorporates frequent opportunities for pupils to develop their calculation skills using all four operations. Other areas of mathematics, such as shape and measure, are not overlooked. Well-chosen resources, such as pictorial representations, help pupils to grasp key concepts. Additionally, pupils of all abilities deepen their understanding through appropriate problem-solving tasks.  Since the previous inspection, leaders and teachers have introduced a range of

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

successful strategies to promote a love of reading and instil pupils with good reading habits at an early age. For instance, classrooms contain inviting reading corners and feature books recommended by pupils and staff. Pupils said that this encourages them to read different types of books and try new authors.  Alongside this, phonics is taught well and systematically. Pupils quickly learn to use their phonics knowledge to decode words accurately. Sometimes, however, lower- attaining pupils practise their reading using books that contain sounds they do not know securely. When this is the case, pupils struggle to read words accurately. This reduces pupils’ confidence in their reading ability as well as their understanding of the text.  When writing in English and other subjects, teachers expect pupils to draw on their phonics knowledge to support their spelling. However, teaching does not develop pupils’ knowledge of common spelling rules as well as it could. Pupils make repeated

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

spelling errors, and this reduces the overall quality of their writing. This is particularly evident in the work of lower-attaining pupils.  Science teaching stimulates pupils’ curiosity. Well-planned practical tasks develop pupils’ thinking and understanding of key concepts. In history and geography teaching is also strong. Leaders and staff are clear about what they want pupils to know and remember. As a result, they plan learning that is purposeful and helps pupils to make strong gains in their subject-specific knowledge and vocabulary.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  In classrooms, pupils enjoy working collaboratively with their peers. They listen to each other’s ideas and suggestions respectfully. Pupils are keen to learn and confident in their own abilities. This is evident in the self-assured manner with which they talk about their learning, both with peers and with adults.  Pupils learn about healthy lifestyles, including the importance of eating a balanced diet. At lunchtimes, plenty of play equipment is available to encourage pupils to take part in physical activity. Pupils appreciate how the games and resources on offer promote their fitness levels.  Parents praise the levels of pastoral care provided by the school. Leaders and staff are proactive in identifying pupils who may be experiencing emotional or social difficulties. They are quick to provide pupils with effective additional support to secure their well-

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Personal development and welfare

being. Close partnerships with parents and external agencies enhance the quality of extra help provided.  Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of how they can keep themselves safe in different situations. For instance, they can confidently describe how to cross the road safely and what they would do if they saw something that worried them on the internet.  Incidents of unkind behaviour, including bullying, are unusual. Pupils told inspectors that such behaviour ‘is against the rules at this school’ and teachers help us ‘to be friendly and fair’ to everyone. Should any concerns arise, pupils know that staff are always on hand to resolve any issues.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Leaders’ work to reduce absence levels, including persistent absence, has proven successful. Overall, pupils’ attendance is above the national average. Leaders and staff are tenacious in following up on absence. They take timely and effective steps to support those pupils who are not attending school as regularly as they should. Improving the attendance of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND remains a key priority for the school.  Leaders and staff share high expectations for pupils’ conduct and attitudes. The school’s focus on rights and responsibilities steers pupils towards sensible choices and helps them to consider how their behaviour may affect others. As one pupil put it: ‘We behave well because it makes this school a happy place for everyone.’  At social times, plenty of adults are available to promote high standards of behaviour. Pupils said that if they do fall out with their peers, staff help them to become friends

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Behaviour

again. One pupil, summing up the views of many, told inspectors that: ‘Staff always make sure you have a friend to play with.’  Over time, the number of behaviour incidents is low. Records show that leaders manage any incidents of unacceptable behaviour effectively. Staff feel that leaders support them well in managing pupils’ behaviour.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Leaders’ successful work to address the weaknesses in the quality of teaching has secured the necessary improvements in pupils’ outcomes. Across a range of subjects, pupils’ progress is strong.  Standards at the end of key stage 1 have risen since the time of the previous inspection. In 2018, the proportion of Year 2 pupils attaining the age-expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics was broadly similar to the national averages.  In science, too, pupils’ attainment has improved. The 2017 and 2018 Year 2 cohorts attained above-average standards by the end of key stage 1. Effective teaching, underpinned by clear expectations for what pupils should learn, means that pupils make good gains in their scientific knowledge and understanding.  Work in pupils’ books and school information suggests that the attainment of the current Year 2 cohort is also strong. Pupils are much better prepared for their move to

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Outcomes for pupils Good

junior school than was the case in the past.  Improvements in teaching have also secured better outcomes for the most able pupils. A greater proportion of pupils now make the progress they need to attain the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 1.  Well-targeted support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND ensures that they make the same good progress as their peers, both academically and in their social and emotional development. Leaders and staff are highly aware of pupils’ individual barriers to learning. They reshape tasks accordingly so that pupils access the same curriculum content as successfully as their peers.  Over time, the proportion of pupils attaining the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics check has been above the national average. While the attainment of the current Year 1 is not as strong as previous cohorts, leaders are taking effective steps to

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Outcomes for pupils Good

ensure that they catch up quickly. Nevertheless, leaders and staff need to have greater oversight of the books pupils read to develop and deepen their phonics knowledge.  The standard of pupils’ writing, particularly in Year 1, is not as high as it could be. This is because the curriculum does not give sufficient weight to ensuring that pupils have a secure knowledge of common spelling rules and apply them in their writing.  The rich and well-planned curriculum enables pupils to acquire strong subject-specific knowledge in history and geography. Leaders and staff make sure that pupils make links between what they have learned in different topics. This is effective in deepening pupils’ understanding. Leaders and staff are making changes to the curriculum to strengthen pupils’ learning in subjects such as computing, art and design and technology.

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Early years provision Good

 Leadership of the early years is strong. Leaders’ well-focused work has secured clear improvements in the quality of children’s learning. Parents are closely involved in their children’s learning and value the support staff provide.  Children are kept safe and secure. Safeguarding arrangements in the early years are effective.  Adults keep a close eye on children’s well-being and behaviour. They provide children with clear guidance to ensure that they play together well and use resources sensibly. Staff are quick to spot and support children who are reluctant to join in with activities.  Improvements to the quality and accuracy of assessment information mean that adults have a detailed picture of each child’s development and needs. Staff are skilled in planning learning which takes accounts of children’s different abilities and interests. Across the curriculum, staff use their expertise to help children play and learn

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Early years provision Good

purposefully. The majority of children, including the most able and those from disadvantaged backgrounds, make good progress from their starting points.  Leaders ensure that children receive high-quality phonics teaching as soon as they join the school. Well-planned activities and resources, both in the Nursery and Reception classes, mean children practise and apply their phonics knowledge regularly. This supports children’s readiness for the Year 1 curriculum.  Adults prioritise reading aloud to children regularly. When sharing books, staff are skilled at sparking children’s imagination and fully engrossing them in the story. This approach is effective in supporting children’s language development and instilling them with a love of books at an early age.  Strengths in the teaching of reading have had a positive impact on children’s readiness and ability to record their ideas in writing. Both indoors and out, classrooms provide

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Early years provision Good

stimulating activities which motivate children to write. Teachers plan carefully to ensure that activities appeal to both boys and girls. Crucially, children have the necessary phonics knowledge to record their ideas with increasing accuracy.  Adults seize every opportunity to develop children’s understanding and use of vocabulary. Staff model language and question children effectively to develop their ideas. This, too, is leading to improvements in children’s early reading and writing skills. For instance, in the Nursery classroom, an adult used children’s fascination with dinosaurs to stimulate an in-depth discussion about what the dinosaurs might have looked like. Children were then keen to write about what they had discussed.  Although children’s progress is good overall, the proportion of boys attaining a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year remains lower than that of girls.

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Early years provision Good

Leaders have made several changes to the provision with the aim of diminishing this difference. The positive impact of this work is clearly evident in boys’ high-quality writing. Nevertheless, leaders need to maintain a sharp focus on improving boys’ outcomes and fully embed the strategies they have put in place.

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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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address admin@woodendfirst.ealing.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12–13 December 2017

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, Wood End Infants School has experienced a larger-than- average decrease in the number of pupils admitted to the school. The number of pupils on roll is now broadly in line with the national average.  The Nursery classes provide education for three- and four-year-old children. Since the previous inspection, leaders have subsequently extended the Nursery provision to offer full-time places on request.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is high compared to the national average.  The number of pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium is below the national average.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with leaders to discuss their evaluation of the school’s effectiveness, including how they have responded to the recommendations from the previous inspection.  Inspectors visited classrooms in each year group and spoke to pupils about their learning. Many of these visits were conducted jointly with leaders. Inspectors also looked at samples of pupils’ work in a range of subjects, including science, history and geography.  A range of documentation was reviewed, including records related to inclusion, safeguarding, behaviour and attendance. Inspectors also met with leaders with responsibility for these aspects of the school’s work.  Inspectors met with members of the governing body and an adviser of the local authority. Inspectors also looked at the records of governing body minutes and external reviews of the school’s effectiveness.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils, including members of the school council.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors also listened to pupils from Year 1 and Year 2 read. There were no responses to Ofsted’s survey for pupils.  The views of parents were gathered through informal discussions in the playground. Inspectors also took into account the 27 responses to Parent View, including written comments.  Inspectors met with a group of staff and reviewed the 21 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. Inspectors also spoke to staff informally throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Sarah Murphy-Dutton, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Chris Birtles 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

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.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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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.gov.uk/ofsted

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