Warren Wood Primary School

Inspection of Warren Wood Primary Academy Arethusa Road, Rochester, Kent ME1 2UR

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement 15–16 October 2019

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school because they feel happy and safe. They have positive attitudes to learning and they work hard in lessons to achieve their best. Pupils feel that teachers give them work that challenges them.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand the trust’s guiding ‘recipe’: respect, enjoyment, cooperation, independence, perseverance and excellence. They can explain the meaning of the words and say how they use these to help them become better at what they do.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

All staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. They make sure that pupils who find it difficult to manage their behaviour are given the help that they need. Pupils understand what bullying is. They say that bullying is rare in their school. They are confident that teachers will deal with it quickly if it ever happens. There are good relationships between pupils and staff. Pupils know that they can always talk to an adult in school if they are worried about anything.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that learning is fun. They like the reading bus on the playground, where many pupils read at lunchtime. They spoke enthusiastically about the ‘caveman day’ experience, where they made fires and cooked food on the school field.

p.2

better?

Children get off to a positive start in the early years. The curriculum is planned so that it meets the needs and interests of all children. Teachers are quick to spot children who need extra help with their learning. They help children to catch up quickly. There is a strong focus on teaching phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) and early language skills. This encourages children to develop a love of reading from an early age, which continues to deepen as they move through the school.

p.2

better?

Leaders are well supported by the multi-academy trust. Subject experts from different schools in the trust are used in a highly effective way. They work with teachers so that their knowledge of different subjects improves. This has helped teachers to plan clear sequences of lessons with ambitious goals in a wide range of subjects. The well-designed curriculum provides most pupils with the knowledge and skills they need to achieve well. For example, in physical education (PE), pupils develop their skills in a wide range of sports, including cricket and golf. They take part in many sporting events in their local area. Some pupils talked proudly about winning their first mini-youth games in hockey. All pupils are encouraged to take part, including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and they are keen to learn in PE.

p.2

better?

The school’s curriculum is not yet planned sufficiently well in all subjects. However, it is clear from the actions that leaders have taken so far that they have this work in hand. Curriculum leaders have recently updated guidance in all subjects so that teachers are confident about what to teach and when. 15–16 October 2019

p.2

3

Standards in English are improving over time. Phonics teaching is structured effectively, and most pupils can apply the skills they learn to their reading and writing. In key stage 1, reading books are well matched to most pupils’ abilities. In key stage 2, teachers introduce pupils to high-quality texts. They often use questions skilfully to check that pupils understand unfamiliar words and to draw out pupils’ understanding of what they are reading. However, this is not always the case, so some pupils in key stage 2 do not read as well as they could.

p.3

3

Leaders have put in place a range of approaches to improve pupils’ attendance. As a result, pupils’ rates of absence have decreased over time. However, leaders do not always evaluate which strategies are working or make changes when they are not. This means that some pupils still miss too many days of school through absence.

p.3

3

Pupils with SEND are well supported in the main school and in the Evergreen Centre. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) helps teachers identify pupils’ needs quickly and effective learning plans are in put in place. The SENCo seeks support from external agencies where necessary so that pupils get the right help.

p.3

3

Pupils are taught about the importance of respecting others and being tolerant of other people’s beliefs and opinions. They understand about equal opportunities. Pupils say that all pupils in their school have the same opportunities to learn and take part in clubs because they ‘all deserve the same thing’.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Staff receive appropriate training to help them carry out their roles in keeping pupils safe. Staff are good at spotting signs that pupils may be at risk of harm and they are quick to report these concerns to leaders. Leaders take timely and effective action when concerns are raised and make referrals to external agencies when needed. The school’s curriculum and values provide meaningful opportunities for pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe. Leaders provide parents and carers with information and guidance to help keep their children safe at home, for example when using the internet.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum is much improved. Some subjects are well sequenced and effectively delivered. However, in other subjects, planning is relatively recent, and teachers’ subject knowledge is still developing. Leaders should ensure that staff continue to receive high-quality professional development so that all subjects are taught to an equally high standard.  Phonics is taught well in the early years and key stage 1. However, some pupils in 15–16 October 2019

p.3

4

key stage 2 have not developed the knowledge and skills needed to read and comprehend texts. Leaders need to make sure that all teachers in key stage 2 are proficient at teaching reading.  Leaders need to place greater emphasis on evaluating the actions they take to improve pupils’ attendance, including for those pupils who are frequently absent. They need to think carefully about developing different strategies to make sure that more pupils attend school regularly.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

Further information

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. 15–16 October 2019

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10111140 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 13–14 June 2017

p.5

Information about this school

 Warren Wood is designated by the local authority as a co-located specialist provision for speech and language needs. The Evergreen Centre is included within the school building and has the same headteacher and governing body as the main school. The school offers places to pupils across the primary phase.

p.5

Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher, the chief executive officer and the head of primary education from the Skills for Life Trust, representatives from the governing body, the SENCo and other curriculum leaders.  Inspectors focused on the quality of the curriculum in reading, mathematics, computing, history and PE. Inspectors met with curriculum leaders for each subject, visited lessons, talked to pupils, scrutinised the work in pupils’ books and held discussions with class teachers.  An inspector attended an assembly.  Inspectors looked at a range of information about behaviour, attendance, extra- 15–16 October 2019

p.5

6

curricular activities and wider enrichment activities.  Inspectors met with pupils from all classes.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in class, around the school and during playtimes.  An inspector talked to the human resources manager for the trust about the checks the school makes on adults who work in the school.  An inspector talked to the headteacher and the deputy headteacher about safeguarding arrangements. The inspector looked at records of the actions they have taken to protect pupils at risk.  Inspectors talked to pupils about how safe they feel in school and to what extent the school teaches them to keep themselves safe. Inspectors also checked whether members of staff understand and follow the school’s safeguarding policy and procedures.

p.6

Inspection team

Luisa Gould, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

James Freeston Ofsted Inspector 15–16 October 2019

p.6

7

regulates and inspects to 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.

p.7

7

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 .

p.7

7

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, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

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

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7