Willow Wood Community Nursery & Primary School

Inspection of Willow Wood Community Nursery & Primary School Bradbury Road, Wharton, Winsford, Cheshire CW7 3HN

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good 8–9 October 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils enjoy attending school. They like the trips that support their learning. They take part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Pupils value the opportunities to take part in sports competitions. A group of pupils spoke with pride at their success in a recent football match.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils told us that behaviour is good. They said that bullying is rare and when it does happen, staff deal with it successfully. All pupils who spoke with us said that they feel safe at the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have arranged special assemblies to raise aspirations and showcase possible future careers. Pupils are proud to take on responsibilities, such as eco-warriors and school council members. These roles build their confidence and leadership skills.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and teachers want pupils to achieve well. Their actions are making a difference in the early years and in key stage 1. All the same, the curriculum for teaching English, mathematics and some other subjects in key stage 2 has not helped pupils to do as well as they should by the end of Year 6.

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better?

The new headteacher has quickly identified the strengths and weaknesses of the school. He knows that pupils’ achievement in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 is not good enough. He also knows that there is work to do to make sure that the curriculum is well planned in other subjects. For example, in science, history and physical education, new teaching does not build well enough on what pupils already know and can do. Plans are under way to turn this situation around.

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better?

Leaders and staff have planned the curriculum in reading, writing and mathematics well at key stage 1. This means that pupils build on what they have learned before. By the end of Year 2, pupils are doing better in these subjects. The same is not true for older pupils. Planning for English is not as well thought through. This leads to gaps in pupils’ learning. In turn, pupils do not have the knowledge they need to be successful in the end of key test 2 tests and assessments. Pupils’ achievement has been weak for a number of years and fell again in 2019.

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better?

The reading curriculum is effective in the early years and key stage 1. Younger children and pupils read simple texts well because they know the sounds that letters make. Staff use assessment well to pinpoint the sounds that pupils need to practise. This is not replicated in key stage 2. Pupils do not have enough opportunities to read fluently and widely or to fully understand what they have read. Extra support for pupils who find reading difficult does not always help pupils to catch up.

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better?

Children get off to a strong start in the early years. Leaders and staff use assessment information very well to shape children’s learning. They know what 8–9 October 2019

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children need to learn. The curriculum is well planned, across all the early learning goals, so that children have a solid foundation for the future. They are well prepared for learning in Year 1.

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The school has specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (specially resourced provision). The special educational needs coordinator has introduced clear systems for the identification of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). There is a clear plan for training staff. She has matched this well to her checks of teaching and learning. The curriculum meets the needs of these pupils and they achieve well across a range of subjects.

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Pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. Teachers plan activities that prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain. They have a well-developed understanding of democracy through elections for school council members. The pupils’ books show their developing understanding of a variety of other religions. Disadvantaged pupils learn well because the staff adapt the curriculum to their needs. Leaders use a programme to target difficult to reach disadvantaged families. Pupils taking part in this told us how much their behaviour and social skills had improved.

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Pupils are a delight to talk to. They are polite and speak clearly and confidently. They behave well in class. Little time is lost due to disruption. They move around the school in an orderly manner, showing respect for other classes who are in lessons.

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The headteacher and his leadership team consider the workload of the staff carefully to make sure they can promote a healthy work-life balance. Staff appreciate these efforts. Subject leaders show determination to raise the quality of education in their subjects. However, they still need to develop their leadership skills.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know pupils well and have clear procedures to keep them safe. The curriculum includes lessons on staying safe online, as well as road and water safety.

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Safeguarding

Leaders train staff well. Staff know how to spot the early signs that pupils may be at risk of harm and how to act on any concerns. Leaders have good relationships with health and social care professionals. This helps leaders support vulnerable pupils and their families.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have designed a curriculum for English and mathematics which meets the needs of key stage 1 pupils well. They should build on these improvements to 8–9 October 2019

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improve the quality of education in these subjects in key stage 2, paying particular attention to those key stage 2 pupils who need to catch up.  The curriculum for subjects other than English and mathematics is not as well organised as it needs to be to allow pupils to achieve well. Leaders should implement their curriculum plans so that teachers understand the sequence of learning in each subject and pupils can build on their prior learning.  Leaders need to support subject leaders so that they are able to support teachers as new curriculum plans are introduced and embedded.

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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.

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How can I feed back my views?

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

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How can I feed back my views?

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

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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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. 8–9 October 2019

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School details

Local authority Cheshire West and Chester

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School details

Inspection number 10110957 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.willowwoodprimaryschool.co.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7–8 July 2015

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Information about this school

 The current headteacher was appointed in September 2019.  The school provides a breakfast club, after-school club and holiday-time provision.  The school has specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND. There are currently six children on roll with multiple and complex disabilities.

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Information about this inspection

 We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.  We met with the headteacher and deputy headteachers. We held meetings with subject leaders and with the leaders for SEND and the early years. We also spoke with governors and an officer from the local authority.  We spoke with leaders and pupils about their work in history, science, reading, mathematics and physical education. We also visited lessons in these subjects and looked at pupils’ work.  We scrutinised the school’s recruitment checks on its staff. We spoke with leaders and staff about the school’s procedures and systems for protecting pupils from risk and checked samples of leaders’ records. 8–9 October 2019

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Inspection team

Ian Shackleton, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

David Deane Ofsted Inspector 8–9 October 2019

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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.

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