Woodfield Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Woodfield Primary School Taunton Avenue, Whitleigh, Plymouth, Devon PL5 4HW

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Outcome

Woodfield Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Respect lies at the heart of the school’s work. Pupils know that their views matter and that staff will listen to them. Pupils enjoy their lessons, work hard and achieve well. Staff help pupils to develop the personal qualities that will help them to learn well. The school provides a wide range of activities and clubs to develop pupils’ sporting and creative talents.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers have high expectations and pupils aim to reach these. Leaders provide staff with the skills they need to do their job well. Staff are conscientious and share leaders’ desire to improve. Everyone works towards the same goals. As a result, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education when they leave Woodfield.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school and their achievements. Teachers make learning interesting. Pupils work together well. The school’s work prepares pupils to be good citizens in the future. Pupils appreciate that everyone is different and that everyone struggles with different things. As a result, pupils develop determination in their own efforts and an understanding of others. Bullying is rare. Pupils are confident that staff will help them to sort out any disagreements they may have.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

School leaders and the local advisory board have a heartfelt commitment to helping pupils to get on in life. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. They make sure that teachers are clear about what they must teach, when, and in what order. Where leaders have developed the curriculum particularly well, pupils have a deep understanding of what they have been learning. In mathematics and science, for example, pupils can recall facts and apply their understanding when they face new problems. However, further changes to the curriculum are needed to help pupils to think deeper in, for example, history.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Nursery provides a very strong start for children to become confident learners. Some children struggle with the change in approach as they go into Reception and key stage 1. 30–31 October 2019

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Here, the practice developed in Nursery is not carried through as strongly. Leaders have started work to keep the good start in Nursery going throughout the school. This is beginning to reap rewards. More pupils in key stage 1 are thinking deeply and achieving well. However, there is more to do.

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Like leaders, teaching staff are ambitious for all pupils. Teachers plan activities so that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), learn well. Pupils with SEND achieve well and grow in confidence and independence, similar to their classmates. Teachers make sure that pupils who struggle to manage their own behaviour are well supported by adults. Activities are well matched to pupils’ abilities. As a result, pupils concentrate well in lessons and learning is rarely disrupted.

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After-school and lunchtime clubs are popular. Pupils take part in many competitions against other schools, such as debating and sporting activities. Pupils achieve particularly well in cross-country events. Off-site residential trips and visits broaden pupils’ life skills and experiences. Pupils also participate in local events such as the Lord Mayor’s Christmas Carol concert and visits to local landmarks such as Smeaton’s Tower. These events help pupils to understand and feel part of the community beyond their home and school.

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Leaders have made reading a priority in the school. They make careful choices about the books that pupils read. They have invested in high-quality books for pupils and training for staff. Teachers instil a love of reading. The school’s Nursery provision has made a very positive difference to children’s early reading skills. The stimulating environment and skilled staff have helped children to develop their listening and speaking skills well. As a result, when children join the Reception class, they do well when learning their letters and sounds. As pupils progress through the school, they become competent readers. Pupils who need to catch up do so because of the strong support they receive. By the time they leave Year 6, pupils are well prepared for secondary school. Many achieve above the standards expected for their age in reading and mathematics.

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Leaders protect staff well-being. Staff appreciate this. The strong staff team works well with others in schools across the trust. The local advisory board (LAB) does a good job in ensuring that leaders run the school well. LAB members make sure that they know what is happening in school and how effectively money is spent.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are knowledgeable about safeguarding. They act quickly to keep pupils safe. They know the risks that their pupils face in the local area and the wider world. Leaders make sure that pupils get guidance as part of the curriculum to minimise risks. For example, pupils learn how to keep themselves safe online.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are proactive. They work well with a range of partners, such as healthcare professionals and children’s services. They work to get families the support they need before a family reaches crisis point. Leaders are vigilant and follow up safeguarding concerns well. 30–31 October 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Overall, the curriculum is well planned and implemented to ensure that pupils gain the knowledge they need to achieve well. Where this is not fully the case, in history for example, this process has begun but is at a relatively early stage. Leaders need to ensure that this work is fully embedded.  Children get a very good start to their school life in Nursery. Staff systematically build on children’s knowledge, understanding and skills. Children are curious, engaged and follow routines well. The strong practice in Nursery is not as well established in the Reception class and key stage 1. Leaders need to further strengthen the links between Nursery and other classes to share this good practice.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Woodfield Primary School, to be good in June 2013.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 30–31 October 2019

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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. 30–31 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111584 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Woodfield Primary School opened in November 2016. It is part of The Learning Academies Trust.

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Information about this inspection

 During the inspection, I spoke with pupils about their work and school life. I held a meeting with three members of the local advisory board. I also met with the chief executive officer from the Learning Academies Trust and held meetings with the headteacher, head of school and members of staff.  I reviewed a range of documentation, including safeguarding information.  I considered 12 responses to Parent View and free-text comments, and 26 responses to the online staff survey.  I did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. This entailed discussions with subject leaders, visits to lessons, looking at examples of children’s work, discussions with teachers, discussions with children and listening to children read. 30–31 October 2019

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Inspection team

Tracy Hannon, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 30–31 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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