Woodfield Primary School

Inspection of Woodfield Primary School Woodfield Road, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG1 4HZ

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 29–30 January 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Since the previous inspection, many pupils at this school have been let down. There has been a lack of effective leadership in all areas. It is only recently that leadership has improved. This has happened because leaders from other schools are helping.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils do not receive the quality of education they deserve. Because of this, too many pupils do not achieve what they are capable of. This includes those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are not provided with the wide range of experiences to help them develop their personal skills well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour has improved since the introduction of a new behaviour policy. But, too many pupils still disrupt the learning of others. Pupils say that bullying was a problem but the school is better at helping them with bullying now.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Too many pupils do not attend school often enough. Attendance at the school is declining.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have not made sure there are clear plans to support disadvantaged pupils or those with SEND, in the classroom.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Generally, in the early years, children are supported to develop as they should. Teachers make sure children experience the basics of reading. Children’s writing skills do not develop as rapidly as their reading skills.

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better?

The quality of education is inadequate. Many pupils do not achieve as they should. Those pupils with SEND do not receive the support which meets their needs.

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better?

Learning is not planned in an order which makes sense to pupils. Assessment is not used to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge either. In English, pupils learn about grammar, punctuation and spelling. But they are not provided with a framework for developing their writing. They do not learn about planning, drafting and editing their work. They have few opportunities to try out writing in different styles. Because of this, many pupils’ writing is not of high quality.

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better?

There is not a culture of reading for purpose and pleasure. Pupils leave Year 1 with basic phonics skills which compare well to other pupils in the country. But they are not given the support they need to develop their reading after this point. Reading skills are also not linked to writing. In Years 1 and 2, until recently, pupils read books which did not match their phonics skills. Older pupils are still expected to use books which are too difficult for them to read. 29–30 January 2020

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Pupils learn about science and other subjects through writing lessons. But lessons in these subjects do not follow a sensible sequence. Teachers do not make these lessons as interesting as they could be.

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In mathematics, leaders have started to make changes. Teachers use plans which have a logical sequence of learning. They encourage pupils to reflect on their learning and self-assess their knowledge.

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The attendance of pupils has declined over the past three years. This is despite the efforts of leaders to engage with parents and pupils. Staff care a great deal for all pupils. The pastoral care of the school is not well structured. There is not a joined- up approach to encouraging good attendance.

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Pupils enjoy their lessons. In some lessons pupils are positive about learning. But in a significant number of lessons pupils are not as positive. Poor behaviour disrupts learning. At playtimes and during lunch, pupils get on well with each other. Staff help them with play and activities. Pupils say that bullying has been a problem in the past. Staff had not been able to help stop bullying when it occurred. Pupils say bullying has lessened more recently. They have more confidence that staff can help now.

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The school provides pupils with opportunities to learn outside of the classroom, such as educational visits. Individual teachers decide on the timing and venues to be visited. These visits are not linked to schemes of work closely.

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Pupils are not well prepared for life in modern Britain. They do not get a range of experiences which help them develop the knowledge and skills they need.

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Children are safe and happy in the early years. Leaders have thought about the activities that children take part in. They have made sure the activities fit into a sensible sequence. On occasion, children spend too much time practising skills they have already mastered. For example, during the inspection children worked on the number five even though they knew the numbers one to 10 with confidence. Children develop their phonics skills at an early stage. They do not get enough opportunities to apply these skills to develop their writing.

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Governors are not effective in holding leaders to account. Reviews of governance have taken place and improvements made. However, much more improvement is needed. Very recently, leaders from other schools have joined the school on an interim basis. They are working with existing school leaders to make improvements. The interim headteacher has identified key priorities. He has introduced several changes which are beginning to have an effect. Leaders have developed plans to sequence learning in reading, writing and other subjects. These are in the early stages.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 29–30 January 2020

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The interim headteacher has been swift to identify gaps in safeguarding practice at the school. Along with school leaders he has acted to put things right. Leaders now have an accurate view of the needs of vulnerable pupils. A culture of safeguarding exists in the school, which was not as strong until very recently. Pupils say they feel safe at the school. They know who to go to if they have any worries or concerns. Staff at the school know what actions to take if they feel pupils could be at risk. Leaders in the school now have the information they need to make sure all pupils are safe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Although long-term plans suggest that the national curriculum is being covered, in practice lessons are not ordered in a logical sequence. The curriculum delivered to pupils lacks the ambition and quality which is required. Because of this, pupils do not receive the quality of education they are entitled to. They do not achieve to the levels they are capable of achieving. Leaders should ensure that the school curriculum has at least the ambition of the national curriculum and is appropriately sequenced so that pupils build upon their knowledge in a logical and sensible order.  There is no strategic plan in place to identify how best to allocate the additional funds the school receives for disadvantaged pupils. Consequently, disadvantaged pupils do not always receive the extra support they may need to make better progress. Leaders should urgently devise a strategic approach to allocating the funds for disadvantaged pupils so they are supported more effectively and their

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

progress improves.  Until very recently, the needs of those pupils with SEND have not been identified, assessed or met appropriately. As a result, pupils with SEND have not received the support they may need to ensure they have an equal access to the curriculum and can achieve to their potential. Leaders should ensure that all pupils with SEND are provided with the support they need to make the progress they are capable of achieving.  Too many pupils do not attend school often enough. Consequently, gaps in some pupils’ learning exist through their absence and these gaps disadvantage them from making the progress they are capable of. Leaders should continue to work with parents, pupils and school staff to improve attendance.  A significant minority of pupils have negative attitudes towards their learning too often. The use of the new behaviour policy is not consistently and effectively applied to address this. Because of this, in some lessons, pupils do not behave as

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

they should. Leaders and staff should take the appropriate action to reduce the persistent low-level disruption to learning which takes place in some lessons.  Pupils do not receive a wide range of experiences which help them to develop the personal skills and knowledge they will need for life in their local community and in modern Britain. Many pupils lack confidence when talking to adults about their learning and experiences. Leaders should ensure that the experiences which will 29–30 January 2020

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benefit pupils in future life are properly planned, so that all pupils receive the same high-quality provision.  Governors do not hold leaders to account as they should. Consequently, since the last inspection, the school’s effectiveness has declined. Pupils are not receiving the quality of education they are entitled to. The governing body should ensure that leaders are held to account effectively for school performance and for the use of the additional funds the school receives to support pupils.  Leadership across the school is inadequate. Because of this, pupils have not achieved as they should and have not enjoyed the full range of experiences and support which they should expect. The recent appointment of interim leaders from other schools is a positive move. Governors and leaders should ensure that the professional development and training which is required to develop existing leaders in the school is in place, in order to improve the capacity of leadership at

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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 are the school and you are 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. 29–30 January 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10134907 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Bridget Tayan (Co-chair) Paul Haslam (Co-chair) Headteacher Richard Cook

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School details

Website http://www.woodfieldprimary.org.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26–27 May 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection there have been a number of changes in the leadership of the school. Consequently, there has been instability in leadership and several changes of headteacher.  This school is a smaller than an average-sized primary school. It also runs a breakfast club for pupils.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is above average.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

In accordance with section 44(1) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons 29–30 January 2020

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responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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 We met with the interim headteacher, curriculum leaders and other members of staff. We also met with a group of governors, including the co-chairs of the governing body. We took account of the 12 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  We observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school, including at playtimes and lunchtimes. We gathered pupils’ views about the school through formal and informal discussion.  We scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans, minutes of governing body meetings and safeguarding documents. We also evaluated information relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  We took account of the views of 26 parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, along with 22 responses submitted as free-text.  We took account of the views of 46 pupils who responded to Ofsted’s online pupil survey.  We looked in depth at the following subjects: reading, English, mathematics and

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science. In doing so, we visited classes across year groups and reviewed pupils’ work. We spoke to pupils about their learning and listened to them read. We also met with teachers.

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Inspection team

Barry Found, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Natasha Greenough Ofsted Inspector 29–30 January 2020

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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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