Outwoods Edge Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Outwoods Edge Primary School 21 Redwood Road, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 2LD

p.1

Inspection dates: 12 and 13 October 2021

p.1

Outcome

Outwoods Edge Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate their school because it is ‘unique’. They enjoy being with their friends. Pupils comment that teachers are ‘kind’ and help them to develop strategies to cope with their emotions and mental health. They know who their ‘trusted adult’ is and who to go to if they are worried. Parents feel that staff are ‘compassionate, helpful and understanding’.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They are polite and friendly. All adults in school consistently apply the behaviour policy. Pupils who need additional support to manage their behaviour are well supported.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers support pupils in developing their character and to make informed choices about their behaviour. Bullying is rare. Pupils feel that adults help them to learn from their mistakes. As one pupil commented, ‘They help us for next time.’

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

At lunchtime, pupils enjoy den building and making music. Pupils, regardless of age, are given responsibilities so that they can help each other to understand the ‘Outwoods way’.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that ‘it’s good to be green’, and they enjoy the many reward systems leaders offer.

p.1

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

The new leadership team has prioritised developing teachers’ understanding of how to support pupils’ learning over time. Leaders have reviewed many of the policies and procedures at the school. This includes revising curriculum plans in most subjects.

p.1

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

A new reading programme has been implemented. Leaders are supporting all staff to ensure that the new system is used effectively. They have ensured that all staff have received training in the new programme. Pupils receive reading books that are well matched to their ability. Regular checks are made to find out what pupils at the early stages of reading have remembered. 12 and 13 October 2021

p.1

2

Leaders have made changes to the way teachers plan for mathematics. As a result, teachers sequence lessons to help pupils build on what the already know. Teachers make regular checks to ensure that pupils know facts and strategies in mathematics. Pupils commented on how they learn from errors they make in their work.

p.2

2

Leaders have started to review subject plans in other curriculum subject areas. Nevertheless, the knowledge pupils need to learn is not broken down into precise steps. Leaders have not ensured that all curriculum plans detail the knowledge of how pupils will get better at a subject. For example, in history, curriculum plans do not show how pupils will get better at using sources of evidence. Also, how different historians interpret the past.

p.2

2

The early years environment is welcoming. Children enjoy using the wide variety of resources on offer. Adults work with parents to consider their child’s interests as part of the curriculum. However, clear routines have not been established to help children who are at an earlier stage in their communication or personal, social and emotional development. This is limiting their ability to catch up quickly.

p.2

2

Leaders make adaptations to the environment and curriculum to ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are included in all aspects of school life. The new special educational needs and disabilities coordinator (SENDCo) is currently reviewing procedures to ensure that all SEND pupils receive a curriculum that helps them to know and remember more.

p.2

2

Leaders strive to ensure that all pupils attend school every day. Systems are in place to make checks on pupils who are absent. Pupils’ attendance rates have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, leaders, including governors, have not ensured that some disadvantaged pupils and those at the early stages of reading attend school regularly.

p.2

2

Pupils learn about physical health and making healthy food choices. Leaders ensure that the use of visitors and educational visits support pupils’ understanding of life in modern Britain. The curriculum helps pupils develop an understanding of relationships, difference and diversity.

p.2

2

Teachers appreciate efforts made by leaders to manage and reduce their workload. They are given extra time to help them develop expertise in different subject areas. Teachers say they are proud to work at the school.

p.2

2

In discussion with the headteacher, the inspector agreed that early years, attendance and curriculum planning may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 12 and 13 October 2021

p.2

3

Leaders carry out the right checks on staff before they start to work at the school. All staff receive training and regular updates on safeguarding. Leaders ensure that all staff remain vigilant to concerns around pupils’ welfare. Staff know how to report concerns. Leaders respond to concerns quickly and work with external agencies to provide support for pupils and families who may need it.

p.3

3

Leaders plan a curriculum that helps pupils to understand risks when learning online. The curriculum is adapted to meet any emerging needs that may arise linked to pupils’ welfare.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Disadvantaged pupils and pupils who are at the early stages of reading do not attend school regularly enough. This means that pupils are missing too much of the curriculum, and this is leading to gaps in their knowledge. Leaders should identify pupils at risk of being persistently absent at an earlier stage and work closely with parents to overcome barriers to securing pupils’ attendance.  Further work is needed to ensure that curriculum plans break down knowledge into small steps. Plans do not show how pupils will acquire specific technical knowledge in order to improve their understanding of the practices of the subject. Therefore, pupils, including SEND pupils, do not receive precisely focused teaching that enables them to know more and remember more as they progress through the school. Leaders should ensure that all curriculum plans set out both the substantive and technical knowledge pupils need to know, from the early years to Year 6.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In the early years, clear expectations and routines have not been established. This means that children do not develop their personal, social and emotional skills, and language knowledge, quickly. Leaders in the early years should ensure that routines support all pupils to engage in activities that develop their concentration, curiosity and enjoyment in meaningful ways so that children are ready for the next stage in their education.

p.3

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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

p.3

Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Outwoods Edge Community school, to be good in June 2016. 12 and 13 October 2021

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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 are the school and you are 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. 12 and 13 October 2021

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10199896 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 30 June 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 This is a larger than average-sized primary school.  Since the last inspection, a new headteacher has been appointed. The deputy head teacher is new to the school and the SENDCo took up their role in September 2021. A new leadership structure has been established.  The governing body has experienced a significant number of changes in membership since the last inspection.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school has received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their school evaluation.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, governors, curriculum leaders and teachers. Meetings were also held with the SENDCo and the early years leader.  Deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history were completed. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at 12 and 13 October 2021

p.5

6

samples of pupils’ work. The inspector listened to pupils read. Curriculum plans for geography and art were also sampled.

p.6

6

 Information on attendance, behaviour logs and safeguarding records were analysed. Meetings with leaders and different staff across the school were held to discuss the safeguarding of pupils.

p.6

6

 Pupil behaviour was considered at various times of day, including lunchtime and during the breakfast club.  Views of parents, pupils and staff, shared through the Ofsted surveys, were considered. This was alongside other evidence gathered by meeting parents during the inspection.

p.6

Inspection team

Shaheen Hussain, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 12 and 13 October 2021

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