Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School Ashton Road, Woodhouses, Failsworth, Manchester M35 9WL

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Outcome

Woodhouses Voluntary Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this happy, friendly and welcoming school. They say that they are safe and make friends quickly. Parents and carers say that they value the small, family feel of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and welcoming to visitors. They consistently behave well and play cooperatively with their peers during breaktimes. Pupils understand what bullying is but say that it rarely happens. Pupils are confident that staff would deal with any issues promptly and fairly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for pupils’ learning. Pupils rise to these expectations. They work hard in lessons and achieve well. Pupils support each other to do their best. They say that their teachers give them the help that they need to thrive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in a wide range of sporting activities throughout the year, such as football, rounders and archery. They are proud of their achievements in many tournaments.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the responsibilities that leaders give them. For example, they can become a ‘head of family’. These pupils work closely with their school ‘family’ to support local and global charities, including Oldham Foodbank. Pupils model the school’s Christian values through their work to support others.

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

Leaders have improved the school’s curriculum. The curriculum is well organised, broad and ambitious. Leaders have ensured that the curriculum for children in the early years prepares them well for learning in Year 1.

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

Leaders and staff want the very best for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils understand what is expected of them. 13 October 2021

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Leaders have made sure that pupils learn the knowledge they need to succeed in the majority of subjects. Staff ensure that pupils revisit this knowledge often. This means that pupils remember more over time. For example, in mathematics, pupils regularly practise their mental arithmetic skills. In physical education, pupils have plenty of opportunities to develop their fundamental movement skills. Teachers introduce pupils to new learning at the right time.

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In a small number of subjects, leaders have received less subject-specific training in the last year than would normally be the case. They have also not been able to check how well teachers are delivering the curriculum. Leaders have put plans in place to return to the usual cycle of checks on the delivery of the curriculum.

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Leaders have promoted a love of reading throughout the school. Pupils enjoy story times and they speak knowledgeably about a range of authors. They begin to learn to read as soon as they start school. The phonics curriculum is a strength. Leaders quickly identify pupils who are at risk of falling behind and pupils get the right support to catch up. Leaders’ curriculum plans for reading are detailed and this enables pupils to develop into confident, fluent readers. However, leaders have not thought carefully about how pupils will develop their comprehension knowledge over time.

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Pupils with SEND are well supported. Leaders work closely with teachers and external agencies to provide any additional support that these pupils need to access the curriculum. Leaders challenge the local authority to ensure that pupils who need help get this in a timely manner.

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Relationships between staff and pupils are supportive and respectful. Pupils are keen to learn. There is very little behaviour that distracts pupils from their work. Leaders have provided staff with suitable behaviour management training. Staff are therefore able to act quickly to support pupils who need additional support with their behaviour.

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Leaders provide a range of opportunities that further enhance the curriculum. For example, pupils benefit from a range of visits and visitors, including a recent Victorian school day. This deepened pupils’ understanding of the past. Pupils develop their leadership skills as school councillors. Pupils vote to elect their councillor, and this improves their understanding of democracy.

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Governors want the school to be the best it can be. They support and challenge leaders well to achieve this aim. Staff are highly appreciative of leaders’ focus on their well-being and workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff receive regular, effective training about safeguarding. Staff know what to look out for and when to report any concerns. They understand the importance of being vigilant and reporting concerns quickly. When needed, leaders take swift action to get pupils and their families the help that they need. 13 October 2021

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The curriculum provides pupils with many opportunities to learn how to stay safe. Pupils can become digital leaders. These pupils promote online safety to their peers. Pupils learn how to stay safe around water in their swimming lessons. They also learn what a good friend is, and about healthy relationships.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not ensured that reading curriculum plans show precisely how pupils’ comprehension knowledge will develop over time. This means that pupils are not always able to build on what they have learned previously. Leaders must strengthen the reading curriculum plans. This will ensure that teachers know the precise steps in comprehension that pupils need to remember more.  In a minority of subjects, subject leaders have not had recent training. This means they do not have the subject-specific knowledge they need to check precisely how well pupils are learning or to provide suitable support to their colleagues. Leaders’ monitoring plans have been hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. They must now ensure that subject leaders are suitably equipped to lead and monitor their areas of responsibility.

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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 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.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2016.

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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.

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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 . 13 October 2021

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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. 13 October 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10199869 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 to 22 June 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, there have been several changes to staffing. This includes the appointment of a new executive headteacher and a deputy headteacher.  Four new governors have recently joined the governing body.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school has received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors completed deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and physical education. They met with subject leaders, visited lessons, reviewed pupils’ work and spoke to teachers and pupils. The lead inspector also listened to pupils reading.  Inspectors also considered other subjects, including science and art and design. They met with subject leaders, reviewed pupils’ work and evaluated curriculum plans. 13 October 2021

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 Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation. They spoke to the executive headteacher and senior leaders throughout the inspection. An inspector met with the special educational needs coordinator.  The lead inspector met remotely with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. He spoke on the telephone to a representative of the diocese and met with a representative of the local authority.  The lead inspector held meetings with the staff responsible for safeguarding. An inspector checked the single central record. Inspectors considered leaders’ safeguarding processes and questioned staff’s understanding of these procedures. Inspectors observed pupils during playtimes and lunchtimes. Inspectors also discussed safeguarding with pupils.  Inspectors considered 35 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, including 28 free-text comments. Inspectors also considered two responses to the staff

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Inspection team

Adam Sproston, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

David Deane OBE Ofsted Inspector 13 October 2021

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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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