Windale Primary School

Inspection of Windale Primary School Windale Avenue, Oxford OX4 6JD

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 September 2022

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 21 and 22 September 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this nurturing and inclusive school. Leaders are passionate about enabling all pupils to live out the school motto, ‘Aim high - be the best you can be’. Leaders’ ambition is for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to learn the skills they need to make a positive difference to society both now and in the future.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders consistently promote high levels of respect. Adults model respectful behaviour across the school, and pupils learn helpful sentences to use when resolving conflicts. Leaders ensure that all pupils know what bullying is and what to do if they are being bullied. On the rare occasions that bullying happens, leaders use a variety of strategies to ensure that it is dealt with effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders aim for all pupils to develop as highly respectful citizens. Leaders want pupils to recognise the value of serving the community they live in. All pupils learn to make a real difference in their locality by designing and carrying out high-quality community improvement work. For example, pupils have recently created a service pledge to plant a community garden, build animal homes to protect wildlife and volunteer at the local food bank.

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better?

Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum which identifies the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn right from the start of Nursery. Leaders refer to this knowledge as ‘Golden Nuggets’. Teachers know exactly what to teach in all subjects so that pupils learn important knowledge and skills. In lessons, teachers present information clearly, using subject-specific language. All pupils, including those with SEND, are supported effectively to learn the curriculum.

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better?

Overall, pupils in all year groups achieve well. The tasks that teachers set help pupils to learn new content securely. In most lessons, teachers plan activities that help pupils to make connections between topics and remember their learning. For example, in religious education, pupils learning about Sikhism could explain how previous learning about Christianity and Buddhism was helping them to make sense of the Sikh religion. In the early years, adults support children to develop socially and emotionally as well as academically. For example, children learn about the social aspects of mealtimes through sitting at the table to eat snacks together.

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better?

However, teachers do not always support pupils to deepen their understanding across the whole curriculum. This is because teachers’ knowledge of how to strengthen and deepen pupils’ understanding in subjects is variable. For example, in physical education (PE), pupils do not always learn detailed knowledge of the rules and strategies of individual sports. In mathematics, some pupils are not supported as well as they might be to explain their mathematical thinking precisely. 21 and 22 September 2022

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Leaders prioritise the teaching of reading. They want to inspire pupils to love reading. Teachers use carefully chosen, high-quality texts to teach comprehension and extend pupils’ vocabulary. Leaders have introduced a phonics programme to support pupils at the early stages of learning to read. While this is generally taught well, there is variability in the quality of extra support that some pupils receive. Also, some phonics teaching is not as sharply focused as it could be. However, leaders know exactly what they need to do to iron out these inconsistencies.

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Leaders’ have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Relationships between adults and pupils are strong. Children learn consistent routines right from the start of Nursery. Behaviour in lessons and on the playground is calm and respectful. Most pupils listen and respond to each other well when taking part in group conversations. Where behaviour falls short of leaders’ high expectations, pupils are quick to recognise this and readily admit their mistakes.

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Opportunities to promote pupils’ wider development are extensive. Pupils experience a carefully planned, bespoke curriculum that builds life skills and knowledge of the wider world. Leaders teach pupils to be resilient to setbacks and give them strategies for managing conflict. Pupils enjoy attending the many extra-curricular clubs, including gardening, gymnastics, storytelling and construction. Leaders make the most of community partnerships to ensure every pupil has the opportunity to learn a musical instrument. In addition, well-planned visits to local museums such as the Ashmolean and Oxford Castle, and further afield to London, really broaden pupils’ understanding of the world around them.

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Leaders and those responsible for governance work well together to continue to improve the school. Staff are highly positive about the school. All staff feel well supported to do their job effectively, to help all pupils learn and achieve.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established a strong culture of vigilance. They put the needs of pupils first and always seek to act in pupils’ best interests. Leaders have clear processes to record incidents and to identify pupils at risk of harm. They deal with concerns swiftly to ensure that pupils and their families get the help and support they need. Leaders readily seek advice and support from other professionals when necessary.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, both online and in the local community. Pupils are confident that they have trusted adults in school to speak to if they are worried or upset.

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 Teachers’ knowledge of how to strengthen and deepen pupils’ understanding in all subjects is not as detailed as it could be across the curriculum. This means that teachers do not consistently challenge pupils in a way that enables them to achieve highly. Leaders should continue to deepen teachers’ subject and pedagogical content knowledge in all subjects so that they can support pupils to achieve highly.  Early reading is taught effectively overall. There are, however, some inconsistencies in how well some pupils are supported to learn to read. This means that some pupils do not learn to read quickly enough. Leaders should ensure that these inconsistencies are ironed out so that all pupils learn to read confidently and fluently as quickly as possible.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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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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. 21 and 22 September 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10241592 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

 Windale Primary School is an average-sized primary school.  The school is part of the United Learning multi-academy trust.  There is an on-site nursery which includes places for two-year-olds.  The school currently does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school 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.  During the inspection, the inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders and a regional director from the multi-academy trust. The lead inspector also met with members of the local governing body, including the chair of governors, and with a member of the board of trustees. 21 and 22 September 2022

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 The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, PE and religious education. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors reviewed the arrangements for safeguarding by scrutinising safeguarding records and interviewing staff, and through discussions with pupils.  The views of parents and carers were considered through their responses to Ofsted Parent View. Further views of pupils and staff were gathered through surveys, interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection.  The inspectors reviewed a range of the school’s documents, including self- evaluation reports, minutes of governing body meetings and behaviour incident logs.

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Inspection team

Sue Keeling, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jo Brinkley His Majesty’s Inspector 21 and 22 September 2022

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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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