Woodheys Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Woodheys Primary School Meadway, Woodheys Primary School, Sale, Cheshire M33 4PG

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 December 2022

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Outcome

Woodheys Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The pupils, and children in the early years, at Woodheys Primary School are keen, happy learners. They arrive at school enthusiastic for the day ahead. Their positive attitudes towards fellow pupils, and towards staff, create a typically calm, purposeful learning environment. Pupils said that they feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for pupils’ achievement. They are ambitious for what pupils, and children in the early years, can and should achieve across a range of subjects. Pupils respond well to leaders’ expectations. As a result, pupils achieve well. Children in the early years are suitably prepared for the demands of Year 1.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is a strength of the school. Leaders and teachers expect pupils and children to behave very well. Pupils are polite and courteous to all members of the school community. They treat everyone in the increasingly diverse school community with respect.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders deal well with bullying. The pupils who spoke to the inspector have a thorough understanding of what constitutes bullying.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They value the many opportunities that they have to take on positions of responsibility, such as by becoming sports leaders or members of the communication team. Pupils extend their learning beyond the academic curriculum. For example, they have cooking lessons, which help them understand about nutrition and the importance of eating a healthy diet.

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

Leaders have established a well-ordered and well-designed curriculum from the early years to key stage 2. The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including children in the early years. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from the same well-devised curriculum. 13 and 14 December 2022

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Across the school, leaders have set out the important knowledge that they wish pupils to learn. This includes subject-specific vocabulary. Teachers deliver the curriculum consistently well. As a result, many pupils develop a deep understanding of many of the subjects that they study. Teachers select appropriate activities to help pupils, and children in the early years, to learn the curriculum. Overall, pupils and children achieve well.

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In most subjects, teachers regularly check how well pupils have learned and remembered essential knowledge. However, in a few subjects, teachers do not identify or address gaps in pupils’ learning sufficiently well. Consequently, a few pupils develop occasional misconceptions and misunderstandings.

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Leaders and teachers prioritise reading well. They ensure that pupils learn to read as soon as possible. For example, children begin to read in the Nursery class by learning initial sounds. Teachers regularly check that pupils are keeping up with the reading curriculum. They make sure that pupils who have caught up do not fall behind again. Staff have been well trained to deliver the phonics programme. Pupils talked passionately about their enjoyment of reading. They said that they love reading and it is clear that many pupils read widely and often. As they move up the school, most pupils become accurate, fluent and confident readers.

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Children in the early years, including those in the Nursery class, settle into routines quickly. They learn to take turns and they share equipment well. This positive start continues as they move through the school. Pupils display positive attitudes to learning. No lessons are disrupted by pupils who are not doing the work which staff have set for them. Pupils are considerate of each other and they have positive attitudes to learning.

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Leaders’ work to enhance pupils’ personal development is strong. Teachers make sure that pupils have plentiful opportunities to learn about the different life experiences of their friends. For example, pupils spoke to the inspector with a deep understanding and an appreciation of different foods in different cultures. A well-developed relationships education programme helps pupils to learn and appreciate that many different types of family make up the world in which they are growing up. Leaders and teachers make sure that they enrich the curriculum through an extensive range of visits and experiences. This includes visits to local parks and historic buildings, which add to pupils’ learning and understanding of the academic curriculum. Leaders are mindful of making sure that all pupils have the same opportunities, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND.

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Leaders identify pupils with SEND early and accurately. They ensure that swift guidance helps children and pupils to learn well. Leaders work with numerous outside agencies to make sure that children and pupils with SEND receive the timely extra support that they need.

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Leaders ensure that pupils receive an effective quality of education. Staff value the support that leaders provide and they said that leaders take account of their workload and well-being when making decisions. Those parents and carers who responded to Ofsted Parent View wrote positively about the improvements that have been made to the 13 and 14 December 2022

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curriculum under the current leadership. Governors understand what the school does well and what improvements need to be made. They hold leaders to account effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Staff know pupils well. Pupils told the inspector that they can tell their worries to any adult in school.

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Safeguarding

Adults are well trained to spot any potential signs of harm or neglect. Staff make timely referrals to leaders, who take appropriate action. Leaders work with several external agencies to ensure that pupils are kept safe.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn to keep themselves safe, including online and in the local community.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a minority of subjects, teachers do not check sufficiently well if pupils have learned and remembered the essential knowledge contained within the curriculum. Consequently, some pupils occasionally develop misconceptions and misunderstandings. Across all subjects, leaders should ensure that teachers identify and address any deficits in pupils’ knowledge and remedy any misunderstandings.

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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 an ungraded inspection and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2017.

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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. 13 and 14 December 2022

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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. 13 and 14 December 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10240665 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 20 and 21 June 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has appointed a new headteacher since the previous inspection.  Leaders do not make use of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. He met with a range of leaders who are responsible for the school’s pastoral system and the school’s personal development programmes.  The inspector met with a group of governors and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, visited lessons, 13 and 14 December 2022

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talked to pupils and looked at pupils’ work. He also reviewed other subjects in the curriculum.  The lead inspector observed adults reading with some pupils in Years 1 to 3.  The inspector reviewed leaders’ policies and procedures to keep pupils safe. He discussed safeguarding arrangements with leaders and staff.  The inspector took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff and pupils.  The inspector met with parents at the start of the school day. He took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Stuart Perkins, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 13 and 14 December 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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