Woolsery Primary School

Inspection of Woolsery Primary School Woolsery, Bideford, Devon EX39 5QS

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 21 and 22 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils talk about how much they love coming to school. They have positive attitudes to learning and value the family ethos that leaders create. Pupils feel safe. They conduct themselves well. Pupils say that staff are quick to address any behaviour that disturbs their learning. Pupils meet the high expectations staff have because they know staff want the very best for them, academically and in their wider development.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kind and friendly. They support and encourage each other. Staff model how to show consideration for the needs of others. Pupils aim to do this and make sure everyone feels part of the ‘family’. Many parents and carers recognise and appreciate this. They commend the care and nurture that staff provide so that their children are ready to learn. Pupils have no concerns about bullying. They say everyone gets on well. Pupils have confidence that staff will respond quickly to any worries they share.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a variety of opportunities to develop their independence and resilience. They value the responsibilities they hold, such as pupil voice representatives, ‘sports crew’ and ‘reading monitors’. These roles strengthen pupils’ character in their active participation as members of the school community.

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better?

Leaders have an ambitious curriculum for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This starts in the early years, where leaders ensure that children get off to a good start. The curriculum, from Nursery through to Reception, is well thought out. It provides the building blocks for later learning. Children know the routines and expectations to follow. Staff model and communicate these well. Children ‘play to learn’ and tackle, with enthusiasm, the weekly challenges that staff set. This increases their independence and decision- making skills. Staff work alongside children to encourage their problem-solving and imaginative play. They ask children purposeful questions about their learning. As a result, children develop their vocabulary and language skills well.

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better?

Pupils are keen to do their best. They concentrate and apply themselves well to their learning. However, some subjects in the wider curriculum are not as well established as reading and mathematics. Leaders, including those responsible for governance, do not have a fully accurate view of pupils’ wider education. Initially, their focus has been on the core subjects. When improving the wider curriculum, leaders are aware of the need to strengthen pupils’ awareness of world religions and different cultures.

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better?

Leaders have taken swift and effective action in response to the most recent published outcomes. The changes have made a significant impact in a short space of time. Despite this, some subject leaders do not make the most effective use of the information that is available to them through their checking and evaluation. They do not always make the necessary improvements in their areas of responsibility. 21 and 22 March 2023

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Staff deliver the phonics programme with accuracy. Children start to learn phonics when they start Nursery. Leaders ensure that this prepares them well for their learning in Reception. Staff quickly identify pupils who need extra help to keep up. They check how pupils progress through the phonics programme. As a result, pupils develop into confident and fluent readers. Pupils read books from a range of authors and genres. They read widely and often and enjoy having books read to them.

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Pupils value the difference they make through the pupil voice groups. This increases their ability to become active citizens as they move into their next stages of education. Pupils show tolerance and inclusive views in some of their understanding of diversity and equality. They are not as secure in their knowledge of different religions and different cultures or what is important to people who are part of them. Leaders know that this will develop as they strengthen the wider curriculum. Pupils take part in a range of extra-curricular clubs and represent the school at sports events. This develops their character, confidence and teamwork skills.

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Governors have prioritised important areas when federating with two other schools. In spite of this, some areas of the curriculum are not yet planned well enough. Staff value the support that leaders give them while going through a period of change. Staff invest in making sure pupils achieve the very best.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff are vigilant to signs that a child is at risk of harm. Safeguarding is kept as a priority through regular training and updates. Staff know their responsibilities to keep pupils safe. Leaders act at the earliest indication of a concern to prevent incidents escalating. Where it is appropriate, they seek advice and support from external professionals.

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Safeguarding

Leaders check that adults are suitable to work with children. However, there were some minor gaps in the recording of information. Leaders quickly addressed this.

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Safeguarding

The school has suitable policies in place to raise awareness among staff and parents about the dangers of sexual harassment, online sexual abuse and sexual violence.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Governors have not focused enough attention on the quality of education across the wider curriculum. As a result, they are not able to hold leaders to account effectively. Leaders, including those responsible for governance, must prioritise the development of the wider curriculum to ensure that the necessary 21 and 22 March 2023

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improvements bring it in line with other subjects where pupils learn more successfully.  Some subject leaders do not have a fully accurate and informed overview of their areas of responsibility. Consequently, pupils do not know and remember more in parts of the curriculum. Senior leaders should ensure that they provide the necessary support to subject leaders to increase their expertise so that pupils learn more successfully.

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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 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10228003 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 8 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has recently federated with two local schools to form the Village Schools Partnership. The federation shares an executive headteacher and a governing body.  The school continues to be part of the Atlantic Coast Co-operative Trust.  The school has provision in the pre-school for two-, three- and four-year-olds.  The school 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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the 21 and 22 March 2023

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curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors spoke to leaders and teachers about the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors spoke with school leaders, subject leaders, pupils, governors and a representative from the local authority.  An inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult.  To evaluate safeguarding, an inspector spoke to members of the safeguarding team, including the designated safeguarding leader (who is the executive headteacher). Inspectors spoke with staff, governors and pupils, and evaluated record-keeping and staff training.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, and free-text comments. They evaluated responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Leanne Thirlby, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Anne Hutchinson Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 March 2023

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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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