The Willow Primary School

Inspection of an outstanding school: The Willow Primary School Adams Road, Tottenham, London N17 6HW

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Outcome

The Willow Primary School continues to be an outstanding school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have created a fully inclusive environment where all pupils are supported to thrive and do their best. The Willow values of ‘positive relationships, diversity and equity, excellence, wellness and community’ are put into practice in every aspect of leaders’ and staff’s work. Pupils are supported to live these values through their kindness towards, and celebration of, each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high academic expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Parents and carers, staff and pupils work as a team to realise those expectations. All pupils study a broad and rich curriculum. Across a range of subjects, they achieve highly and remember knowledge securely and in depth.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is highly positive and allows them to learn well in lessons. This is because leaders have designed a fair and appropriate behaviour policy, which focuses on helping pupils reflect on and learn from their mistakes. The teaching of positive behaviour sits alongside the teaching of the academic curriculum. As a result, everyone understands how the school’s approach supports pupils to behave well. Staff rarely need to use any sanctions or remind pupils about how to behave.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the early years to the end of Year 6, pupils enjoy learning at the Willow immensely. Pupils are kept safe, and they feel well supported and cared for by staff.

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

All pupils, including children in the early years, study a broad and balanced curriculum. The subject content taught is ambitious in both its breadth and depth. Senior and subject leaders ensure that all staff receive extensive training to strengthen their expertise. This means that the curriculum is delivered precisely.

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

Pupils are expertly supported to become keen and confident learners. Teachers make sure that pupils revisit and practise previous learning often. This supports pupils very well in 28 and 29 March 2023

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developing their understanding. Pupils master the knowledge taught in a subject, including in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Last year, pupils’ outcomes in national assessments were not as strong as leaders expected. Leaders identified the reasons for this, including which aspects of pupils’ learning were most affected by the pandemic. Working closely with staff, leaders have taken effective steps to strengthen pupils’ learning. This includes refining the curriculum to swiftly address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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Leaders have thought carefully about how the curriculum prepares pupils for each stage of their learning journey, from the early years to Year 6. They have made astute decisions about at which points pupils will learn key knowledge and how they will do this. For example, in the Reception Year, children begin learning about maps. They build on this when learning more about the wider world in geography in Years 1 and 2. By the time pupils reach Year 6, they have acquired a deep and connected body of knowledge. This means that they are ready to explore more complex ideas in a subject, such as learning about the effects of tourism in geography.

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Leaders and teachers use carefully selected assessment approaches to ensure that they are aware of what pupils know. This allows them to provide pupils with well-targeted support and adaptations to learn the intended curriculum.

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Reading is prioritised from when children enter school on their first day. Leaders and staff place reading at the heart of the curriculum. They make sure that any pupil who falls behind is helped to quickly catch up. All staff receive regular training to ensure that they have the expertise to teach pupils how to read. This ensures that the phonics programme is delivered consistently well and with precision. Throughout the school, reading and speaking skills are prioritised. For example, pupils understand that they should use whole sentences when asking and answering questions. Leaders ensure that pupils are exposed to a rich range of prose and poetry. Pupils relish their daily story times, which provide a calm and engaging environment for them to explore books and authors.

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Pupils with SEND are identified promptly. Additional support focuses on enabling pupils to fully access the curriculum. Leaders work closely with parents to ensure that any additional approaches enable pupils to not only learn successfully, but also be fully included in school life.

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Pupils’ behaviour is excellent, both inside and outside of lessons. Pupils work well together and readily help each other out with their learning.

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All pupils have opportunities to lead. For example, members of the eco-council spoke about their work to help reduce energy use at school. Leaders ensure that all pupils receive a rich extra-curricular experience. This includes a wide range of educational trips. The whole-school community, including many parents and grandparents, particularly look forward to the annual trip to Walton-on-the-Naze. These experiences are planned to help pupils to develop into polite and confident young people. 28 and 29 March 2023

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The governing body focuses on ensuring that leaders and teachers deliver a cohesive and ambitious curriculum to all pupils at the school.

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Governors also work closely with leaders to ensure that staff workload and well-being are considered in decision-making.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, including governors, have ensured that there is a thorough and rigorous approach to safeguarding. They think carefully about the actions needed to ensure that pupils are kept safe, both in and out of school.

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Safeguarding

Training for staff is comprehensive. This means that staff are vigilant and know how to spot and report concerns. Staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities. They make appropriate referrals, and these are acted on effectively by leaders.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum for personal, social and health education covers a range of appropriate topics which focus on helping pupils to learn about staying safe.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. 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 outstanding in May 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.

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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. 28 and 29 March 2023

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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. 28 and 29 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255426 Type of school Primary

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provision

Appropriate authority The governing body

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provision

Date of previous inspection 18 and 19 May 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is part of a federation with a special school and a children’s centre. These schools share a governing body.  Leaders do not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection that the school has received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with senior leaders, including the headteacher. He also met with the chair, other members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  The inspection included deep dives in these subjects: early reading, geography and mathematics. The inspector discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited lessons, 28 and 29 March 2023

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reviewed pupils’ work, met with pupils to discuss their learning, and met with subject leaders and teachers.  The inspector also visited lessons and reviewed pupils’ work for some other subjects.  Through discussions with leaders, governors, pupils and staff, the inspector considered how effectively pupils are safeguarded. The inspector also looked at records related to safeguarding, including records of checks carried out before staff are appointed.  The inspector met with pupils to discuss aspects of safeguarding. He spoke to pupils during lesson visits. The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at break and lunchtimes. The inspector spoke to staff about behaviour and about their workload in the school.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, pupils and staff.

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Inspection team

Luke Stubbles, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 28 and 29 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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