Woodston Primary School

Inspection of Woodston Primary School Celta Road, Woodston, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE2 9ER

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 3 and 4 July 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Woodston Primary come from diverse backgrounds and faiths but see themselves as one big family. They value difference and treat each other as they would want to be treated.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning and like the wide range of subjects they study. They are eager to work hard and participate enthusiastically in lessons. Pupils achieve well in a wide range of subjects by the end of Year 6.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have opportunities to share ideas with each other, for example during ‘Language Ambassador’ assemblies, where pupils share information about their languages and cultures. Pupils are respectful. They want to listen to what others are saying. They are happy that their beliefs and opinions are valued. However, they would like more clubs to be available to pursue their interests and develop their talents.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. They know that learning mentors will support them if they are struggling with home or school life. Pupils do not tolerate bullying or unkind behaviour. If it happens, pupils know that leaders will resolve it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop positive relationships with each other and with staff. Pupils respond positively to leaders’ high expectations of behaviour and the clear routines that are in place.

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better?

Leaders have constructed a curriculum that offers a broad and interesting education. It provides opportunities for pupils to link what they learn both to their own community and more widely. In most subjects, teachers plan sequences of lessons to build upon what pupils know and can do. This helps pupils make connections with what they have learned before. Most are confident asking and answering challenging questions. Teachers can spot pupils who find learning tricky and ensure they get the help they need to catch up. As a result, pupils achieve well overall.

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better?

In a few subjects, leaders’ curriculum plans are newer, and teachers are still getting used to them. In these subjects, teachers are still developing their subject knowledge so that they can teach them confidently. Their checks on pupils’ learning in these subjects are less effective.

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better?

Leaders have prioritised reading. Children begin learning to read as soon as they start in Reception. Staff model high-quality language for children. Opportunities to sing and rhyme help children to further develop their vocabulary. Older pupils read books matched to the sounds they know. This helps to improve their accuracy and confidence as readers. Teachers ensure that pupils understand what they are reading. Leaders carefully select stories and novels to promote a love of reading. 3 and 4 July 2023

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Pupils speak enthusiastically about the books they read together in lessons and what they learn from them.

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Leaders help staff to adapt activities for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and or/disabilities (SEND) and those who have gaps in their knowledge. This helps pupils with SEND to make strong progress in the learning and independence they need to work well.

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Pupils participate eagerly with learning in class and cooperate well. No learning time is wasted. Older pupils are excellent role models for others. Pupils play well together at break and lunchtimes. Staff apply the behaviour policy consistently, and pupils respond to it very well. Pupils who need help to manage their feelings are supported to do so by the high-quality pastoral care provided by staff.

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Children in the early years learn routines and independence right from the start. This helps them to make a strong start to school. Children are ready for learning as they move to Year 1.

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Leaders promote pupils’ wider personal development effectively. Pupils speak passionately about their personal, social, health and economic lessons and how they learn about relationships, health and well-being and living in the wider world. Pupils understand democracy and practise it by voting for pupil leadership positions in the school.

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Leaders provide frequent visits that add to pupils’ learning and provide new experiences. For example, children visit a local farm in their Reception Year. Pupils visit places of worship when learning about different religions. Opportunities to visit theatres and attend local and national singing events allow pupils to perform in public and build their confidence. However, some parents do not know enough about these opportunities. Some pupils would like more trips and clubs in order to pursue their interests.

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The trust and governors know the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They work well with school leaders to ensure continuous improvement. Staff are very positive about the leadership of the school. They appreciate that leaders consider staff well-being and workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders complete all required pre-employment checks and record them accurately. Staff know how and when to report concerns. They are trained to recognise when pupils may be at risk of harm. Leaders record in detail actions taken to keep pupils safe and the reasons for these. They engage with other professionals promptly to get the support that pupils need. 3 and 4 July 2023

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Pupils understand how to keep safe. This includes when they are online. Pupils know who to talk to in school if they have concerns or worries.

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Trustees check and hold leaders to account for safeguarding procedures in the school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders provide a range of trips and visits, but some parents do not know about these and how they contribute to pupils’ wider personal development. Pupils do not have access to a range of extra-curricular clubs and activities that reflect their interests. This means pupils are less able to pursue or develop new interests. Leaders should ensure that they communicate effectively to parents so that they understand how trips provided contribute to pupils’ wider development. Leaders should ensure that the range of extra-curricular clubs and activities offered reflect pupils’ interests.  In a small number of subjects, for example languages, leaders have introduced improved curriculum plans. Teachers lack subject knowledge and are not as confident or effective in delivering lessons and supporting pupils’ learning in these subjects as they are in other subjects. Leaders must ensure that staff have the subject knowledge and expertise needed to deliver the curriculum effectively and

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

consistently in all of the subjects they teach.

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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. 3 and 4 July 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268515 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

 There is a breakfast club and an after-school club for pupils on site run by the school.  The school does not currently 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, geography, modern foreign languages and religious education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector listened to pupils read with a familiar 3 and 4 July 2023

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member of staff. Inspectors also reviewed curriculum plans and visited some lessons for history, computing and music.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors scrutinised safeguarding policies, the school’s record of background checks of adults at the school, and a sample of child protection files. Inspectors also spoke with governors, the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and a deputy DSL, a representative from the local authority and staff about safeguarding practices at the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, executive deputy headteacher, directors of learning, the early years leader, the special educational needs coordinator, subject leaders, staff, governors, trustees, pupils, and the trust’s chief executive officer.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including behaviour logs, bullying records, attendance records, pupil records, minutes of governing body meetings,

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monitoring reports, school development plans and school policies.  There were 51 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, which were considered. Inspectors also spoke with parents at the school gate in the morning.  There were no responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for pupils. Inspectors spoke with pupils throughout the inspection to gather their views.  There were 47 responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for school staff. Inspectors also met with staff throughout the inspection to gather their views.

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Inspection team

Bridget Harrison, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Charlie Fordham His Majesty’s Inspector 3 and 4 July 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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