Woodside Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Woodside Primary School Denehurst, Ruardean Woodside, Ruardean, Gloucestershire GL17 9XP

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Outcome

Woodside Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff at Woodside Primary School have strong, respectful relationships. Staff know pupils well. Pupils talk to staff if they have a problem because they know they will get support. Pupils understand the school values that teach the importance of respect for other people.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils. Consistent routines ensure that the school is a calm and purposeful place. Pupils have positive attitudes and are keen to engage in learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe at school. They behave well. Bullying is rare. If it happens, most parents and pupils are confident that teachers and leaders will deal with it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy educational visits and visitors to the school that broaden their knowledge. For instance, they learn about the Stone Age through a hunter-gatherer walk in the local forest. Pupils develop their talents and interests, with many taking part in school plays and a national choir event. While pupils enjoy attending clubs such as construction and sports clubs, opportunities for pupils’ wider development are more limited.

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

Leaders have set out clearly what pupils should learn in different subjects. The curriculum is well sequenced across all year groups. For example, learning in Year 1 builds on what has happened in the early years. New knowledge is broken down into small steps so that pupils can build on what they have already learned.

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

The curriculum is underpinned by ‘golden threads’, such as diversity and vocabulary. These link to the school values and are woven through the curriculum. For example, children learn about diversity through carefully chosen texts in reading. Teachers explain the meaning of new words. This means that pupils build their language and vocabulary well. 18 July 2023

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Leaders are passionate that pupils will experience a rich and detailed curriculum. They have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils rise to these expectations. This can be seen in the high-quality work that pupils produce.

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Leaders check on the quality of education that pupils receive. As a result, they have an accurate view of the strengths and areas for development. They ensure the curriculum is taught well. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They provide clear explanations so that pupils secure new skills and knowledge. Pupils revisit their learning so that they recall important content. Pupils remember their learning well. For example, they talk about the diet of Iron Age people in detail.

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All pupils learn a broad and balanced curriculum. However, pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to put into practice the personal and social skills they are taught. There are few opportunities for them to take on responsibility, to understand active citizenship and develop an understanding of different communities.

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Teachers adapt their teaching well to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These pupils get the support that they need in order to progress through the curriculum. Teachers make sure that pupils in mixed-age classes learn age- appropriate content.

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Reading has a high priority and children read often. Provision for early reading is strong. This means that most pupils keep up with the phonics scheme. Pupils who are at risk of falling behind are quickly identified and supported. Children read books that are well matched to their phonics knowledge. This means that they are becoming fluent and accurate readers. Children in the early years develop their language and wider understanding through the stories they are read.

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Teachers use assessment well. They check on how well pupils are learning the curriculum. They use this information to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge and close them. Teachers help pupils to overcome misunderstandings and apply their knowledge accurately, for example when solving problems in mathematics.

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Leaders work across the federation to enable all staff to develop their knowledge and skills. Staff have access to relevant professional development. Teachers feel well supported. Governors and leaders take account of staff workload.

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Governors understand their roles and responsibilities well. They have a clear vision for the school. They monitor all aspects of the school’s performance. Governors and leaders seek external scrutiny to check their processes.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There are rigorous processes in place to keep pupils safe, including when recruiting staff. Staff identify issues early. There is a strong emphasis on providing early help. This may be through school interventions or outside agencies. 18 July 2023

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Leaders have clear procedures for monitoring pupils who may be at risk and supporting them and their families. Record-keeping is thorough and detailed. There is a culture of vigilance. Staff are alert to risks and how to report these and follow them up. Leaders and staff are well trained in aspects of safeguarding. All understand their responsibilities well.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils do not have sufficient opportunities that enhance their wider development. They do not develop their leadership skills, active citizenship and knowledge of other communities as well as they could. As a result, they are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they could be. Leaders should ensure that all pupils have greater opportunities for wider personal development.

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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 March 2018.

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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.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 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. 18 July 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10297919 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Mel Davis (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6 and 7 March 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, the school has become part of a federation with another local primary school, Steam Mills Primary. The federation is overseen by one governing body. An executive headteacher and executive deputy headteacher provide leadership across both schools. The federation has also entered into a partnership with another local school, Soudley School.  The school has a Nursery class which admits two-year-olds. There are 26 pupils in the Nursery.  Before- and after-school clubs are managed by the school.  The school does not use any alternative providers.

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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 met with the headteacher, senior leaders, teachers, governors and a representative from the local authority. 18 July 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. In reading, inspectors also observed pupils reading unfamiliar books to adults.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lesson visits, at before- and after-school clubs, in the Nursery and around the school.  Inspectors met with the designated safeguarding leader, examined school records and discussed safeguarding cases.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the views of staff and pupils in Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Jo Briscombe, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Martin Greenwood Ofsted Inspector 18 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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