West Oxford Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: West Oxford Community Primary School Ferry Hinksey Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX2 0BY

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 September 2023

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Outcome

West Oxford Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this happy, inclusive school. They enjoy the warm and caring relationships which are evident throughout the school community. Pupils have confidence in the staff and know that if anything happens that worries them, staff will sort it out quickly. Pupils feel safe and listened to. Pupils feel that adults are fair, and they trust them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff take advantage of the wealth of local resources to enrich pupils’ learning, for example visiting the Ashmolean Museum as part of their history projects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in and around the school. They respond quickly to adults’ requests, and routines are well established. Low-level disruption during lessons is rare; if it does occur, staff address it quickly and sensitively. Playtimes offer a wide choice of engaging activities, including an indoor ‘Quiet Club’ for those who prefer to play chess with an adult or read with a friend.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are a range of opportunities for pupils to lead their school community, for example being digital leaders, anti-bullying ambassadors and school councillors. Pupils appreciate these roles and understand how they help everyone in their school.

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

The school has prioritised reading and made it a central element of the curriculum. Children start learning to read as soon as they enter Reception. They follow a rigorous phonics programme. Teachers make sure that pupils secure the skills they need to read consistently well. The careful use of assessment identifies any gaps in pupils’ knowledge, and these are addressed promptly. Consequently, pupils catch up quickly. The library provision has been developed recently to ensure the range of books available reflects the school’s diverse population. Pupils are proud of their library. 13 and 14 September 2023

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There are high aspirations for all pupils. The clear procedures enable teachers to make the adaptations needed for all pupils to achieve well, including those with SEND. Targeted staff training has strengthened this aspect of provision further.

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The school has implemented a broad and ambitious curriculum. In most subjects, knowledge and skills that pupils learn are organised in a logical manner. For example, in mathematics, teachers support pupils to become confident in mathematical calculations before applying their learning to problem-solving activities. Teachers model the correct use of subject-specific terminology and support pupils in doing the same. Teachers check for misunderstandings and use this information carefully to support the next lesson.

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The curriculum for some foundation subjects needs to be strengthened further. In some of these subjects, curriculum thinking has not been specific enough about what pupils need to know. This means teachers are not always clear about what to teach and when. As a consequence of this, teachers are, therefore, not always able to assess the gaps in knowledge and take action to address them.

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There is a carefully considered curriculum to support pupils’ personal development. The school has taken particular care to consider what pupils have said about what they want to learn. There are many opportunities for pupils to engage in activities that promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. A comprehensive programme of extra- curricular activities enables pupils to ‘grow’ their talents and interests in different areas. Pupils are supported well to take part in these opportunities. The school is proud to have recently achieved the Gold Artsmark Award.

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Pupils are taught about different beliefs and understand the importance of respecting differences. Pupils are also taught about the importance of eating healthily and exercising and learn how to keep themselves safe online as well as out in the community. They also have a good understanding of the role of mental health in their overall well-being.

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Governors are ambitious for all pupils and are deeply committed to the school. They have provided support to ensure provision leads to very strong outcomes in core areas of the curriculum. However, they have a weaker focus on the wider curriculum, including the foundation subjects.

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Staff are proud to work at this school and have great confidence in leaders’ actions to support them. Leaders’ approachable manner and evident care for the staff team are particularly appreciated. Staff are also very positive about leaders’ commitment to ensuring that their workload is manageable and purposeful in terms of achieving the best for the pupils.

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Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They recognise the actions that leaders have taken to strengthen the home-school relationship. One parent commented that leaders are a ‘real force for optimism and inclusivity in the community, consistently positive and welcoming to all’. 13 and 14 September 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, the school has not been precise enough about the knowledge that pupils need to learn. This means that, in these subjects, teachers lack clarity on which knowledge should be prioritised. The school should ensure that, in all subjects, the curriculum is equally well thought out so that pupils learn the important knowledge that they need to know and remember.  Governors do not have a secure enough understanding of their role in assuring themselves about the breadth and balance of the curriculum. This limits their understanding about the difference the school is making in developing pupils’ knowledge across the curriculum areas. Governors should work to strengthen their understanding in this area, particularly the foundation subjects.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2013.

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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. 13 and 14 September 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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 13 and 14 September 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6 March 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has been in post since January 2020.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator. The inspector also met with governors and spoke with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also observed some pupils reading to a member 13 and 14 September 2023

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of staff. The inspector also looked at samples of pupils’ work in geography and discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  The inspector discussed pupils’ behaviour and the wider opportunities the school provides. She also spoke with pupils about these aspects of the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector spoke with parents and carers, and staff. She considered responses to the confidential online surveys.

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Inspection team

Mary Ellen McCarthy, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 September 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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