Woodbridge Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Woodbridge Primary School Wilkinson Way, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 1SS

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 October 2023

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Woodbridge Primary School is a happy community. Pupils are kind to one another. They are eager to help each other at playtimes and in class. They highly value their school and their teachers. Pupils learn and emulate the school’s values. These include confidence, commitment and craftmanship.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils acquire a solid grounding in reading and mathematics. They share their teachers’ love of reading. Pupils are eager to learn. However, the quality of the education pupils receive in some subjects is not good enough. This is because the school’s expectations of what pupils will learn and how they will behave are not as high as they could be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school offers all pupils opportunities to achieve sporting success. Pupils also relish taking on leadership roles as a librarian or a member of the school council. Pupils partake in a wide variety of experiences. For example, visits from various faith leaders, trips to places of natural beauty and opportunities to perform musically in the community. The school’s residential trip to Derbyshire is a much loved and anticipated foray into orienteering, independence and teamwork.

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

The school has steadily improved many aspects of the curriculum. This includes the way that phonics is taught. Pupils start learning how to read as soon as they join the Reception Year. Teachers help pupils to understand and practice the sounds that letters make. Most pupils quickly learn how to read. As they move through the school, they develop a love of reading. Staff give additional support to pupils who need to catch up. However, the school has not ensured that all staff have received effective phonics training. 11 and 12 October 2023

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In some subjects, the curriculum does not sufficiently set out the knowledge, vocabulary and skills that pupils will learn. Checks on what pupils have learned are at the early stages of development. Teachers have not received the training and guidance they need to teach these subjects well enough. The work that teachers set for pupils does not always help them to understand and remember key knowledge. As a result, pupils do not learn, in depth, knowledge that would enable them to understand, for example, the past and the world around them.

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The school teaches pupils to be polite and kind to one another. Teachers give pupils opportunities to voice their opinions and make their own decisions. However, in some parts of the day and some parts of the school, pupils’ natural exuberance is not held in check. The school has not established clear expectations for pupils’ behaviour when moving around class or to different parts of the school. For example, transitions to the lunch hall can become too noisy and somewhat chaotic.

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The school gives pupils the pastoral support they need to overcome anxieties or barriers to learning. The school identifies pupils’ needs accurately and promptly. A range of effective support helps pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to engage, feel included and learn well. For example, the school provides individual workstations and sessions with speech and language therapists. Leaders support pupils with SEND to take part in clubs and wider sporting opportunities.

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Children in the early years quickly learn to feel at home with one another and their teachers. This is because of the nurture, care and attention that staff in the early years give to them. Every day is filled with stories, singing, games and conversation. Children like the stories, songs and games so much that they learn them off by heart. This helps children to develop their language, vocabulary and communication skills.

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The school’s personal, social, health and economic curriculum is a strength. It teaches pupils how to keep healthy and safe, how to make friends and how to respect different cultures and traditions. Pupils are confident to talk about the ways that we all differ, yet should be treated equally.

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The governing body is undergoing a change to its structure and leadership. Governors are enthusiastic about the school’s future and are keen to engage with all staff. Although workload can sometimes be a challenge, staff feel supported. Staff appreciate the way that the school’s culture encourages everyone to feel part of a team.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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 In some subjects, the school’s curriculum does not sufficiently identify and sequence the knowledge, vocabulary and skills that pupils should learn. This makes it difficult for teachers to plan suitable lessons or provide appropriate work for pupils to complete. As a result, in some subjects, pupils do not learn in sufficient depth. Leaders should review their curriculum documents so that all subjects identify and sequence the knowledge, vocabulary and skills that pupils will learn. Leaders should also provide training and guidance to teachers so that they teach the curriculum effectively and enable all pupils to achieve well.  In some subjects, assessment is at an early stage of development. This means that teachers cannot ascertain pupils’ gaps in knowledge and understanding. Leaders should continue to review their assessment processes so that they encompass all aspects of pupils’ education.  The school has not ensured that all staff have sufficient knowledge to teach early

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reading effectively. Consequently, some pupils are not learning to read as well as they should. The school should ensure that all staff are early reading experts and are skilled in providing pupils with the help they need to become confident and fluent readers.  The school’s expectations of pupils’ behaviour during transition times and in communal parts of the school are not high enough. During these times, some areas become noisy and chaotic. Leaders should develop routines and have high expectations of behaviour so that pupils know how to behave during these times and around the school.

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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 June 2014.

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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. 11 and 12 October 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 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). 11 and 12 October 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.woodbridgeprimary.suffolk.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 1 October 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs a before- and after-school club, which is managed by the governing body.  The headteacher joined the school in September 2023.  The school does not use the services of 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.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The lead inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector met with the headteacher, members of the leadership team and two members of the governing body, including the chair.  The lead inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum 11 and 12 October 2023

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with curriculum leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead also spoke to leaders and looked at pupils’ work in other subjects.  To evaluate the school’s safeguarding procedures, the lead inspector met with the headteacher, school leaders and governors. The lead inspector reviewed the school’s records of safeguarding concerns and the school’s register of staff and regular visitors. The lead inspector also spoke with staff and pupils.  The lead inspector held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  The lead inspector considered 111 responses to Ofsted Parent View, including 57 free- text responses. The lead inspector also considered 23 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. There were no responses to the pupil survey.  The lead inspector spoke with pupil groups, met with parents at the school gates and

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Inspection team

Hannah Stoten, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 11 and 12 October 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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