Woodside Primary School and Nursery

Inspection of Woodside Primary School and Nursery Highgate Road, Woodside, Dudley, West Midlands DY2 0SN

p.1

Inspection dates: 21 and 22 November 2023

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Sally Bloomer. This school is part of Hales Valley Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Rebecca Cox, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mark Simpson. 21 and 22 November 2023

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school and feel safe here. There are many systems for supporting pupils and their families to make the most of the education and care provided. Pastoral support is strong. Pupils know that staff will take their concerns and worries seriously, and find ways to help.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Bullying is not accepted. Adults and pupils work well together to stop any unkind or careless behaviour that might upset others. This means that everyone can enjoy playtimes and lessons.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are taught well. Lessons are orderly and cover the full curriculum. Since the previous inspection, expectations for what pupils can achieve have risen. This shows in the quality of learning and the rising standards being seen throughout the school.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Whatever their needs, all pupils receive teaching and support that enable them to feel good about themselves and what they can achieve. Beyond lessons, there are lots of other things to do, including clubs, trips and stays away from home.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

There is a strong team spirit. Everyone works well together to provide pupils with a caring and ambitious education. Pupils, staff and parents describe the school as welcoming and friendly. Inspectors agree.

p.2

better?

Since the previous inspection, the school’s leadership, including the support provided by Hales Valley Trust, has continued to improve the school. It has been a united team effort that has strengthened the curriculum and lifted standards. As the staff survey comments show, everyone is on board with the school’s vision for all pupils to achieve. There is still more work to do to strengthen curriculum design further, but leaders and staff are on the right track. Already, improvements in reading, writing and mathematics are evident in pupils’ work and end of key stage results.

p.2

better?

Early attention to communication and language in the Nursery class prepares children well for phonics lessons in Reception. The school uses a well-resourced phonics scheme and staff have regular training. Standards coming up through the school have risen. Now, more children move into key stage 2 being able to read accurately. For those who take longer to learn, the school provides extra tuition. In addition, staff regularly read to their classes, and pupils have many books to choose from, for reading in school and at home.

p.2

better?

The improvements in reading are mirrored in mathematics. From early years to Year 6, the curriculum is carefully sequenced. New learning builds securely on what has gone before. At times, some lessons do not work as well as others but, overall, pupils are now doing much better. 21 and 22 November 2023

p.2

3

Assessment in both English and mathematics is efficient and accurate. This enables staff to plan new learning in an informed way.

p.3

3

The rest of the curriculum is broad and interesting. All the subjects of the national curriculum are taught. Subject leaders keep up with new developments and have time to check on how well different subjects are planned and taught. In many subjects, the knowledge to be taught is set out in curriculum guidance. Staff appreciate this and report that it helps them with workload. Nevertheless, at times, they are not sure about the most important content to emphasise. In computing, for example, teaching does not focus enough on some crucial terminology.

p.3

3

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities continue to benefit from expert support. Needs are identified accurately and the school’s inclusive ethos means no one is left out. Indeed, staff find ways to show everyone they are special and valued. Whether pupils need help with learning, their feelings or behaviour, this school provides for them. This is a distinctive feature of the school.

p.3

3

In addition to classroom learning, the school takes pupils out on trips and provides a range of lunchtime and after-school clubs. Pupils can participate in sports and music events with other schools. They also carry out jobs such as anti-bullying ambassadors, librarians or digital leaders. They take these roles seriously, and other pupils respect the work they do to help others. Indeed, the school does much to teach pupils about respectful and safe behaviour. Pupils learn about healthy relationships and why discrimination is wrong.

p.3

3

Following the pandemic, leaders worked closely with parents and professional services to get pupils back into school. This work is paying off. Current attendance figures are on the up. Even so, some pupils still miss too much school.

p.3

3

Staff value the subject-specific training provided for them. They also benefit from the networks across the trust that enable them to share their work with staff in other schools.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum in some subjects is still being developed or has only recently been established. This means that staff’s subject knowledge, confidence and delivery vary. It also means that, in some subjects, staff are not sure about the most important knowledge to emphasise, revisit and check. The school should continue to develop the curriculum, with appropriate support and guidance for staff, so that pupils learn and achieve as well as possible in all subjects. 21 and 22 November 2023

p.3

4

 Some pupils miss too much school too often. This hinders their learning. The school should continue to work with parents and professional services to provide families with the necessary challenge and support to improve their children’s attendance.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 21 and 22 November 2023

p.4

CEO of the trust

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 January 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school is part of Hales Valley Trust. This is the school’s second inspection since becoming an academy.  The school has an executive headteacher who oversees Woodside Primary School and Nursery and another school in the trust. The school’s headteacher is Sally Bloomer.  The school has a Nursery class that takes children from three years old.  The school uses one registered alternative provider.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 21 and 22 November 2023

p.5

6

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors considered published performance data about the school. Inspectors also looked at a range of school documents. These included information about pupils’ behaviour, attendance, the curriculum, extra-curricular activities, governance, school improvement planning and documents published on the school’s website.  During the inspection, the inspectors had formal meetings with the executive headteacher, the school headteacher, other leaders, staff, pupils, trustees and governors. The inspectors also met with staff from the Hales Valley Trust, including the chief executive officer and director of education.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading,

p.6

6

mathematics, computing, physical education and languages. In these subjects, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and considered pupils’ work. They also considered the curriculum in other subjects to check how they were organised and taught.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: 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.  Inspectors talked informally with pupils, parents and staff to gather general information about school life. They took account of the responses to Ofsted’s surveys of staff’s and parents’ views.  Inspectors observed pupils in class, at lunchtime, on the playground, at clubs and

p.6

Inspection team

Martin Pye, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Nadeem Bhatti Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 November 2023

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7