Woodwater Academy

Inspection of Woodwater Academy Woodwater Lane, Exeter, Devon, EX2 5AW

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Rachel Olivant. This school is part of Ventrus Limited multi-academy trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Gary Chown, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by David Edwards. 5 and 6 March 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at this inclusive school. Parents speak highly of the care and support their children receive. The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement and conduct.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are eager to learn and keen to cooperate with each other. They behave well in classrooms and around the school. Well-established routines create a calm, positive atmosphere. For example, pupils listen to a piece of music when they arrive each morning. During this time, they consider one of the school’s values. This helps them reflect on how they will conduct themselves in the day ahead.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from an exceptional curriculum to support their personal development. For example, they attend different types of residentials, such as a visit to London and time at an outdoor pursuits centre. They have extensive opportunities to gain wider knowledge and skills, such as resilience, teamwork and cultural understanding.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop their talents and interests through a wide range of clubs and activities. For example, they learn to play musical instruments, have a go at boxing or are part of the ‘green team.’ The school ensures there are no barriers to pupils participating in the opportunities it provides.

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better?

Pupils learn a broad and ambitious curriculum. The school has ordered each subject curriculum so that pupils build their learning on what they already know and can do. For example, in geography, pupils learn how to describe different environments, having first learned important features of their own. In the early years, there is a sharp focus on developing children’s vocabulary. This prepares children well for key stage 1.

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better?

In each subject, the school plans for and teaches the most important knowledge and skills pupils need. In most subjects, teachers check how well pupils have learned the curriculum. However, in some subjects, teachers’ use of assessment does not identify whether pupils have gained sufficient depth in their understanding. As a result, pupils sometimes have gaps in their knowledge in these subjects.

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better?

The school fosters pupils’ love of reading at all ages. Each class is named after a famous author, for example. In the Nursery and Reception Year, children get to know familiar stories well. Older pupils recommend books to each other in the ‘book review corner.’ Children start learning to read as soon as they start in the Reception Year. The school selects books carefully to match the sounds that pupils are learning. Any pupil who needs it gets the support they need to keep up.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the right support at the right time. The school is ambitious for the significant number of pupils who 5 and 6 March 2024

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have an education, health and care plan. Parents are closely involved in reviewing their child’s provision. Teachers makes suitable adaptations to the curriculum to meet pupils’ needs. Consequently, pupils with SEND develop their knowledge and skills successfully.

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Pupils are punctual and attend well. The school provides effective support for any pupil who needs help to attend more regularly. For pupils with particular behaviour needs, the school takes well-considered action to help them.

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Pupils develop a strong understanding of equality and diversity. The school chooses the books that teachers read and the visiting speakers that pupils hear from thoughtfully. This helps pupils to appreciate differences between people. The school helps pupils to be empathetic to each other’s needs.

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Pupils know how to be active citizens, such as by raising money for charity. Some older pupils have roles as play leaders. They set out equipment and encourage younger pupils to play together at social times, for example. Other pupils have roles such as librarians, assembly leaders and sports leaders. These opportunities develop pupils’ wider skills, such as collaboration and leadership.

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The school helps pupils to have a voice. For instance, it asks for their views about changes to the school environment. Pupils vote for the books they read as a class and which sporting activities are on offer. These opportunities help pupils gain a strong understanding of democracy and representation.

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The school has designed an effective personal, social and health curriculum. This is adapted carefully to the school’s context. Local risks, such as water safety, are a high priority, for example. In the Nursery and Reception Year, there is a strong emphasis on developing pupils’ communication and language skills. This helps children learn how to talk about their own needs.

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Trustees and local governors perform their roles effectively. They ensure statutory duties are fulfilled and that resources are well managed. Trust and school leaders provide effective professional development for staff. This work enhances the quality of education that pupils receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the school does not use assessment effectively. Where this is the case, pupils do not securely learn the knowledge and skills they need for future learning. The school and the trust should ensure that teachers use 5 and 6 March 2024

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assessment to check how well pupils have learned the curriculum, so that it can plan precisely the next steps in their learning.

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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’ 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). 5 and 6 March 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection 25 July 2018

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Ventrus Limited multi-academy trust.  The school has a well above number of pupils with an education, health and care plan.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.  This was the first inspection the school has received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and design and technology. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed 5 and 6 March 2024

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the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors held meetings with school leaders, met with members of the board of trustees and local governing body and met with trust leaders.  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.

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Inspection team

James Oldham, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mark Lees Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 March 2024

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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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