Woodland Primary School

Inspection of Woodland Primary School Woodland, Bishop Auckland, County Durham DL13 5RF

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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 Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 11 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework used at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 17 and 18 April 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish in this delightful, small, rural school. They say that there are ‘never any sad faces’ at the school. Strong and trusting relationships underpin this. Parents and carers share the same positive views about the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets high expectations for all its pupils to be successful. Staff offer high levels of support and encouragement for this to happen. Pupils respond positively by engaging fully in their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. The recently introduced family time is contributing to this, where older pupils act as positive role models for the younger ones.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a well-developed understanding of bullying and all its forms. They insist it does not happen here but are, nonetheless, equipped with the knowledge and skills needed should it do so.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Playtimes are busy, with large spaces for pupils to explore. Older pupils would welcome the opportunity to participate in more-structured activities during this time.

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better?

The school has developed a highly ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum that is enabling pupils to gain a secure understanding of different subjects. This has been skilfully done to accommodate pupils taught in mixed-age classes. Teachers receive expert advice and support from across the federation to help them to deliver the curriculum effectively.

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better?

In all subjects, pupils are encouraged to use precise vocabulary when talking about their learning. For example, in history younger pupils can talk confidently about timelines and chronology. Older pupils can explain what happens when a loop is used in coding.

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better?

The impact of the new curriculums is clear. Pupils talk enthusiastically about their learning. They have a sound recall of the key knowledge that they have been taught. Pupils’ outcomes at the end of key stage 2 are strong and pupils are well prepared for future learning.

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better?

During lessons, teachers routinely check on pupils’ learning. They intervene quickly to iron out any misconceptions and get learning back on track. This is consistent in all subjects. In some subjects, however, more-formal approaches to checking what pupils know and can do have only recently been established and are not yet embedded. This means that some subject leaders do not yet have a secure understanding of how pupils are performing in their subject areas. The school is aware of this, and plans are already in place to address the issue. 17 and 18 April 2024

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Reading is a high priority for all. The school prioritises its spending to provide a rich supply of books for pupils to access. Children in the early years get off to a good start in learning the sounds that letters represent. This continues as pupils move into key stage 1. Pupils get lots of practise to read. They do so with books that are well matched to their phonics knowledge. The recently introduced and successful ‘reading café’ provides quality time for parents and pupils to read together.

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Children quickly settle into the early years unit and develop their social skills effectively. Staff skilfully navigate the challenges of teaching both the early years curriculum and the national curriculum in the same class. Adult-led sessions are focused and are enabling children to make good progress. However, sometimes, during play-based activities, it is not clear what the children are to learn. This means that staff do not make the most of opportunities to extend and consolidate children’s knowledge and skills.

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The curriculum for pupils’ personal development is well considered. The school’s rural location features at the heart of its development. The school has ensured that there is a strong focus on nurturing pupils’ understanding of tolerance and respect, as well as online safety and environmental awareness. Pupils’ first hand involvement in the school’s decarbonisation project contributed to pupils’ understanding of the climate change agenda.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported in school. The school identifies their needs promptly. Staff adapt learning to meet pupils’ needs so that most pupils can make the same progress as that of their peers.

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Governors provide effective support to the school. Since federating they have worked hard to align their collective skills to the right roles. They have improved the quality and frequency of their monitoring, which is enabling them to contribute effectively to school improvement.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They value the support and training they receive to make them effective in their roles.

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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, approaches to checking what pupils already know and can do are still developing. This means that some subject leaders do not yet have a secure understanding of how well pupils are performing in their subject areas. The school should ensure that approaches to checking what pupils know and can 17 and 18 April 2024

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do are embedded so that all subject leaders are able to check the effectiveness of their curriculums.  In the early years, some play-based activities lack clear learning intentions. This means that opportunities to extend or consolidate children’s learning as well as leaders expect are missed. The school needs to strengthen this aspect of the early years curriculum to ensure that every opportunity to consolidate or deepen children’s understanding is taken.

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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). 17 and 18 April 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 31 January 2013, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school offers a breakfast club and after-school provision.  The school is part of The Dales Partnership, along with Frosterly Primary School and Butterknowle Primary School. The headteacher is executive headteacher of all three schools in the federation. One governing body oversees all three schools. Subject leadership is shared across all three schools.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The number of pupils attending the school is small. As a result, the school is organised into two classes. One class is for pupils in key stage 2 and the second class is for pupils in key stage 1 and the early years.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point in time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 17 and 18 April 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection the school 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.  Inspectors met with members of the governing body including the chair and vice- chairs, senior leaders, and a range of staff.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, history, and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, met with teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and considered pupils’ work.  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 considered the views of parents, pupils and staff including through

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Inspection team

Diane Buckle, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Deborah Ashcroft Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 April 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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