Woodrow First School

Inspection of Woodrow First School Longdon Close, Woodrow South, Redditch, Worcestershire B98 7UZ

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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 Good 4 and 5 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

‘We care, we share, we learn together’ is at the heart of Woodrow First school. Pupils and staff show this as soon as you enter the building. Pupils speak positively about the support they receive from staff and enjoy learning. There is a strong culture of safeguarding and well-being across the school. Pupils are safe and say they are happy in school. Staff and pupils talk about the school being a ‘family community’. Parents and carers agree. They are very supportive of the school and its ethos.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a purposeful atmosphere around the school. Pupils focus on their learning well, work hard and want to learn. Teachers speak calmly with any pupil who loses concentration and offer support to regain focus. During social times, pupils mix with others in a calm and orderly manner. Pupils know who to talk to about any concerns they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school places a strong emphasis on pupils’ personal development. Pupils learn about their health and well-being. Pupils also develop their leadership roles. For example, Year 4 pupils enjoy the responsibility as ‘play leaders’ with younger pupils. Many pupils take part in a range of enrichment opportunities, such as multi-skills and book clubs.

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better?

The school has developed a highly ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum, including in the early years. All pupils follow this curriculum. However, despite this ambitious curriculum, some pupils do not achieve as well as they should. This is because some aspects of the curriculum are not as fully developed as others. For example, the school continues to develop its approach to writing. While some aspects of pupils’ writing have improved, the school is aware that more work is needed to embed pupils’ key writing skills further.

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better?

In the early years, the children get off to a positive start. Teachers provide activities that are well matched to children’s needs. Staff model effective communication, supporting children to develop language and independence. This results in high- quality interactions. The classroom and the outdoor environment are engaging. Children are happy and thriving.

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better?

The school has accurately identified the important things that pupils need to know to succeed. Most teachers present new subject matter clearly. Most pupils remember their previous knowledge well, which helps them to understand new learning. However, in some subjects, teachers do not use assessments effectively enough to check whether pupils have secured the knowledge they need for subsequent learning. Therefore, pupils’ gaps in learning are not addressed. This means that sometimes teachers move pupils on to new work before they are ready to do so and this slows their learning. 4 and 5 June 2024

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The school quickly identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). ‘Pupil passports’ give precise information to staff about pupils’ individual needs. Most teachers use this information effectively to adapt their teaching. Reading is a priority at this school. Pupils become familiar with the sounds letters make and how to blend these into words and sentences. Teachers give extra support through ‘catch up’ and ‘keep up’ interventions, where needed. All pupils have access to a wide range of books to read and enjoy. This encourages all pupils to read regularly.

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Pupils display excellent self-control and highly positive attitudes to learning. Staff and pupils share highly respectful relationships. This creates an open and encouraging culture, where everyone is equally valued. School attendance is high. The school has robust systems in place to support absent pupils to come back into school and to catch up missed work quickly.

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Pupils’ well-being is at the forefront of leaders’ vision, including promoting pupils’ positive mental health. The personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum is well planned and sequenced. Pupils learn about topics such as water, fire and online safety well. Educational visits and experiences are in place to enhance the curriculum. Pupils enjoy their trips to science museums and their residentials.

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All leaders, including those responsible for governance, know this school well. They understand how the local context impacts on pupils’ learning and attendance. Leaders review and develop all aspects of the school. However, the school has not fully evaluated precisely which actions are the most effective in addressing shortcomings. For example, the school does not have a good enough understanding of why the progress of some pupils, such as pupils with SEND, is not as strong as it should be. The school has implemented a well-thought-out professional development programme for staff, which staff welcome. Leaders carefully consider staff workload, which staff are appreciative of.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not fully developed and embedded its approach to writing across all classes and year groups. As a result, too many pupils do not develop a full range of writing skills and knowledge by the time they leave the school. The school should ensure that the key writing skills and knowledge are developed and embedded rapidly to support all pupils to make further progress.  In some subjects, teachers do not use assessments well enough to check pupils’ understanding or identify gaps in their learning. Therefore, pupils’ gaps in 4 and 5 June 2024

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learning are not addressed and they struggle to build on what they know. The school should ensure that all teachers use assessments consistently to identify and address any gaps in pupils’ learning so pupils can progress well across the curriculum.  The school has not reviewed and analysed some of its improvement actions as carefully as it should. This means that the school does not always know the effectiveness of its strategies to support pupils’ progress and development. The school should ensure that it precisely analyses the effectiveness of improvement strategies to ensure they make a positive difference to all pupils’ education.

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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). 4 and 5 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18 December 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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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.  This was the first routine inspection the school has 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 focused on the following deep dives: early reading, history, mathematics and physical education. The inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and talked with pupils about their learning. The inspectors listened to some pupils read to a familiar adult. The inspectors also looked at the curriculum in other subjects. 4 and 5 June 2024

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 The inspectors reviewed a range of school documents. These included information about pupils’ behaviour, attendance, the school’s curriculum and improvement planning. The school’s website was also checked.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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.  The inspectors observed informal times of the day as part of their evaluation of safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour.  The inspectors held meetings with a representative from the local authority, the chair of the governing board, and other governors, the headteacher and other senior leaders, administrative staff, teachers and pupils. The inspectors also talked informally to pupils, staff, parents and carers to gather information about

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school life.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View and the free-text comments. The inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and pupil questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Stuart Clarkson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Janice Wood Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 June 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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