Wood End Primary School

Inspection of Wood End Primary School Whitton Avenue West, Northolt, Middlesex UB5 4LB

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The headteacher of this school is Warner Stainbank. The school is a single academy trust. The school is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Matthew Jeatt. 18 and 19 June 2024

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending Wood End. They behave well in class because expectations are clear and well understood. Pupils appreciate the certificates they receive for positive behaviour. Any incidences of bullying are dealt with swiftly. Pupils value ‘The Space’, where they can speak with someone and get support with any worries they may have. This helps to ensure that pupils are kept safe and feel safe at school.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils try hard in lessons. They typically produce work of good quality and achieve well in English and mathematics. However, the curriculum in other subjects is not as well established. This means pupils, including those with special educational needs and /or disabilities (SEND), do not secure as deep a knowledge and understanding. In these subjects, pupils are less well prepared for the next stage of their education than they need to be.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils access a developing range of visits and additional activities. For example, some pupils enjoy attending clubs such as football, karate and tennis. Older pupils take on additional responsibilities such as supporting their younger peers at breaktime and lunchtime.

p.2

better?

The curriculum matches the breadth and ambition of what is expected nationally. The important subject content that pupils need to learn and remember has been identified and logically sequenced. This helps pupils to build their understanding over time and tackle more complex ideas. For example, in mathematics, children in early years practise measuring and using key vocabulary such as ‘taller’ and ‘shorter’. This solid foundation is built on so that pupils can add and subtract different measures confidently. Older pupils draw on this knowledge when solving more complex problems calculating fractions of measurements. The curriculum in English and mathematics is well implemented. For example, teachers use assessment effectively to identify and address pupils’ misconceptions. This helps pupils to develop a secure body of knowledge and achieve well, including in published outcomes.

p.2

better?

The curriculum in other subjects is at an earlier stage of implementation. Across the school, there is significant variation in how well the curriculum is delivered. For example, the use of assessment in these areas is not effective. This means some pupils have gaps in their learning which have not been sufficiently addressed. As a result, pupils do not secure deeper knowledge in these areas of the curriculum. A number of staff are new to their subject leader positions. They have not secured sufficient oversight of the curriculum meaning some of the inconsistencies in, for example, the use of assessment has not been identified or addressed.

p.2

better?

Pupils with SEND are accurately identified. Information about their needs and the strategies they need to learn effectively are communicated with staff. Teachers use this information to make appropriate adaptations to tasks and activities. This 18 and 19 June 2024

p.2

3

supports pupils to access the same curriculum as their peers wherever this is possible.

p.3

3

Leaders have prioritised pupils’ reading. The foundations for reading are well established in early years. Staff implement the school’s chosen curriculum with precision. This includes effective support for those who need additional help. Pupils practise reading books which match the sounds that they are learning. This helps them to read with increasing fluency. A love of reading is promoted across the school. For example, pupils mark World Book Day by celebrating their favourite authors. Similarly, parents from all year groups are invited in each week to read a story with their children.

p.3

3

Effective systems and clear expectations mean that pupils attend well. The school’s values of ‘dream, believe and achieve’ are reinforced each day. The ‘learning friends’ provide reminders about the expectations of behaviour. Consequently, the school is calm and orderly during lessons. Leaders recognise that further work is needed to ensure behaviour at lunchtime is consistently positive.

p.3

3

Pupils’ personal development is well considered. The curriculum is designed to help pupils understand important ideas such as what constitutes a healthy and respectful relationship. A developing programme of educational outings underpins the curriculum. For example, pupils have visited the local church and have attended a residential in Hertfordshire. There are opportunities for pupils to develop their leadership skills by taking on additional responsibilities including fundraising and helping out at lunchtime.

p.3

3

Leaders are considerate of staff well-being. The significant and recent changes to the curriculum have impacted on staff workload. Governors understand the school’s priorities. They understand their role to offer support and challenge leaders. However, oversight of some aspects of the school’s work is not sufficiently rigorous or robust. This limits governors’ understanding of the impact of leaders’ work and the precision with which priorities for improvement are identified.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Pupils are kept safe at school. Staff have received appropriate training. They understand their role in safeguarding pupils, including how to report concerns they may have. Recruitment processes are appropriate, this includes pre-employment checks. The curriculum is designed to help pupils learn about keeping themselves safe, including when online.

p.3

Safeguarding

However, the rigour with which concerns are shared with the local authority and subsequent advice acted upon is inconsistent. Similarly, those responsible for governance do not have access to the range of information they need to maintain an effective overview of safeguarding systems and processes. 18 and 19 June 2024

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In subjects other than English and mathematics, the curriculum is at an earlier stage of implementation. There is variability in the delivery of these subjects, including the use of assessment to identify and address pupils’ misconceptions. As a result, there are significant gaps in what pupils know and understand. The school should ensure that staff have sufficient training to implement these subjects effectively. Similarly, subject leaders should receive appropriate support to develop and maintain their oversight of the subjects they lead.  The systems for checking different aspects of the school’s work are not fully developed. Information about, for example, the impact of the curriculum, aspects of safeguarding, pupils’ behaviour and the provision for pupils with SEND is not readily available. The school should ensure that record-keeping is coherent and well organised. The school should also ensure that information is used to inform

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

leaders and those responsible for governance about the impact of the school’s work.

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). 18 and 19 June 2024

p.4

School details

Dates of previous inspection 15 and 16 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

p.5

Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, Wood End Academy amalgamated with Wood End Infant School to form Wood End Primary School.  The school runs their own before- and after-school provision.  The school does not currently make use of any alternative provision.

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.  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.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and members of staff. They also spoke with a representative of the local authority and met with 18 and 19 June 2024

p.5

6

members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: art and design, early reading, history and mathematics. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with some staff and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors looked at a range of documents, including leaders’ self-evaluation and priorities for improvement.  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.  The views of pupils, parents and staff were gathered through discussions and their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

p.6

Inspection team

Sophie Healey-Welch, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Ruth Harding Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 June 2024

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