Woodford Halse Church of England Primary Academy

Inspection of a school judged Good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Woodford Halse Church of England Primary Academy High Street, Woodford Halse, Daventry, Northamptonshire NN11 3RQ

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 October 2024

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Outcome

Woodford Halse Church of England Primary Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Alison Crockford. This school is part of Innovate 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, Lindsey Evans, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Karen Falvey.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Woodford Halse is a caring and nurturing school. The school has a strong community feel, and parents spoke of it feeling like a family. Pupils are happy and feel safe. They enjoy learning in different ways, and the majority of pupils focus well in lessons. Pupils value the opportunities to learn outside and in the school’s own woodland.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, to achieve well. Some of the school’s published outcomes do not accurately reflect the current quality of education in the school. Pupils and staff are very positive about the recent changes to the school’s wider curriculum, and current pupils achieve well. Pupils particularly enjoy the opportunity to explore their own interests and talents through the school’s wider opportunities curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A small number of parents feel that the school does not always deal with bullying appropriately. The school has listened to these concerns. Its work in training older pupils to become anti-bullying ambassadors is a proactive example of this. The school takes swift action to address any incidents of bullying. It ensures that tailored support is in place for all pupils concerned. Pupils talk positively about attending sessions where they learn strategies to control their emotions. 22 and 23 October 2024

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Children get off to a strong start in the Nursery. Across the early years, staff question children’s thinking. This supports children’s learning through play. Staff introduce children to new words and model conversation. This supports children to develop their early language and communication skills. Children enjoy accessing learning in the outdoor areas. They explore and take risks. In both the Nursery and the Reception Year, children demonstrate high levels of self-control. They remain focused on activities for sustained periods. Children are prepared well for their next stage of education.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school prioritises early reading. Some pupils access extra phonics sessions. This helps them to keep up with the programme and gain the knowledge and skills they need to become confident and fluent readers.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school carries out regular checks of what pupils have learned in English and mathematics. This highlights any gaps in pupils’ knowledge and helps teachers to identify pupils’ next steps. In mathematics, pupils revisit prior learning and this supports them to recall and reflect on what they have learned before. Pupils say this really helps them to remember what they have been taught.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school’s new wider curriculum is ambitious. The school has identified the important information and skills that pupils should know and remember in each discrete subject. Pupils’ books show that the intended breadth of the new curriculum is being delivered. The approaches for checking how well pupils are remembering the content of the new wider curriculum require further development. In some subjects, gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not always identified.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school swiftly identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers adapt learning activities so that pupils with SEND can access the curriculum. However, there is variability in the quality of support provided to pupils. This means pupils with SEND do not always learn as well as they could.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The majority of pupils show high levels of engagement in lessons and display positive attitudes to their learning. However, there are some inconsistencies across the school in how well teachers uphold these expectations. This means that sometimes pupils lose focus or become distracted in lessons. They do not display consistently positive attitudes to their learning.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development is a real strength. Lessons focus on broadening pupils’ horizons and developing their perspective of the world. The school’s ‘Woodford way’ curriculum equips pupils with the important knowledge they need to be prepared for life in a multicultural society. As a result, pupils are very well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils learn about equality and the need to respect diversity. One pupil shared, ‘Tolerance is about acceptance. It is important to respect someone else’s beliefs even if they are different to your own.’ 22 and 23 October 2024

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The school is well led and managed. The trust provides the school with regular and effective support. Staff access regular training, which supports them to develop their teaching practice. Leaders are mindful of staff’s well-being. Staff value the school’s initiative ‘well-being Wednesday’. Leaders introduce curriculum changes with care. They make sure that any developments do not create an unnecessary burden for staff. Trustees and governors know the school’s strengths and priorities well. They offer the school appropriate support and challenge.

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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 has not established a clear approach to check what pupils know and can remember. This means gaps in pupils’ learning are not routinely identified and addressed. The school needs to implement a clear approach to checking what pupils know and can remember across all curriculum subjects.  There are some inconsistencies in expectations of behaviour across the school. Staff do not consistently uphold the school’s high expectations for behaviour. As a result, some pupils do not always maintain positive attitudes to their learning, and there are occasions where this hinders their learning. The school should ensure that high expectations for behaviour are equally upheld by staff across all phases so that all pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning and remain focused in lessons.  The provision for pupils with SEND is variable. Sometimes the adaptations made to pupils’ learning are not as effective as they could be. The school needs to ensure that

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

pupils with SEND receive the support they need.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the 22 and 23 October 2024

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date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in November 2019.

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How can I feed back my views?

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). 22 and 23 October 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 November 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school is a member of the Diocese of Peterborough and has a Church of England character. The last statutory inspection under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 was in October 2012.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, a group of subject leaders and a group of staff. 22 and 23 October 2024

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 The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector listened to some pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspector met with representatives of the trust and also met with members of the local governing body.  The inspector reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and development plan.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector 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 arounds safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Luella Dhoore, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 October 2024

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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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