Woodhouse West Primary School

Inspection of Woodhouse West Primary School Coisley Hill, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S13 7BP

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 October 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is Anne-Marie Bailey. This school is part of Sheffield South East Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Joanne Bradshaw, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Keith Crawshaw. 22 and 23 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is warm and welcoming. Pupils are courteous and respectful to visitors and to each other. There is a strong anti-bullying culture. Staff have earned pupils’ trust by responding quickly and effectively on the rare occasions where bullying occurs. The trusting relationships between staff and pupils help pupils to feel happy in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour right across the school. On the rare occasions that pupils’ behaviour falls short of the high standards set, staff quickly get pupils back on track. Pupils earn points for their class by demonstrating the school’s values. This approach helps to foster a positive culture. Pupils are keen to live up to the school’s vision of ‘aspiring to be awesome’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff are ambitious for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to achieve well. In the main, pupils achieve in line with these high expectations. Children in the early years get off to a strong start. Most pupils are keen to engage in learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are encouraged to take on leadership roles, including joining the school council. Some older pupils are reading ambassadors. They read with younger children and promote a love of reading across school. These opportunities help pupils to develop into confident individuals.

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

The school has an effective reading curriculum. Staff are skilled in teaching pupils to sound out words. Pupils learn to read quickly. Books match the sounds that they know. The school recognises that some younger pupils would benefit from more practice to develop their fluency. It is taking action to address this. However, typically, staff ensure that those pupils who fall behind in their reading receive the support that they need to catch up with their peers. Teachers use high-quality texts in all subjects to support the curriculum. Mystery readers, who are often parents and carers, share stories with pupils. Most pupils enjoy reading.

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

Historically, the school did not provide an effective curriculum to develop pupils’ ability to communicate in writing. Pupils were moving too quickly through the curriculum. This sometimes led to pupils attempting complex writing tasks without the prior knowledge they needed. This is reflected in the 2024 published data at the end of Year 6. However, recently, the school has introduced a new writing curriculum, which is effective. Staff have received high-quality training. They make sure pupils have the prior knowledge they need before attempting more challenging tasks. This is improving pupils’ writing across the school.

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

The curriculum is ambitious. Subject leaders have identified what they want pupils to know and remember. Knowledge is broken down into small steps that make pupils’ journey through the curriculum clear. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They 22 and 23 October 2024

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check that pupils are learning well within each lesson. Teachers quickly pick up on and address misconceptions. However, in some wider curriculum subjects, teachers do not check how well pupils remember important concepts over time. In these subjects, the school does not gather information about the longer-term impact of the curriculum. On occasions, some pupils develop gaps in their knowledge that are not addressed. This hinders how well pupils build strong bodies of knowledge in these subjects.

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The school identifies swiftly the needs of pupils with SEND. It ensures that teachers understand the needs of these pupils. Staff adapt their approach, if necessary, so that pupils with SEND learn well. The school makes effective use of external experts, such as speech and language therapists. It draws on advice and training to make sure that pupils get the right support.

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In the early years, the curriculum typically prepares children well for the subjects that they study in Year 1. Children take part in highly purposeful activities to support their learning. Staff are extremely skilled. They expertly guide children to use the language of the curriculum. This helps children to learn extremely well. The school is redeveloping the outdoor area to provide more opportunities for children to explore their learning.

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The school provides pupils with experiences that enhance the curriculum. These include opportunities to visit a local art exhibition, Christmas performances and a family fun day centred around fitness. There are a small number of clubs that are mainly directed at pupils’ sporting interests. Pupils have a mature understanding of democracy and online safety. Pupils are sometimes less confident around how to stay healthy. Pupils generally remember well what they learn about in personal, social and health education. This helps to ensure that they are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Staff receive effective training and support to provide them with the expertise to carry out their roles well. Most feel that their workload is well managed. Those with responsibility for governance understand their roles well. They provide effective challenge and support to continually develop the school. A small number of parents feel that the school could communicate more effectively with them. The school is taking action to develop its engagement with families. For example, it seeks parents’ views using surveys. The school also provides workshops to support parents to help their children at home.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some wider curriculum subjects, the school does not ensure that teachers check how well pupils remember their learning over time. In these subjects, some pupils develop gaps in their knowledge that are not swiftly remedied. The school should 22 and 23 October 2024

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support teachers to use assessment strategies effectively to identify and address gaps in pupils’ learning, so that pupils remember important concepts in the long term.

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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 Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Sheffield South East Trust.  The school makes use of one unregistered 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. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 22 and 23 October 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 senior staff in the school. This included the headteacher and assistant headteachers.  The lead inspector also met with three members of the local governing body, two trustees and the chief executive officer.  Deep dives were carried out in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, computing and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors discussed and reviewed the curriculum in some other subjects.  An inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors spoke to pupils formally and informally about their learning and their

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experiences at school. An inspector also spoke to parents as they dropped their children off at the school gate.  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 observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the school day, including during breakfast club, during lesson visits and at breaktime. Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils about their views on behaviour at the school.  The inspectors reviewed the parental responses received through the Ofsted online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. Inspectors also considered the responses received through Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Zoe Helman, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tim Scargill-Knight His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Ashworth 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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