Woodham Walter Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Woodham Walter Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School The Street, Woodham Walter, Maldon, Essex CM9 6RF

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that aspects of the school’s work may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kind and polite to one another. They know to show respect and be considerate. Positive relationships between staff and pupils create a supportive environment. Pupils are happy at school. They trust that staff will help them if they have any problems or worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils generally behave well. Most try their best to listen carefully and concentrate during lessons. Children in the early years quickly get to know and follow the school’s routines. Pupils enjoy the activities provided at breaktimes, and they play contentedly . However, some pupils are absent too often, meaning they miss out on learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils participate in various roles such as being members of the eco-council. These opportunities help them learn to be responsible citizens. Pupils have a positive impact on their local community, for example by planting seeds to improve the environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ learning. However, there are some weaknesses in how well some subjects are taught. Some of the activities pupils are given do not help them to build on what they know and can do. This affects how well pupils learn the curriculum content in these subjects, so they do not achieve as well as they could.

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

The school has worked effectively to make changes to the curriculum, particularly in School 5 November 2024

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English and mathematics. In these subjects, pupils benefit from a well-sequenced and cohesive curriculum. Staff have received training and support to teach these subjects effectively. Children in the early years learn well, including the foundations for reading, writing and mathematics. However, the wider curriculum is still being developed. In some of these subjects, the school has not worked out what pupils need to learn and when. Furthermore, there are inconsistencies in how well these subjects are taught. This affects pupils’ learning in the wider curriculum.

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The school’s approaches to checking what pupils know and remember are used well in English and mathematics. Staff use this information to plan lessons based on what pupils already know and what they need to learn next. However, in some of the wider curriculum subjects, these approaches are not consistently effective. Sometimes tasks and activities do not meet pupils’ needs well enough, so pupils find them too hard or too easy.

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The school has recently prioritised the teaching of phonics. Most staff teach this securely. The school has checked younger pupils’ prior knowledge and has identified gaps in their understanding. Staff provide catch-up sessions for younger pupils to address these gaps. However, some pupils in Years 3 to 6 who need more help to become fluent readers do not routinely get the support they need to catch up with their peers.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs identified accurately. Overall, the school makes sure these pupils get the help they need to address their individual targets. For example, some pupils benefit from highly personalised support to manage their feelings and behaviours. Recent changes have successfully enabled this more personalised approach. However, not all subjects have well-established approaches to curriculum design, teaching or assessment. This adversely impacts all pupils’ educational experiences, including pupils with SEND.

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Most of the time, staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Where this is the case, pupils listen carefully and work hard. Nevertheless, occasionally, learning is disrupted by some pupils’ behaviour. The school’s strategies for improving pupils’ attendance have not been as effective as they need to be. As a result, pupils’ attendance is not high enough.

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Through the personal, social, health and economic education curriculum, pupils learn about a range of themes such as different religions and types of families. Pupils show respect to others. They learn to appreciate diversity and know why it is important to value difference. Pupils learn how to stay safe online and in the community. Additionally, even the youngest children learn to stay positive and be mindful of their and others’ well-being.

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The school has worked closely with others to continually improve the provision. For example, it has worked with a multi-academy trust and the local authority to help strengthen aspects of the curriculum and teaching. The school has used this support well, particularly in relation to improving the provision for pupils with SEND and developing the early reading curriculum. Leaders, including governors, want the very best for all pupils. They have the support of the staff team. Staff feel valued and appreciate leaders’ efforts to improve their workload. The school is working to build close relationships with parents. School 5 November 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum in some foundation subjects is not well sequenced. There are inconsistencies in how well these subjects are taught. Some staff lack subject expertise in these curriculum areas. This all has an impact on how well pupils build up their knowledge and skills across the wider curriculum. The school should ensure that these subjects are planned and sequenced coherently and that staff have the expertise and guidance they need to teach them consistently well.  The school’s assessment approaches in the wider curriculum are not as effective as they need to be. This makes it difficult for teachers to identify and then address gaps in pupils’ learning. It makes it harder for teachers to ensure that activity choices meet pupils’ different needs. The school should establish effective approaches to check what pupils know and can do in the wider curriculum and ensure that staff use this information to identify and address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils in Years 3 to 6 who are not fluent readers do not routinely receive the support they need. This hinders pupils’ learning. The school should ensure it provides and implements suitable support to help these pupils catch up and become fluent readers.  The school’s work to improve pupils’ attendance has not been fully effective. The rates of pupils’ attendance remain too low, so pupils miss out on learning. The school must ensure that effective strategies are in place to improve pupils’ attendance.

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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 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. School 5 November 2024

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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in June 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). School 5 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

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

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Information about this school

 The school has a Christian religious character. The school’s most recent inspection of its religious character, under section 48 of the Education Act 2005, took place in 2017. The school’s next section 48 inspection is due this year.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  There have been some changes to staffing recently. The head of school and executive headteacher are both new in post since the previous inspection.

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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. 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 executive headteacher, head of school and special educational needs coordinator. The lead inspector met with representatives from the School 5 November 2024

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governing body, including the chair. An inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority and of the diocese.  Inspectors visited lessons, spoke to staff and pupils, looked at samples of children’s work and heard some pupils read.  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 considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. They also considered the online staff survey.

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Inspection team

Jessie Linsley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Danny Wagstaff Ofsted Inspector School 5 November 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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