Windmill Primary School

Inspection of Windmill Primary School Margaret Road, Headington, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX3 8NG

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 January 2025

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

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since June 2015. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 21 and 22 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is at the heart of its community. It cares deeply for every child and wants the very best for all. There is a palpable ‘family feel’ here. Every morning, pupils literally dance happily, to music, into school. Exceptionally warm, kind and respectful relationships between staff and pupils are the hallmark of daily routines. Staff have high expectations for pupils’ academic success and their personal growth. This motivates pupils to focus on their learning and to achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are extremely polite and thoughtful. They hold doors open for others. Around school, pupils share a cheerful smile and a wave with their friends and staff as they go about their day. At breaktimes, pupils play together remarkably well. The school inspires pupils to be confident and curious citizens who respect differences. They treat others with utmost courtesy and respect.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish taking part in the rich array of opportunities that nurture their interests and hobbies, for example the ceramics, dance, chess and ukelele clubs. Their learning is enhanced superbly through trips and visits to museums, the theatre and galleries. Pupils know how to look after their health and well-being. They participate wholeheartedly in a wide range of sporting and creative events in the local area and beyond.

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

Pupils’ personal development is first class. They learn why it is important to show respect for others and the planet. For instance, pupils’ work on projects such as ‘sustainability and source’ helps them develop a deeper appreciation of the significance of looking after the environment and being self-reliant. They are very knowledgeable about their rights and those of others. Pupils learn about different cultures and religions. They talk maturely about differences and similarities between religious celebrations. Pupils work with professionals from a wide range of fields, for instance musicians, professional sporting athletes, artists and story tellers, who visit regularly. Pupils take great delight in raising donations for causes they support. Pupils learn to take care of their mental health and well-being, including age-appropriate relationships and consent. One pupil, echoing the views of many, said, ‘We all belong here.’

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

The curriculum in all subjects, including early years, is sequenced meticulously. It provides pupils with a rich academic and cultural programme of learning. The key knowledge, skills and vocabulary pupils should learn are set out clearly across the subjects. Staff identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) accurately. They mainly make suitable adaptations to learning to ensure that pupils with SEND access the curriculum successfully. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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

Pupils look forward to lessons and work hard. Typically, staff provide pupils with resources, equipment and materials that capture their natural curiosity and interests. For example, in mathematics, staff make sure that pupils have opportunities to explore their ideas in depth. School leaders understand precisely what is working well and what needs to improve further in the quality of education. In a small number of subjects, teachers do 21 and 22 January 2025

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not demonstrate the required subject knowledge and so do not ensure that pupils embed the important knowledge and skills well enough. Where this happens, sometimes pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school is addressing this.

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Pupils are fluent and prolific readers. Teachers develop children’s love of reading through rhymes and songs. Older pupils relish choosing a range of interesting and diverse texts from the well-stocked reading areas. Staff model expertly the phonics sounds that they want pupils to learn well. They make sure that the books pupils read match the phonics they are taught. Staff quickly identify any pupils who struggle with reading. These pupils receive the extra help that they need to catch up quickly.

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Children in the early years are eager and exceptionally enthusiastic learners. Adults create an extremely engaging, purposeful and interesting environment. Children, including those with SEND, learn through a thoughtful mix of adult-led activities and play. They learn to take turns and share resources with others. Staff check and help children make links in their work highly effectively. Children are extremely well prepared for their learning in key stage 1.

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The school places the utmost importance on promoting pupils’ attendance, which is currently above the national average. Parents and carers appreciate the nurture and excellent support their children receive. Almost all parents would recommend the school to others.

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Governors are skilled and knowledgeable. They challenge leaders extremely effectively to ensure that pupils’ educational experience is of the highest quality. Staff morale is sky high. Staff appreciate the opportunities they have to develop professionally. Staff value the team spirit and open culture that exists in the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few foundation subjects, occasionally teachers’ subject knowledge is not as secure as it is in other areas of the curriculum. This means that, sometimes, pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school should embed its programme to develop staff subject expertise so that pupils achieve highly across the whole curriculum. 21 and 22 January 2025

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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). 21 and 22 January 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Anne Cowan and Brid Cronin (co-chairs)

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 24 and 25 June 2015

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use 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. 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.  This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspection team discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 21 and 22 January 2025

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 Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders and other members of staff.  The lead inspector met with one of the co-chairs of governors and three governors. Inspectors also spoke on the telephone with a representative of the local authority and the local authority designated officer.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, physical education, history and geography. 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. The lead inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult. Inspectors also considered other subjects.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during visits to classrooms, during breaktimes and as pupils moved around the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central

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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 considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They considered the responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys. An inspector spoke to parents and carers at the start of the day to gather their views and opinions about the school.

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Inspection team

Shazia Akram, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Simon Woodbridge His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

James Stuart His Majesty’s Inspector 21 and 22 January 2025

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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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