Woodside Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Woodside Primary School Jones Road, Goffs Oak, Cheshunt, Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire EN7 5JS

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 January 2025

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Outcome

Woodside Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Caroline Ginty. This school is part of Ivy Learning Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Matthew Kleiner-Mann, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Deborah Thompson.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Woodside Primary School provides a welcoming and supportive environment where pupils thrive. Pupils are polite, kind and respectful. This reflects the school’s strong emphasis on developing positive values. Staff hold high expectations for all pupils. Consequently, pupils do their best and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum is engaging. It is designed carefully to inspire pupils and support their learning across a broad range of subjects. In the early years, children build solid foundations. Pupils across the school are motivated to learn and are well prepared for their next steps.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school. They behave well and demonstrate positive behaviour and attitudes to school life. They are proud of their school and become positive role models. Strong relationships with staff ensure that pupils feel safe, valued and confident. Their achievements are celebrated widely, fostering a sense of pride and accomplishment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop respect for diversity, supported by visits to a variety of religious institutions. They take on a range of responsibilities, becoming school ambassadors, supporting the local food bank and improving the school environment. These opportunities help them build leadership skills, confidence and a sense of responsibility. As a result, pupils leave Woodside Primary School as confident, thoughtful and well-rounded young people. 21 and 22 January 2025

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

The school’s ambitious curriculum is continually reviewed and adapted to meet pupils’ needs. Recent changes to the mathematics and English curriculum are ensuring that pupils are now having more opportunities to practise skills in fluency, problem-solving, grammar and punctuation. Developing foundational knowledge and skills is a priority. For instance, a strong focus on sentence construction, including letter formation and grammar, ensures pupils consistently produce high-quality written work.

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

Teachers’ strong subject knowledge enables learning to build effectively on pupils’ prior understanding. Teachers present learning clearly. They check understanding and promptly address gaps and misconceptions. This enables pupils to achieve well. The school is ensuring that the curriculum helps pupils to make links across subjects. Consequently, pupils can recall important information. They confidently explain events such as the Roman invasions, making meaningful connections to their knowledge of countries and continents.

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

Reading is a priority. Staff are skilled in teaching phonics in a well-structured curriculum. Sounds are reinforced in the early years. Pupils build a strong vocabulary as they progress through the school. The school library is stocked with a wide range of engaging books. Pupils enjoy the stories teachers read to them. Pupils develop a love of reading from an early age. Most make strong progress, becoming fluent readers. Targeted, effective support helps those who need to catch up. However, teachers do not always check if pupils can read the books they choose for themselves or the ones used for practice. This can make reading less enjoyable for pupils and slow down their progress.

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

Children in the early years quickly adapt to routines and engage in learning with confidence and enthusiasm. Staff actively support and encourage them through well- planned activities that foster independence and curiosity. Consequently, children are ready for Year 1.

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

Pupils behave well in and outside of lessons. Most pupils attend well. Staff build positive relationships with parents and carers to understand and address pupils’ needs effectively. Drawing on their expertise and external resources, the school ensures vulnerable pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive the precise support to help them attend school regularly. This collaborative approach has enabled these pupils to improve their attendance, access the curriculum and achieve well.

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

The school’s work to support pupils’ personal development is effective. Pupils celebrate and respect diverse cultures and religions. They develop a strong sense of justice and compassion through the curriculum. They engage with stories that explore differences and diversity. Pupils thoughtfully share their perspectives, demonstrating sensitivity to the views of others while showing respect for individual differences.

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

The school proudly teaches British Sign Language to all pupils, with many achieving certifications at various levels. Pupils enthusiastically embrace this opportunity, engaging wholeheartedly in learning a unique skill. This not only broadens their communication abilities but also deepens their understanding of inclusivity and diversity. 21 and 22 January 2025

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Pupils benefit greatly from opportunities outside the classroom. They enjoy high-quality music lessons and are excited about participating in singing events. School trips, including team building residentials, play an important role in building teamwork and confidence.

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School leaders are deeply committed to their school, collaborating with parents, staff, governors and the trust to ensure pupils receive a quality education. Consequently, pupils and parents hold the school in high regard. Staff feel supported and valued. They appreciate the training and resources provided to contribute effectively to ongoing school improvement.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers do not consistently check that the reading books pupils are choosing to read are matched well enough to their abilities. As a result, some pupils do not make the progress needed to read confidently and fluently. The school should ensure that books are accurately matched to pupils’ reading ability to support them in becoming fluent and confident readers.

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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.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Woodside Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in May 2015. 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

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school joined the Ivy Learning Trust in April 2020.  The school has a before- and after-school club.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 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 deputy headteacher, teachers, support staff, the chair of governors, other governors and representatives from the trust and spoke with the school improvement partner.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to pupils about their learning and 21 and 22 January 2025

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looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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 around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, she spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  The inspector considered the views of parents through the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View.  The inspector considered the views of staff and pupils through meetings and informal discussions. She also considered the views of staff and pupils through their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Cindy Impey, lead inspector Ofsted 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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