Woodcot Primary School

Inspection of Woodcot Primary School Tukes Avenue, Bridgemary, Gosport, Hampshire PO13 0SG

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The quality of education Requires improvement 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 Michaela Beetlestone. This school is part of University of Portsmouth Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the interim chief executive officer (CEO), Gwennan Harrison-Jones, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Dai Thomas. 21 and 22 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Woodcot primary is a place where pupils are happy and safe. Following a period of change, the school has raised its expectations of what pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can and should achieve. The school is taking the right actions to improve the quality of education. However, the impact of these actions is not yet resulting in pupils’ learning and outcomes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff secure positive relationships with pupils and this is at the heart of the school’s culture. Pupils live out the school’s values of consideration, resilience and independence as much as they can. This helps to foster a nurturing atmosphere throughout the school. Dedicated staff take the time to understand both pupils and their families. Pupils benefit from a range of clubs, including computing and woodland club, which help to develop their interests.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including children in the early years, generally behave well in class and around the school. They know what bullying is and are rightly confident that adults will act swiftly to resolve any issues. Staff provide effective support for pupils who find it challenging to regulate their emotions at times. This helps to create a positive and engaging environment and ensures that learning is not impacted.

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

This school is emerging from a significant period of instability. With the help of the trust, leaders have brought about substantial improvements to the curriculum, pupils’ behaviour and attendance. Those responsible for governance provide effective support and challenge to the school. The school prioritises professional development and support for staff, giving appropriate regard to their workload and well-being.

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

The school is improving how well pupils learn through the development of a well- sequenced curriculum. It has identified the important knowledge pupils need to know and remember across subjects. This helps teachers to know what to teach pupils and when.

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

Children get off to a great start in the early years. From Nursery onwards, children engage in activities for increasing periods and demonstrate the ability to cooperate and be kind to each other. With the support of skilled staff, they quickly learn important early reading, writing and number skills. They share stories, learn rhymes and develop an understanding of the world around them. Children are prepared well for Year 1.

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

Reading is prioritised throughout the school from the early years. This starts in Nursery, where staff teach children to develop their communication and language skills. This prepares them for when they learn to read. Teachers follow the intended phonics programme well. Pupils gain the knowledge and skills they need to become confident, fluent readers. Those pupils who find reading difficult receive regular support to help them to catch up quickly. This helps them to become confident and fluent readers over time. 21 and 22 January 2025

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The implementation of the curriculum is too variable. Where it is successful, ongoing checks ensure pupils demonstrate a secure understanding of concepts before they are introduced to new learning. Pupils are provided with sufficient opportunities to practise key knowledge and skills, which helps them to remember and apply their learning with confidence. This is helping pupils to achieve well.

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However, in newer aspects of the curriculum, pupils can be introduced to new learning before they are ready. In these subjects, pupils are not always provided with sufficient opportunities to revisit prior learning to secure their understanding. Teachers’ checks do not accurately identify gaps in learning or address misunderstandings. This can lead to pupils struggling with tasks that are too difficult for them. Consequently, this hinders pupils building on their existing knowledge securely.

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Leaders identify pupils’ needs accurately and inform staff of suitable strategies to support pupils with SEND. However, the support for pupils with SEND is not as strong as it could be. Sometimes, learning is not adapted well enough to meet pupils’ specific needs. As a result, some pupils with SEND struggle to build their knowledge, skills, and confidence.

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The school’s work to improve the attendance of pupils is effective and reducing absence. Leaders work in partnership with parents to understand the importance of their children being in school each day.

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The school promotes pupils’ personal development well. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe and how to lead healthy lifestyles. They know they make a difference to others. For example, pupils develop leadership skills and contribute to school life as ‘house captains’ or in the active ‘eco council’. They also learn about democratic processes as ‘pupil governors’ and provide feedback on school initiatives. Trips and experiences, such as visits to the Mary Rose or Shakespeare workshops enhance the curriculum. The school makes adaptations to its offer to ensure all pupils benefit, including those who are disadvantaged.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Staff do not routinely check that pupils have understood new learning. When this happens, some pupils develop gaps in their knowledge. At times, they can be overwhelmed and unsure about the knowledge they need to learn. The school should ensure that teaching helps pupils to focus on the important knowledge that the curriculum identifies. 21 and 22 January 2025

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 On occasions, learning is not adapted well enough to meet pupils’ specific needs. This means that pupils with SEND do not progress through the curriculum as the school expects. The school should ensure that staff have the knowledge and expertise to adapt their teaching and meet the needs of pupils.  In some newer curriculum subjects, teaching does not support pupils to recall and build on previous learning sufficiently well. Some pupils therefore have gaps in their knowledge and insecure foundations on which to build new learning. The school should implement effective strategies to ensure that teachers regularly revisit previously taught content and knowledge.

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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

Dates of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the University of Portsmouth Academy Trust. The trust’s interim CEO and Primary Director were appointed in March 2024.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2024.  The school provides a before- and after-school club.  The school does not make use of 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 provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 21 and 22 January 2025

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 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 lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. They also met with members of the governing body and representatives from the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and science. 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.  During the inspection, inspectors met with a range of pupils to discuss their views about the school and talked to them informally during social times.

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 Inspectors met some parents to gain their views of the school. They reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also took account of staff responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire.  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.

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Inspection team

Laura James, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Richard Blackmore 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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