Wood Fold Primary School

Inspection of Wood Fold Primary School Green Lane, Standish, Wigan, Lancashire WN6 0TS

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 February 2025

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The quality of education Outstanding 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 September 2014. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 11 and 12 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this school. They are happy here and feel safe. Relationships between pupils and staff are built on high levels of trust and respect.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Throughout the school, pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They are kind and courteous. Teachers establish routines to support excellent behaviour in the early years and these high expectations for pupils’ behaviour continue throughout the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils achieve remarkably well. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils do their utmost to reach the high standards that the school sets for their achievement. There is a quiet buzz of excitement during lessons as pupils relish the opportunity to learn new things.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have rich and varied opportunities to develop their wider talents. The school ensures that their interests are nurtured through a plethora of clubs. Trips and sporting, musical and art clubs are offered to all. Take up by pupils is extremely high.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils undertake a range of community projects. These support their understanding of issues facing their wider community and how they may help others. The ‘skills for life’ activities provide ample opportunities for pupils to develop their confidence, independence and resilience both at home and in school.

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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum that carefully identifies what pupils need to know and remember over time. This begins from the moment that they enter the early years. The school has highly effective processes to identify and support pupils with additional needs. Staff expertly adapt the delivery of the curriculum. As a result, pupils, including those with SEND, develop a rich body of knowledge that enables them to make connections and apply their knowledge across different subjects and topics.

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

High-quality training provided by the school ensures that teachers are extremely well- equipped to deliver the curriculum with expertise and flair. The school provides well- considered resources which engage and motivate pupils. Teachers design and deliver carefully crafted activities to meet pupils’ needs. For example, pupils were able to talk about what they had learned previously and how this helped them to embark on new learning with confidence. Teachers regularly check for understanding and address misconceptions at the point of learning. They also help pupils to work things out for themselves. Pupils are, therefore, resilient and do not give up. They love to solve problems, especially when conducting experiments in science. They work well independently, and in groups, to find solutions.

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

The school places great importance on the teaching of reading. It begins in the early years, where children take delight in listening to and sharing stories and rhymes. The school has ensured that staff have developed expertise in teaching phonics. Pupils understand phonics lesson routines and receive well-judged support to read well. This 11 and 12 February 2025

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enables them to learn to read quickly and accurately. Those pupils who may find reading more difficult are well supported to catch up quickly. The approach to fluency used by the school from year 2 onwards works exceptionally well to improve the pace of pupils’ reading and their understanding of what they have read.

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Older pupils are enthusiastic readers. They have access to a wide variety of well-chosen, high-quality texts within classrooms. Visits to the local library also encourage pupils to read more widely and often. Pupils also understand that reading will support them in their wider learning.

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There are very few distractions to learning. There is a calm and orderly atmosphere throughout the school. Attendance rates are high. For those whose attendance may fall below the expected level, support is put in place quickly to bring about improvement.

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Pupils’ personal development is exceptionally well thought through. It supports pupils to develop their character, interests and talents to an impressive level. They learn how to keep themselves safe online. They develop empathy and respect for other cultures and beliefs. As a result, pupils are highly considerate of the views and beliefs of different groups of people. Pupils value and celebrate differences.

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Pupils enjoy the leadership responsibilities on offer, such as being office helpers or playground buddies. They particularly enjoy reading activities with the younger pupils. The school’s choir and sports teams also give pupils a chance to represent the school at events within the wider community.

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Governors fulfil their role with commitment and tenacity. They hold the school to account fully for the quality of the education pupils receive.

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Staff are proud to work at this school. They appreciate the support they receive and leaders’ actions to manage their workload. They share their leaders’ relentless commitment to providing a high-quality education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 11 and 12 February 2025

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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). 11 and 12 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 16 and 17 September 2014, under section 5 of the Education Act

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Information about this school

 A new headteacher has been appointed since the last inspection.  A new chair of governors has been appointed since the last inspection.  The school runs breakfast and after-school provision for pupils.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.

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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. 11 and 12 February 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 that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other members of staff. The lead inspector spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair and vice-chair of governors. She also spoke with representatives of the local authority.  Inspectors conducted deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, design technology and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, considered samples of pupils work and spoke to some pupils about their learning. The lead inspector listened to pupils reading to a familiar adult. Inspectors also viewed

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curriculum documents and samples of pupils’ work in other subjects.  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 the views expressed by parents and carers in their responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They spoke with parents as they brought their children to school at the start of the school day.  The inspectors also took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for staff. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for pupils.

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Inspection team

Pat Speed, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrew Marlow Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 February 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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