Woodfield Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Woodfield Primary School Taunton Avenue, Whitleigh, Plymouth, Devon PL5 4HW

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Outcome

Woodfield Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection. The headteacher of this school is Tessa Saunders. This school is part of Learning Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Simon Spry, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by John Butcher.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish within this happy and nurturing environment. They enjoy coming to school. Pupils feel safe and form strong relationships with staff. Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and achievement. Most pupils rise to this and show consistently positive attitudes towards their learning. Children in the Nursery Year play happily. They learn clear routines, which helps them to be school ready.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff are passionate about the importance of the ‘Woodfield Way’. This includes 12 life skills, which are shared with pupils throughout the year. For example, aspiration, compassion and cooperation. Pupils value being rewarded for showing these positive attributes. Staff get to know pupils and their families well. There are strong partnerships between school and home.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils across classes attend trips to broaden their experiences. For example, to a local zoo, historical sites and the cinema. Pupils suggest extra-curricular clubs that they would like the school to run. Current activities include choir, colouring and origami. Older pupils are proud to be elected by their peers to be a school champion. They are positive role models to others. Pupils benefit from meeting different visitors to the school. These include local authors, community workers and people with different religious beliefs. 4 and 5 March 2025

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

The school is committed to the pupils of this community. It provides a broad and rich curriculum, which ensures that pupils are well prepared for their next steps. Pupils at Woodfield Primary achieve well. Leaders and governors are considerate of staff well- being. The trust provide staff with an ambitious professional development programme. Staff enjoy working here. They are dedicated to doing the best for every pupil.

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

The school has revised and improved the ambition of the wider curriculum. Staff have identified where pupils have gaps in their knowledge of previous learning. As a result, they provide pupils with the guidance they need to fill those gaps. Pupils learn successfully and build their knowledge. On occasion, pupils do not benefit from opportunities to deepen their thinking or develop their ability to compose extended pieces of writing.

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

Pupils get off to a flying start with their reading. The school’s chosen phonics programme is taught well. Staff carefully monitor pupils’ progress through the curriculum and put any additional support that is required in place. This helps most pupils to become confident and fluent readers. Reading widely and for pleasure is encouraged and celebrated at the school. In the early years, children read a range of stimulating texts, including traditional stories and poems.

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

The school is committed to developing pupils’ oracy. Children in the Nursery and Reception Year, who have speech and language delays, are identified quickly and supported to catch up. As pupils move through the school, they are encouraged to use sentence stems to structure their talk. Within the core curriculum, pupils have many opportunities to discuss their learning with peers, which develops their confidence.

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

Most pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn successfully alongside their peers in the classroom. The school identifies their needs quickly. Staff receive regular training to help them to understand the needs of individuals and what will aid their learning. As a result, pupils with SEND are well supported by adults and through adaptations to the resources that they use. A small number of pupils learn within a nurture provision. This allows them to receive additional adult support and be successful in their learning.

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

The school is calm and purposeful. On the occasions when a minority of pupils find school life more difficult, they are well supported by adults. For example, the school makes effective use of alternative spaces to give these pupils time to regulate their emotions. Pupils make positive use of the outdoor areas available to them. They enjoy using the climbing equipment or exploring the woodland during play times. Children in the Nursery and Reception Year benefit from extensive, purposeful outdoor provision. They can ride scooters, grow plants and play with sand and water. Adults guide children through play, while also taking opportunities to develop their independence.

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

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe online and in the community. They are also supported with how to keep physically and mentally healthy. For example, pupils 4 and 5 March 2025

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participate in a ‘mini-Olympics’, learn how to ride a bike safely and attend workshops on how to manage their feelings.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In the wider curriculum, the opportunities for pupils to deepen their thinking or to develop their ability to compose extended pieces of writing are more limited. Therefore, pupils do not extend their knowledge and understanding as well as they could. The trust should ensure that the teaching of foundation subjects supports pupils to make meaningful connections in their learning, so that they can achieve to the best of their ability.

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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, Woodfield Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in May 2013. 4 and 5 March 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). 4 and 5 March 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 30 and 31 October 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Learning Academies Trust.  Since the previous inspection, a new headteacher has been appointed.  The school has provision for two-year-olds in its nursery.  The school uses one registered provider of 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 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 held discussions with the headteacher, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, the chair and other members of the local governing body, the 4 and 5 March 2025

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chair of the trust, a trustee, the CEO of the trust, and the director of education of the trust.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to curriculum leaders, spoke to some pupils about their learning and 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 considered parents’ responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text comments. The inspector also considered responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Kelly Olive, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 4 and 5 March 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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