Elizabeth Woodville School

Inspection of Elizabeth Woodville School Stratford Road, Deanshanger, Milton Keynes, Northamptonshire MK19 6HN

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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The heads of school are Hannah Jones and Emma Reed. This school is part of Tove Learning 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), Jamie Clarke, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Christopher Watt. There is also an executive headteacher, Natasha Whiles, who is responsible for this school and two others. 4 and 5 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at Elizabeth Woodville School. They are polite and respectful. The school is calm and orderly. There is a positive and inclusive culture built on strong relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils feel safe and cared for. They value the strong pastoral support that the school provides. This includes personalised support for pupils with mental health needs, provided by expert staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are high expectations of all pupils. The curriculum has improved recently. As a result, pupils in key stages 3 and 4, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well. However, this is not the case in the sixth form. Although the quality of teaching has improved in the sixth form, students do not achieve as well as they should. This is demonstrated in the most recent published outcomes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wide range of enrichment and extra-curricular activities. Clubs in sports, arts and crafts support pupils to develop their talents and interests. Pupils enjoy opportunities to compete against other schools in events such as the annual Faraday Challenge. Pupils can also gain valuable leadership skills by representing the student council, which is led by sixth-form students.

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

Since the previous inspection, the school has redesigned the curriculum. Across all subjects, the curriculum precisely identifies the important knowledge that pupils should learn. This is ordered well so that pupils, at every stage, build on what they already know and deepen their understanding as they progress. Pupils with SEND follow the same curriculum as their peers. The school quickly identifies when pupils have additional needs. Teachers make sure that learning activities are adapted to meet the needs of all learners.

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

Reading is a priority for the school. Pupils who struggle to read are well supported to gain reading fluency and confidence. Sixth-form students act as reading mentors for younger pupils, providing extra reading practice.

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

The curriculum is broad and ambitious. The number of pupils taking all of the GCSE subjects that make up the English Baccalaureate is increasing, as more choose to study a modern foreign language. In the sixth form, changes to staff have led to instability around which courses are offered to students. Furthermore, the school does not make sure that students receive enough teaching time to achieve as well as they should.

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

Teachers have good subject knowledge. They use this to explain concepts clearly and provide learning activities that are focused sharply on the knowledge that pupils need to learn. Pupils learn to use subject-specific vocabulary so that they can access challenging topics. Teachers frequently revisit topics. This helps pupils to remember what they have learned previously.

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

The school has established effective routines to check pupils’ understanding. Teachers provide valuable feedback that supports pupils to improve their work and challenges them 4 and 5 March 2025

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to think more deeply. However, there is still some work to do to make sure that these routines are embedded right across the curriculum. On some occasions, teachers do not accurately identify when there are gaps in pupils’ knowledge or where they have misconceptions. This means that, in some cases, pupils are not corrected, and their learning is less secure.

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The school supports pupils’ wider personal development well. The tutor-time and assembly programme, along with the curriculum for personal, social and health education, prepare pupils well for adulthood. For example, pupils learn how to maintain healthy relationships and manage their personal finances. They are taught to respect equality and diversity and to understand the importance of fundamental British values. Pupils benefit from detailed guidance about their future education and career opportunities. Students in the sixth form receive excellent personalised support when they apply for university courses or apprenticeships, or when they seek employment.

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Behaviour across the school has improved as a result of raised expectations. The number of pupils suspended from school was high previously but is now beginning to fall. Pupils now engage positively with learning activities. Disruptions are rare.

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Most pupils attend school well. The school monitors attendance closely and provides support to pupils, and their families, when it is needed, to secure good attendance.

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The school is well supported by the multi-academy trust. Leaders from the trust, along with trustees and members of the local governing body, know the school well. They work closely with school leaders to make sure that the school provides high-quality education for all pupils. Staff are happy and proud to work at the school. They value the way that the school helps them to manage their workload and develop their expertise.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum in the sixth form does not provide students with sufficient teaching time to securely gain the knowledge they need to be successful in their chosen courses. As a result, students in the sixth form are not as well prepared as they should be for their next steps in education, training or employment. The school needs to ensure that the curriculum is designed to give students the guided learning time and the support they need to achieve well.  The application of routines to check pupils’ recall of prior learning, and for responding to gaps in pupils’ knowledge and any misconceptions, is still developing in some areas. When these routines are not applied effectively, some pupils do not gain knowledge as securely as they could. The school needs to ensure that all teachers check precisely 4 and 5 March 2025

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what pupils know and can remember and that they provide feedback to help strengthen pupils’ understanding.

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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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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1095

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form

Headteacher Hannah Jones and Emma Reed (Heads of school) Website www.ewsacademy.org.uk

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form

Dates of previous inspection 1 and 2 November 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The heads of school were appointed in 2023.  The school is part of Tove Learning Trust.  The school is situated on two separate sites: Deanshanger Campus, Stratford Road, Deanshanger, Milton Keynes, Northamptonshire MK19 6HN and Roade Campus, Stratford Road, Roade, Northampton, NN7 2LP.  The school uses one registered alternative provision.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 4 and 5 March 2025

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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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the heads of school, the deputy headteachers and other school leaders.  The lead inspector met with the CEO, the deputy CEO and the chair of the board of trustees from Tove Learning Trust. The lead inspector also met with representatives of the local governing body, including the interim chair of governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science, art and modern foreign languages. 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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors also visited lessons and spoke to pupils about their work in some other subjects.  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.  Inspectors held meetings with leaders and scrutinised records relating to attendance, behaviour and personal development.  Inspectors considered the views of staff, pupils, and parents and carers through discussions and using Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

John Spragg, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Matthew Sammy Ofsted 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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