Woden Primary School

Inspection of Woden Primary School Springfield Road, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV10 0LH

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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The headteacher of this school is Sara Walmsley. This school is part of The Central Learning Partnership 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), Georgetta Holloway, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Robert Turton.

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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 March 2015. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 25 and 26 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

‘Learning to make a difference’ is seen and heard through all parts of the school day and beyond. Pupils enjoy their learning and strive to work hard. An increasing proportion of pupils are achieving well. The school’s high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and their growth as unique individuals are visible in its work with the youngest children to the oldest pupils. Behaviour is notably praiseworthy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils uphold the school’s values. Being ready, respectful and safe soon becomes second nature to them. Pupils grow in maturity, confidence and independence. From ‘buddy readers’ to being a budding junior police officer, pupils see the value in their roles and responsibilities and how they support their peers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school goes above and beyond to provide pupils with many varied experiences and opportunities. The ‘careers carnival’ opens the door to the world of work for pupils. It allows them to peek inside and gain insight into a vast array of jobs that exist after school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have an active voice in many aspects of school life and appreciate that their opinions are asked for and respected. Peer mentors skim and scan the playground and step in if anyone needs a friend. Pupils are right when they say, ‘We can change things because we are listened to.’

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

The trust’s motto of ‘unlocking potential and changing lives’ underpins the work at Woden. Skilful oversight ensures resources are directed in a way that allows school leaders and staff to focus their skills and energy on the work in hand. Through this carefully honed approach, both staff and pupils grow and flourish.

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

The school makes a positive difference in the lives of pupils. Many pupils join the school at different times throughout the year. The school’s determination that every pupil will learn to know themselves, value education and experience the wider world is successful. This starts in the Nursery and Reception and continues throughout each year group. Pupils learn to know and follow the ‘Woden Way’.

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

The school has designed an effective curriculum. The school welcomes pupils from over 30 countries with 40 spoken languages and considers pupils’ needs carefully. Additionally, the school welcomes increasing numbers of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), some of whose needs are growing in complexity.

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

The school has clear and effective systems to ensure that pupils’ additional needs are known, understood and supported extremely well. It has drawn upon expertise from other trust schools and used this to good effect to distinguish between early language development or a specific need. Once known, the support that follows ensures that pupils with SEND access the full curriculum and achieve well. 25 and 26 March 2025

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Children in the early years benefit greatly from the support of skilled staff who guide, model and play with them sensitively. Children begin to make sense of and use the English language well. They speak, listen and interact with other people with increasing confidence and accuracy. Whether it is reading a story to their teddies or refilling containers to explore capacity, children show that they can concentrate, share and enjoy their learning. The school’s well-thought-out routines throughout the day and the week are key to the success of children’s development. This sets them up very well for the learning that follows in Year 1.

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The early focus on language is sustained throughout the school. Pupils’ use of ambitious and sophisticated vocabulary in their work in different subjects is impressive. Reading links into writing. These links are strong and effective. Pupils learn to read well. Those who need more help or more time with this learning receive timely support. Staff are attuned to instinctively explaining the meaning of words that pupils might not readily understand. This helps pupils, especially those who speak English as an additional language, to make sense of their reading and writing.

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The attention to detail given to vocabulary and enrichment activities across subjects pays off. Pupils talk about their learning and educational visits with clear recall and use technical words with accuracy and understanding. An aspect that is holding pupils back is the lack of accuracy in the basic skills of letter formation, handwriting and spelling. Sometimes, staff do not help pupils to understand and resolve errors in their written work effectively.

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The school has rightly tweaked its English and mathematics curriculum recently. This addresses the previously poor outcomes in the end-of-key-stage tests and has been effective. Increasing numbers of pupils are working at the expected standards across each year group.

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In addition to this, the school has increased its already extensive offer of pastoral support and counselling so that pupils are safe, feel secure and cared for and have strategies to talk about and manage their emotions. The dedication and expertise of staff supporting this work are remarkable. It makes a real and positive difference to many pupils.

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A standout feature of this school is the way in which pupils behave with consistently high levels of respect for others. The rich tapestry of cultures and backgrounds intertwine successfully. Pupils do not see difference; they see diversity. For instance, a typical comment by a pupil was, ‘You treat others as you wish to be treated.’ This respect hums throughout the school. To hear pupils share with inspectors their appreciation of the opportunities that are open to all and what they gain from them is uplifting. They know they can try out different things and might discover they have a new skill or talent. To see the sense of duty they share in fulfilling their many and varied jobs and roles gives hope for the future.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 25 and 26 March 2025

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Staff do not always address pupils’ errors in their written work. This means some pupils have gaps in their foundational handwriting and spelling knowledge that persist. The school should ensure that staff enable pupils to write with increased letter formation and spelling accuracy and errors are addressed.

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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). 25 and 26 March 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 10 and 11 March 2015, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school currently uses no alternative provision.  The school is part of Central Learning Partnership Trust.  The school runs a before- and after-school 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 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. 25 and 26 March 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, science, history and physical education. 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. They also considered additional subjects, including English, mathematics and geography.  The lead inspector listened to some pupils read to a known adult.  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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector met with the chair of the trust board, the chair of the local executive governing board and the CEO.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the assistant headteachers, other leaders in the school and staff.  Inspectors considered pupils’ behaviour throughout the inspection. Inspectors also spoke with leaders to consider how they support pupils’ behaviour.  Inspectors talked with pupils and staff to gather general information about school life. They took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey of staff. They considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. An inspector spoke with parents on the gate.  A range of documentation was scrutinised, including school policies, curriculum documents and the school’s website.

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Inspection team

Kirsty Foulkes, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mark Gilbert Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 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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