Woolston Brook School

Inspection of Woolston Brook School Green Lane, Padgate, Warrington, Cheshire WA1 4JL

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Good 29 and 30 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has improved significantly since the previous inspection. Pupils benefit from and appreciate the broader curriculum and the vocational opportunities that they now have. They rise to the high expectations the school has for them. They achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop strong and trusting relationships with the staff in school. During lunchtimes, staff and pupils chat and eat together. After lunch, pupils enjoy a range of activities, including football and basketball. Other pupils choose to have some quiet time on computer games together. Staff know pupils extremely well, ensuring pupils feel safe, secure and happy in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school promotes positive relationships, responsibility and respect. Pupils demonstrate these values. They behave well and also encourage each other to uphold good behaviour in school. Pupils gain merit points for good behaviour and positive attitudes to work. They use their merit points to earn a reward. The weekly fishing trip is a particular favourite reward.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils also enjoy a wide range of activities outside the classroom that give them opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. All pupils take part in the annual camp where they enjoy adventurous activities. Older pupils develop skills to undertake an expedition as part of their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

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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 implemented a broad and ambitious curriculum that is in line with the national curriculum. The vocational courses that pupils can follow have expanded the curriculum offer at key stage 4. Pupils are working towards national qualifications, including GCSEs, functional skills, entry levels and vocational awards.

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

The curriculum allows pupils to build on their prior knowledge. Teachers choose activities and resources that engage pupils’ interests and help them understand and remember key concepts. In most subjects, pupils have opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge through their work. For example, the extended writing that some pupils produce allows them to express their thoughts and ideas. However, in a small number of subjects, the work required of pupils is not as ambitious. This limits the depth of their learning.

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

The school has prioritised reading. A wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts are used as a gateway to learning. For example, in the primary phase, pupils’ imagination was captured when reading a biography, and they also expanded their vocabulary as they discussed the content of the book. The school uses a range of assessment strategies to identify the gaps in pupils’ reading knowledge. Through targeted work, pupils who find reading difficult have the support they need to quickly gain the knowledge and skills that they need to become confident, fluent readers.

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

Pupils behave well in school. Their attitudes to learning are positive, and they are eager to 29 and 30 April 2025

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learn. Staff know how they can support pupils to regulate their emotions and behaviour. They show sensitivity and understanding of pupils’ social, emotional and mental health needs. Over time, pupils also learn to manage their own behaviour better.

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Pupils’ attendance is improving. This is because the school works effectively with parents, carers and external agencies to remove the barriers to attendance.

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Pupils learn about tolerance and respect for others. They learn about the wide range of religions and cultures in the world. The school also ensures that pupils learn to stay safe online, as well as in society. A wide range of external visitors talk to pupils, including charities, police and health experts, to further strengthen their understanding of personal safety.

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The school’s careers programme ensures that pupils from Year 7 to Year 11 learn about different career options, work opportunities and practical knowledge such as finance and communication skills. Pupils are ready for their next stage in education.

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The new leadership team has given staff the confidence to shine. Staff feel included and contribute to school improvement. New subject leaders and leaders of other aspects of the school have embraced their areas of responsibility. However, they are in the early stages of using all the information they hold to drive further improvement.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, pupils do not have the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge or express their thoughts and ideas. This is not helping pupils to think for themselves. It also limits them from deepening their knowledge. The school should ensure that in all subjects, pupils have opportunities to apply and demonstrate what they have learned.  New subject leaders and leaders responsible for other areas across the school are in the early stages of using all the information they hold to drive further improvement. This also makes it difficult for them to demonstrate the impact of their work. The school should ensure that new leaders receive the support needed to enhance their roles further.

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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. 29 and 30 April 2025

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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). 29 and 30 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 March 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, a new headteacher and deputy headteacher have taken up post.  All pupils at the school have an education, health and care plan for social, emotional and mental health needs or for autism.  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.  The school uses one unregistered 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 and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 29 and 30 April 2025

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 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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, including early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors spoke with some pupils about their learning. They also discussed the curriculum in some 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.

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 Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other leaders in school.  An inspector spoke with representatives from the local authority and had a conversation with the school improvement partner. An inspector also spoke with representatives from the governing body, including the chair and vice-chair of governors  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including policies and analysis of pupils’ behaviour and attitudes.  Inspectors spoke to some pupils and staff about the school. They also observed pupils’ behaviour during lunchtimes and breaktimes.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.  Inspectors also considered the views of parents expressed through Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. An inspector also spoke with some parents.

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Inspection team

Julie Bather, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jane Holmes Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 April 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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