Woodford Valley Church of England Aided School

Inspection of Woodford Valley Church of England Aided School Middle Woodford, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 6NR

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

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The headteacher of this school is Donna Young. This school is part of the Pickwick Academy Trust which means other people in the trust have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), James Passmore, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Rob Ward. 24 and 25 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Woodford Valley Church of England is a school where everyone works together to create a happy, inclusive and purposeful community. Care, trust and respect shine through. This reflects the school’s core values, which include courage, compassion and friendship. At the heart of the school is the pupils. They are at the forefront of all decisions the school makes. The warm and nurturing relationships between staff and pupils are special. Staff know and understand pupils’ needs well. Pupils are confident they can share any worries or concerns. They trust that the school will listen and act quickly. This means pupils are happy and safe. They enjoy school and attend regularly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils, and, as result, pupils achieve well. Staff expect pupils to demonstrate positive behaviours. Pupils behave sensibly in lessons and during social times. Pupils know the importance of being tolerant and empathetic. They learn to recognise and celebrate each other’s differences.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the rich opportunities on offer, such as sports, gardening and the performing arts. These activities help develop pupils’ interests and talents. For example, pupils spoke with pride of having their artwork displayed in an exhibition at a London gallery.

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

The school has worked hard to address the areas identified at the time of the last inspection. As a result of this work, published outcomes for 2024 in English, reading and mathematics are now above national expectations.

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

The school provides a curriculum that excites and motivates pupils to engage in their learning. It identifies the essential knowledge, skills and vocabulary pupils need to learn. For example, in history, pupils spoke knowledgably about the important role animals played during the First World War. However, the school and trust have been right to identify that the recent refinements to the foundation subject curriculum require further work. Checks on what pupils know and remember are not implemented consistently well across all subjects. Some pupils are not able to retain some of the specific knowledge they have been taught over time. Consequently, there remains gaps in some pupils’ subject-specific knowledge.

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

The school has the aspiration that every pupil will develop a love of books and become fluent readers. This starts in the Reception Year, where children enjoy stories and begin their reading journey with enthusiasm. Staff are skilled in the teaching of phonics and reading. Books are carefully matched to the phonic knowledge of pupils. Those pupils at risk of falling behind are given the help they need to catch up and keep up. As a result, they become confident readers.

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

The school identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly and effectively. The school works closely with external agencies to ensure that pupils with SEND receive the right support and adaptations to learning. This ensures equal opportunity to enable pupils to develop a broad body of knowledge. 24 and 25 June 2025

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From the moment children start in the early years, they learn how to socialise, work together and become independent, as well as build their early reading, writing and mathematical knowledge. For example, children were independently writing labels to protect the habitat for caterpillars, such as ‘do not touch’. Children rapidly learn the behaviours expected of them. This is because staff form positive relationships with children. This means that children are well prepared for the demands of Year 1.

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Pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. It provides pupils with rich developmental experiences, such as a residential trip to Somerset to deepen their understanding of the First World War. Trips are carefully considered to enhance pupils’ learning experiences, including local landmarks such as Stonehenge and further afield to places such as Hampton Court.

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The school encourages pupils to develop their interests and talents. There is a wide range of clubs on offer, which includes music, sport and mindfulness. A firm favourite with pupils is rounders, forest learning and choir. Pupils relish the roles and responsibilities on offer. These include older pupils being buddies to younger children, acting as strong role models. Pupils also take on positions such as music captains, science leaders and mental health ambassadors. These opportunities develop pupils’ resilience and leadership skills.

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The school appreciates the effective support, guidance and challenge the governors and trust provides. Staff are proud to work at the school. They welcome the efforts of leaders to look after their well-being and that the workload is manageable.

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The school provides significant pastoral support to pupils and their families. Parents are delighted with the school and appreciate all that it does for them. Typical comments include praise for the school as ‘a most nurturing school and community’ where pupils develop a ‘strong sense of belonging’.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some of the foundation subjects, checks on pupils’ learning are not securely in place. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their subject-specific knowledge. The trust needs to ensure that the important content that has been explicitly identified, along with effective assessment processes, is securely embedded so that pupils know and remember more over time. 24 and 25 June 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). 24 and 25 June 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 November 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school joined Pickwick Academy Trust in April 2025.  This is a Church of England school in the Diocese of Salisbury. The school received its section 48 inspection under the Education Act for schools of a religious character in September 2022, when it was judged to be excellent. The school is due their next section 48 inspection within the next five years.  The school does not use 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. 24 and 25 June 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 met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and wider staff.  The lead inspector met with the chief executive officer, and two directors of education for the trust.  The lead inspector met with trustees, including the chair of trustees.  The lead inspector met with members of the local board of governors, including the chair.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector listened to some pupils from Year 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult. She

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heard other pupils from across the school read.  Inspectors sampled pupils’ work in science and music.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered key documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation, the school improvement plan and governors’ minutes.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. An inspector met with school leaders to discuss and review how they respond to behaviour incidents and pupils’ attendance.  Inspectors considered the responses to the staff survey and the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Jen Southall, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Katharine Anstey Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 June 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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