Wood Lane Primary School

Inspection of Wood Lane Primary School Wood Lane, Bignall End, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST7 8PH

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 24 and 25 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s vision to ‘be the best version of yourself’ is lived and breathed by the children at Wood Lane. Pupils are proud of their achievements. They are equally proud of their contribution to the wider life of the school. Pupils enjoy coming to school, and the school is beginning to ensure that they are better prepared for their next steps.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships that are rooted in mutual respect and shared values lie at the heart of managing behaviour. Staff know pupils well and show genuine care for them. As a result, pupils behave well. They value these relationships and trust adults to help with any problems that might arise. This helps them to feel safe in school. Everyone in the Wood Lane family is treated fairly and equally.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has begun to address previous weaknesses in the curriculum and has made improvements since the last inspection. Some of these changes, particularly in reading, have been successful. However, in some subjects, pupils do not learn as well as they could. This is because there is still some variation in the way the curriculum is taught.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s ambition for its pupils reaches beyond the classroom. A range of carefully thought-out activities and experiences are available for pupils to engage in. They take full advantage of these opportunities. This helps them to develop a strong sense of responsibility and build their confidence.

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

Recent curriculum changes have ensured that the most important things for pupils to learn are clearly identified. The curriculum sets out the sequence of learning so that pupils build their knowledge over time. However, in some subjects, subject knowledge is not as secure, which means that the activities chosen are not always well matched to pupils’ needs. As a result, pupils do not always make the progress that they are capable of.

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

The school ensures that learning to read is a priority. Staff deliver the phonics programme effectively. They ensure that pupils practise reading using books well matched to the sounds that they learn. As a result, most pupils learn to read fluently and reach the expected standard in phonics at the end of Year 1. Accurate checks on pupils’ learning mean that any pupils falling behind with reading quickly receive the support they need to catch up. However, in some parts of the curriculum, the checks made on pupils’ understanding do not always accurately identify misconceptions and errors. This means that some pupils continue to make repeated mistakes.

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

The school has strengthened its processes for the management of special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It quickly identifies when pupils have individual needs. The school involves outside agencies well to agree the most appropriate ways to support pupils. Leaders provide staff with helpful guidance. However, teaching is not always adapted effectively to meet pupils’ needs. This means that some pupils do not learn the curriculum as well as they might. 24 and 25 June 2025

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Children in the early years get off to a good start. The school has created a nurturing environment where everyone is welcome. Children quickly learn and live out the school’s values. For example, they show high focus when practising their cutting skills. Children develop important social skills such as sharing and taking turns. Children in Nursery get off to a good start, for example with learning numbers. Children in Reception use their knowledge of letter sounds to write simple words. This means that by the end of the Reception Year, most children are well prepared for the next stage of learning.

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A strength of the school is the way it secures pupils’ positive behaviour. As a result, the school is a calm and orderly place. The school’s values are integral to pupils’ positive attitudes toward their learning and behaviour. Leaders ensure that attendance is of paramount importance and prioritise this. There are effective systems for monitoring attendance. The school’s hard work has improved pupils’ attendance and punctuality.

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Well-considered trips and clubs complement the curriculum and broaden pupils’ interests and experiences. For example, pupils enjoy attending clubs such as gardening, cooking and rounders. Pupils learn the importance of looking after their mental and physical health and how to keep themselves safe. Pupils talk confidently about what fundamental British values mean and how they relate to their own lives. For example, through voting for the head boy and girl, pupils learn about democracy. Pupils enjoy acting as leaders in the school parliament and through their role as friendship buddies for younger children.

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Staff appreciate the steps that the school takes to support their well-being and workload. Governors know the strengths and priorities well and are proud to be part of the school. They provide an effective level of challenge and support and carry out their statutory duties effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Assessment is not used as effectively as it could be to identify and address misconceptions. As a result, gaps in pupils’ learning and mistakes are not always identified and addressed quickly enough. The school should develop a consistent approach in all subjects so that assessment informs teaching and supports pupil progress.  The school’s approach to providing effective support for pupils with SEND is not always applied consistently. This means that some pupils are not always supported well enough to enable them to learn the curriculum effectively. The school should support staff to make the adaptations needed for pupils with SEND so that they can be successful in their learning. 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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 March 2023, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any 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 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.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and science. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the 24 and 25 June 2025

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curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, subject leaders, teachers and other members of school staff.  The lead inspector met with representative of the governing body, including the chair of the governors. She also met with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors spoke with pupils to gather general information about school life. They took account of responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the online staff and pupil surveys. Inspectors spoke informally with parents at the end of the school day.  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.

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Inspection team

Su Plant, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Susan Ray 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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