Woodley Primary School

Woodley Primary School

Address: Sherwood Road, Woodley, Stockport, Cheshire, SK6 1LH Unique reference number (URN): 134779

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders have focused sharply on improving the provision in the early years. This work has been markedly successful. Leaders have high aspirations for children’s achievement. The curriculum is well designed, and leaders have made sure that children make a positive start to their early education. Leaders ensure that all areas of learning are thoroughly covered. They ensure that the curriculum includes well-chosen, high-quality texts and vocabulary. This helps to develop children’s communication and literacy skills. The phonics programme is well ordered and typically helps children to develop their knowledge and skills in reading well.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff have warm and caring relationships with children. They secure effective relationships with parents and carers from the outset. Well-established routines help children to settle quickly. Staff reinforce and model expectations effectively. They engage children in high- quality interactions to support children’s language and thinking skills. Children successfully build on what they already know and can do. Staff enable them to practise and apply what they have been taught. For example, they ensure that children have many opportunities to develop their pre-writing skills. As a result, children progress well across all areas of learning and are ready for their eventual move into key stage 1.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have strengthened their approaches to meeting pupils’ differing needs. This helps pupils to benefit more readily from the opportunities that the school has to offer. Leaders have effective systems to identify pupils’ individual needs quickly and accurately, including for disadvantaged pupils and for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders involve families and external professionals to build the information that they need to support pupils well.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders ensure that staff develop their knowledge of how to support pupils through a programme of professional learning. There is a step-by-step approach to meeting pupils’ learning and wellbeing needs. Additional funding is used effectively. This includes by drawing on specialist support as necessary. For example, leaders bring in outside expertise to support pupils who struggle with communication and language difficulties and those with mental health needs.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders understand the barriers to learning and wellbeing that pupils face. They generally address these well, such as by using adaptive resources, to enable pupils with SEND and those who face other disadvantages to learn alongside their peers. Frequent reviews help staff to know which pupils require extra support. However, some approaches are not used as effectively as leaders intend, which means that some gaps in knowledge are not addressed promptly.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have adopted a personal development programme that provides well for pupils’ wider development. They have made sure that all pupils benefit from what the school offers, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pupils are typically well prepared for life in modern Britain. They develop their understanding of fundamental British values, including respecting the differences between themselves and others.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils appreciate how they can contribute to the school, the local area and beyond. They make a positive difference to their peers’ experiences in a range of leadership roles. For example, ‘pupil parliamentarians’ have actively improved the lunchtime menu and suggested how to make playtimes better. During termly ‘CARE’ days, pupils help their community. They engage in litter-picking, collecting for foodbanks and raising money for charities.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pastoral support is a priority. Leaders make use of a mental health practitioner to support pupils’ wellbeing in school and at home. Staff check how pupils are feeling each morning. Calming activities in the morning support pupils in being ready for the day ahead. Classroom ‘recognition walls’ help staff to acknowledge pupils’ efforts and their achievement.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils know how to stay safe outside of school, for example, when crossing roads and while using the internet. They understand how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy. For example, pupils know about healthy eating habits, exercising, breathwork and having a support network around them. They have a clear understanding of their rights, such as the right to speak out and to be safe.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils are encouraged to develop their talents and interests. Older pupils learn how to play a musical instrument. Pupils enjoy a range of clubs, including in drama, sports, pottery, dance and Spanish. Leaders check that pupils benefit from these experiences. Pupils develop aspirations for their futures and the world of work.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged, do not achieve as well as they should by the end of Year 6. This is reflected in the results of national tests. For example, the progress that pupils make by the end of key stage 2 is below the national average. Leaders’ actions to improve the curriculum are bearing fruit in some respects, such as younger pupils’ attainment in phonics and mathematics. However, these improvements are not consistently embedded throughout the school. Many older pupils lack secure foundations in reading and writing. Because staff do not consistently identify or address these issues, some errors persist over time. This hampers pupils’ achievement across the curriculum. Some pupils struggle to remember their prior learning. This limits how well prepared these pupils are for the next stages of their education.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

While many pupils attend school regularly and have a sense of belonging at school, persistent absence remains high, particularly for disadvantaged pupils. Some pupils' punctuality is also poor. Leaders check pupils’ rates of attendance carefully. Their reasons for absence are understood. Leaders work closely with parents, carers and external agencies as necessary. This is beginning to have an impact, but has not secured improvement for some pupils. These pupils miss out on important learning and experiences.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Pupils’ engagement and their behaviour during lessons is variable. Typically, they enjoy their learning. However, staff do not consistently apply the school’s expectations to challenge low- level disruption and undesirable behaviours. This means that some misbehaviour continues and, at times, hinders pupils’ learning. Some staff do not feel supported in managing pupils’ behaviour effectively. Across the school, pupils generally conduct themselves in a calm and orderly manner. They are well mannered and polite. Staff deal with any incidents of bullying or unkind behaviour promptly. Relationships between staff and pupils are respectful and nurturing. Pupils enjoy social times, especially following leaders’ actions to improve breakfast club and lunchtime. Pupils understand the school’s values and look forward to rewards, such as hot chocolate with the headteacher.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

While teachers have secure subject knowledge and a broad understanding of how pupils learn, their delivery of the curriculum is variable. Staff do not consistently adapt learning activities well enough to ensure that all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, learn as well as they should. In addition, staff do not give pupils enough time to practise and consolidate important learning. This hinders how well pupils embed new knowledge. Added to this, teachers do not use assessment strategies sufficiently well to check pupils’ understanding of new content or their grasp of basic skills in reading, writing and number. Pupils develop knowledge and skills unevenly, for instance the phonics programme is well embedded and generally helps pupils learn how to read well. However, many pupils have other gaps in their knowledge that go unaddressed over time. This hinders their ability to catch up as quickly as they should.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have improved the design of the curriculum since the previous inspection. It is broad, balanced and well ordered towards ambitious end goals. Leaders have also identified priorities for improving teaching. However, these actions are at an earlier stage. It is too soon to see the impact of this work.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders and governors have taken appropriate action to secure improvements to the school's provision. This includes improving teaching and pupils’ levels of attendance. However, it is too early to see the consistent impact of these improvements across the school. Even so, leaders and governors act in the best interests of pupils. They have accurately identified the school’s strengths and the ongoing aspects that need further attention. Their actions have been proportionate and focused on creating positive learning environments. For example, there are noticeable improvements in the early years provision and in the redesign of the school’s curriculum.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders and governors make effective use of external advice, such as from subject specialists and the local authority. They typically support staff’s workload and wellbeing well. For example, they provide staff with professional learning and time to complete their roles. Nonetheless, some staff have low morale and do not feel valued or involved in the strategic direction of the school. Several staff do not feel sufficiently supported by leaders, including in managing pupils’ behaviour.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders have prioritised building relationships with parents. Overall, these partnerships are positive. Many parents commended leaders on their actions to support their children. However, some parents remain dissatisfied and feel that leaders could do more to resolve any concerns they may have.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Governors are astute in supporting the school in its improvement journey. They ensure that statutory duties, such as in safeguarding and financial oversight, are met. Overall, governors support and challenge leaders well. They are reflective on how they can further bolster improvement across all aspects of the school’s work.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are proud to belong to their school and say that ‘everybody is welcome here’. They embrace the school’s ‘CARE’ values and can articulate why they follow these in school and beyond. For example, pupils know that everyone matters and that it is important to be respectful towards others. Pupils form positive relationships with their peers and with staff. They know that staff will help them, should they have any concerns.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Leaders have high expectations for pupils’ achievement. They have improved the curriculum so that it is broad and ambitious. Pupils benefit from these improvements and, typically, show positive attitudes towards their learning. For example, younger pupils have a secure start in developing their fluency and accuracy in reading. However, some of these improvements are not embedded across the school. Staff do not deliver the curriculum consistently well. This means that pupils do not achieve as well as they should over time. Some have gaps in their knowledge.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Leaders have strengthened their processes to identify and address any barriers that pupils face to their learning and wellbeing. This includes for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. These pupils' barriers are usually reduced effectively.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Generally, pupils attend school regularly. However, a significant minority of pupils have low rates of attendance and poor punctuality. This limits how well they achieve. Mostly, pupils behave well across the school. Staff deal with bullying effectively. However, staff are inconsistent in how they challenge low-level disruption. At times, this interrupts pupils’ learning. The school provides a rich range of experiences that broaden pupils’ horizons and their preparedness for life in modern Britain. For example, pupils visit museums and churches, go to the pantomime and take part in sports competitions. Older pupils particularly relish an annual visit to a theatre, where they perform a play by Shakespeare.

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Next steps

Leaders should support staff in delivering the curriculum consistently well, including by making adaptations to teaching, so that all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, achieve as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that teachers’ checks on learning identify errors and gaps in pupils’ knowledge and skills consistently, so that these can be addressed swiftly. Leaders should make sure that pupils have enough opportunities to practise and consolidate their learning, so that they build a secure body of knowledge across the curriculum. Leaders and governors should ensure that their attendance strategy has the intended impact to raise pupils’ attendance rates, particularly for those who are disadvantaged, and take swift action when needed. Leaders should support staff in consistently applying the school’s renewed expectations to challenge low-level misbehaviour, to further reduce any disruptions to pupils’ learning.

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About this inspection

The co-chairs of the board of governors in this school are Kate Gummett and Afreena Islam- Wright.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and several other leaders during the inspection. The lead inspector met with representatives of the governing body, including the co-chairs of governors. A meeting also took place with a representative of the local authority.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with several pupils, staff, parents and carers. They considered the responses to Ofsted’s surveys.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school uses no alternative provision.

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Lead inspector:

David Lobodzinski, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

Clare Baron, Ofsted Inspector Elizabeth Travis, Ofsted Inspector Kevin Simpson, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England. Since the last inspection, a new headteacher has been appointed.

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What does this mean?

Headteacher: Peter Langridge National average: 300

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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average

2022/23 (final) 60% 60% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 73% 75% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 74% 73% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 66% 72% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 72% 71% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 69% 74% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 74% 73% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2023/24 (final) 54% 62% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 70% 60% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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average

2022/23 (final) 70% 58% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 58% 61% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2024/25 (2 term) 5.3% 5.2% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 6.0% 5.5% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2024/25 (2 term) 12.6% 13.3% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 15.4% 14.6% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 13.4% 16.2% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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