Outwoods Primary School

Outwoods Primary School

Address: Harehedge Lane , Horninglow, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, DE13 0AS Unique reference number (URN): 145099

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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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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils typically achieve well as they move through the school. This results in most pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, achieving in line with national outcomes at the end of key stage 2 national tests. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported through adaptations to the curriculum. This enables them to make progress from their starting points.

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Achievement Expected standard

Typically, pupils develop foundational knowledge well. Teachers know when pupils need support to close gaps in their learning. Changes to the approach by which handwriting is taught are having a positive impact across the school. Pupils learn core skills in reading, writing and mathematics well. This starts in the early years. Leaders ensure that pupils build on this knowledge over time.

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Achievement Expected standard

Leaders prepare pupils well for their next stage of education. Pupils grow in confidence, resilience and independence during their time here. This equips them well for their futures.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders make improving pupils’ attendance a priority. They monitor attendance regularly. This information helps them intervene quickly if a pupil’s attendance starts to decline. Leaders offer support and challenge to pupils, parents and carers. They use strategies like newsletters and meetings. For pupils who face barriers to attending regularly, leaders provide effective support. As a result of leaders’ actions, most pupils attend school regularly. This work has led to an improving trend in persistent absence over the last 3 years, with rates now close to national levels.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils show highly respectful attitudes to others. Bullying and discriminatory behaviour are rare. Pupils routinely look after each other. They support and help their peers without adult direction. This is because leaders have created a culture where staff expect and model positive behaviour. Adaptations to the behaviour policy support pupils who need this. Typically, pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. On the rare occasions where pupils struggle with this, staff use a range of effective strategies to support their emotions. These strategies are effective because staff know the emotional needs of their pupils well.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The curriculum at Outwoods is well sequenced, broad and balanced. Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of the curriculum and teaching at the school. Since the previous inspection, leaders have revised many curriculum subjects, including mathematics and writing. Some subjects in the wider curriculum are at earlier stages of design. However, in most subjects, pupils typically learn well. This is because leaders ensure that staff have the right subject knowledge to explain learning clearly.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff usually make regular checks on pupils’ understanding. This helps them to identify any gaps or misunderstandings. Consequently, key knowledge and skills in reading, writing and mathematics are typically secure. Where pupils have gaps in their learning, staff put support in place to help them catch up with their peers. For example, daily phonics interventions mean that most pupils in Reception secure the sounds they need to read simple words. Pupils learn to read fluently and confidently. They talk enthusiastically about the books they enjoy. They also talk about books from other cultures, such as the 30 stories they read during Ramadan.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teachers use a range of adaptations in their lessons. This ensures that lessons are inclusive. As a result, all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make progress from their starting points.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders have sequenced the steps children will learn from Nursery to the end of the Reception Year. This ensures progression across the early years curriculum. Staff design activities that develop children’s emerging skills. For example, well-planned finger activities strengthen fine motor development. Forest sessions build children’s understanding of safety. Children enjoy their learning and engage positively.

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Early years Expected standard

Children have many opportunities to listen to stories from the school’s story spine. Their enthusiastic participation in these sessions helps to broaden their vocabulary. In the Nursery class, songs and rhymes prepare the children for learning sounds. Most children use their phonics knowledge to read with increasing fluency by the end of Reception.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff know the children well and have established caring, trusting relationships. They set high expectations. Clear rules and routines help children understand what they need to do. As a result, children feel safe and show growing independence in their learning. High-quality interactions typically encourage children to think more deeply. For instance, a party planning activity prompted children to use mathematical skills. However, these interactions are not always consistently maximised.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff use their expertise to support children with additional needs effectively. This enables these children to access the whole curriculum. Leaders work closely with parents and carers. They share children's progress and offer guidance to support learning at home. Typically, children are well prepared for Year 1.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have high expectations for all vulnerable pupils. They show passion, expertise and commitment. Leaders create an inclusive culture, so that pupils, regardless of their barriers, feel welcome and able to take part in school life.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have clear systems and processes to identify pupils who may face barriers to learning. Leaders use effective identification systems and have positive relationships with parents and carers. Staff know pupils well and are appropriately trained. This helps staff to quickly and accurately identify pupils' additional needs. Consequently, pupils receive the right support at the right time. Effective and thoughtful adaptations enable pupils to access learning. Pupils, including those with complex needs, make progress from their starting points. Leaders generally monitor pupils’ progress across the curriculum well. However, there are occasions when activities are not precisely matched to pupils’ learning needs. When this happens, some pupils do not make as much progress as they could.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school’s strategy for supporting disadvantaged pupils is well planned. Additional funding is used well to help reduce barriers to their learning. Attendance for disadvantaged pupils has improved as a result. The school works closely with the local authority virtual school. This ensures that pupils who are looked after or known to social care are well supported.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders, trustees and governors know their school well. They make decisions in the best interests of pupils. Leaders are reflective and ambitious, and they have high expectations for pupils. They prioritise areas for development and focus on actions that have the most impact on pupils' outcomes. For instance, changes to the writing curriculum mean pupils are now better writers. Leaders know there is more work to do in some areas of the wider curriculum.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders place inclusion at the heart of everything they do. The support provided for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities helps them to overcome barriers. As a result, most pupils make progress from their starting points.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders support staff well. They take wellbeing into account in their decision-making. A well- planned programme of professional learning means staff, including those at the earlier stages of their career, have the skills they need to teach well. Staff appreciate the professional development opportunities they receive. Most parents and carers are positive about the school.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Those responsible for governance fulfil their statutory duties well. They use their knowledge of the school to challenge and support leaders. For example, they check the impact of leaders' work on attendance. The trust holds leaders to account. It provides support and advice for school improvement. Work across the trust supports leaders to maximise opportunities for pupils.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have established a rich and responsive programme of personal development. The programme includes statutory areas, such as relationships education. Pupils learn about relationships in an age-appropriate way. Leaders use opportunities provided by external partners to respond to local issues proactively. Pupils want to do well in lessons and try their best at all times. This reflects leaders' focus on developing positive character traits, such as resilience. They have a secure understanding of fundamental British values. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders review and adapt the personal development programme regularly. This understanding ensures the curriculum meets the needs of all pupils. Leaders use their knowledge of families to ensure that the pastoral offer for pupils is effective and reduces barriers.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well through the school’s curriculum. Pupils have a clear sense of fairness and understand right and wrong. They learn about different faiths and cultures. The school engages with a local church to help deepen their understanding. Pupils speak confidently about diversity. They know that discrimination in any form should not be tolerated. There is a strong sense of belonging and equality evident across the school. Pupils say that ‘everyone is welcome'. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and what it means to be healthy.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

There are a range of wider opportunities for pupils. These include leadership roles, trips and visits, clubs and careers events. These develop pupils’ interests well. Leaders have high expectations that all pupils benefit from this wider offer. For example, leaders make sure that finance is not a barrier to any pupil accessing any part of the provision. As a result, more disadvantaged pupils are beginning to access this offer consistently.

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

Pupils at Outwoods Primary School feel valued as individuals. They are safe and well cared for by adults who want the very best for them. Regular attendance reflects pupils' enthusiasm. The school is a welcoming and engaging place to learn. On arrival, pupils settle to their learning quickly each day. They work together cooperatively and treat each other with respect and kindness. This is because adults teach them how to treat others. For example, kindness champions support pupils who find social times challenging at lunch. This helps all pupils feel welcomed and included.

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

A true sense of belonging is evident across the school community. Everyone in the school demonstrates the school values of ‘Responsibility, Ambition and Daring’. Resilience and pride underpin pupils' approach to their work. They enjoy taking part in a range of activities as a whole school. For example, the 3,000 book challenge encourages pupils to read regularly to achieve a team target. Pride in the school is clear, and pupils take good care of their environment. Behaviour is positive, and expectations are well understood. Pupils know how to recognise any signs of bullying. Incidents of bullying are rare but dealt with effectively when they do occur.

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

Pupils achieve well. Their end of key stage 2 assessments reflect this. In the early years, children are well prepared for Year 1. Performance in statutory assessments is typically in line with national figures. This includes the Year 1 phonics screening check. In 2025, there was a notable improvement in the Year 4 multiplication check outcomes.

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

Beyond the academic curriculum, a wide range of experiences enrich learning. For instance, pupils learn about the impact of humans on the environment through lessons about deforestation. Opportunities to represent the school are embraced with pride, for example, at choral events and at a recent awards ceremony where pupils collected a national award for active travel.

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Team inspectors:

Pamela Matty, Ofsted Inspector Janet Tibbits, Ofsted Inspector Richard Kentish, Ofsted Inspector

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Next steps

Leaders should continue to develop the wider curriculum so that it is consistently taught well across all subjects. Leaders should ensure that all staff have clarity about pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities to ensure learning opportunities are consistently and precisely matched to these needs. Leaders should continue to develop their work on language acquisition in the early years so that opportunities for high-quality interactions are consistently maximised for all pupils.

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About this inspection

This school is part of Co-operative Central Learning 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), Richard Simcox, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Andrew Bailey.

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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 school leaders. They met with representatives from the governing body, trustees and the CEO.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders and pupils.

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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 currently makes use of 2 alternative provisions, including one that is unregistered.

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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.

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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. National average: 26.3%

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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

2024/25 (revised) 57% 62% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 58% 61% 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

2023/24 (final) 72% 74% 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) 68% 72% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 70% 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) 75% 74% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 69% 73% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 69% 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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average

2024/25 (revised) 56% 47% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 47% 46% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 36% 44% Close to average

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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

2024/25 (revised) 56% 63% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 60% 62% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 55% 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

2024/25 (revised) 61% 59% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 67% 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) 67% 61% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 53% 59% 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) 4.8% 5.2% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 6.3% 5.9% 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) 12.2% 13.3% 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

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

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