Woodside Primary School

Inspection Report Woodside Primary School

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123387 Unique Reference Number Shropshire LEA 281461 Inspection number 4 October 2005 to 5 October 2005 Inspection dates Paul Edwards RISP Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Gittin Street School address Primary Type of school Oswestry Community School category Shropshire SY11 1DT 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 01691 652446 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01691 662364 Fax number 499 Number on roll Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Rob McDevitt Headteacher 27 November 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281461 4 October 2005 - 3 to 11 5 October 2005 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Woodside is a large primary school situated on the northern edge of Oswestry. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is below average. Nearly all pupils are of White British heritage and very few speak English as an additional language. The number of pupils with special educational needs is similar to that seen nationally. At the time of the inspection, building work was being undertaken to provide a Sure Start Child Care Centre to be opened in January 2006.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Woodside Primary School, 4 October 2005 to 5 October 2005

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Grade: 2

This is a good school with good capacity to improve further. The school judges itself to be a good school but inspection evidence shows that it also has some outstanding features. Pupils thoroughly enjoy school, work hard and appreciate the high level of care that is provided. The school has improved well since its last inspection and it provides good value for money. The headteacher and deputy provide very strong leadership for the school and manage a team of hardworking and effective staff very well. They have formed a very effective working relationship with the governors. The procedures for monitoring performance are outstanding and, together with excellent links with outside agencies, the pupils’ well-being is supported most effectively. Standards have continued to rise over the last four years and are above the national average by the end of Year 6. Pupils of all abilities generally achieve well although the

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Grade: 2

most able pupils are not always challenged consistently. This is recognised by the school. Progress in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory, although it is slower than in the rest of the school. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory; most children are still to attain the goals expected for their age. Good teaching throughout the rest of the school results in pupils achieving well. Grade: 2

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What the school should do to improve further

• ensure that the more able pupils achieve as well as they can in all classes • improve the quality of teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage to match that seen elsewhere in the school.

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Grade: 2

The children’s achievement in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory overall. Children enter the nursery with limited communication and social skills. They make satisfactory progress so that by the end of the reception year they are still to achieve the expected goals for learning and have reached standards just below the national average. As they move through the school, progress is good. By the end of Year 2, standards are in line with the national average and by the end of Year 6, they are above those expected for their age. The early identification of their needs and the very good support provided enable pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities to make particularly good progress. The school makes very effective use of assessment information to identify the progress pupils make and to set new challenges. This is reflected in the rising standards seen over the past four years. 2 Inspection Report: Woodside Primary School, 4 October 2005 to 5 October 2005

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Grade: 2

A successful series of initiatives has helped to raise the attainment of the more able pupils. The proportion of Year 6 pupils attaining above the level expected of them in English and science was particularly impressive in 2004. However, the school is not complacent and has introduced a range of strategies to ensure that pupils consistently achieve their potential, particularly the more able pupils. This is important as the evidence shows that the progress of these pupils has been inconsistent in some classes. Pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills are good and they are used effectively, for example as part of a project organised by a local company to design and sell floor coverings. Grade: 2

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Grade: 1

This aspect of the school’s work is outstanding. Pupils enjoy school and speak enthusiastically about the many opportunities available to them. They appreciate the efforts that teachers make to provide interesting lessons. One school council representative said ‘There’s always something exciting to do!’ Parents too, have very positive attitudes about the school. One reported ‘All the staff I have come into contact with are extremely competent, enthusiastic and committed to the children’s education and welfare’. Another appreciated the culture in the school of ‘can do’, co-operation and respect. Attendance is in line with the national average. Pupils behave very well and relationships between staff and pupils are excellent. Pupils have a good understanding of healthy lifestyles and take full advantage of the wide range of sporting activities which are available. One of the headteacher’s aims is ‘to make the school beautiful and culturally

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Grade: 1

vibrant’. He and his staff have certainly succeeded in this aim and the wonderful, varied displays demonstrate the school’s commitment to the personal development of pupils. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good and the displays also illustrate some of the many ways in which this aspect of the pupils’ learning is promoted. By the time they leave the school, their good communication and social skills, together with competence in literacy and numeracy, have prepared them well for their future life. Grade: 1

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Grade: 2

The overall quality of teaching is good and the basic skills in literacy and numeracy are taught effectively. This confirms the school’s evaluation of its teaching. Experienced staff provide very good guidance to help newer teachers raise the quality of their own teaching. Teachers generally make very effective use of teaching assistants to encourage pupils’ learning, although they are not used as effectively in the Foundation Stage where the overall quality of teaching is satisfactory. The children need clearer 3 Inspection Report: Woodside Primary School, 4 October 2005 to 5 October 2005 guidance as to the tasks they are to undertake. Some of the best teaching occurs in the upper school. For example, in an outstanding lesson in Years 5/6, the teacher’s passionate approach to numeracy, together with very detailed marking and a clear identification of future targets, enabled the pupils to make significant progress. Pupils

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Grade: 2

with learning difficulties and disabilities make particularly good progress because their needs are identified early and the teaching assistants provide the right level of help. There are very good procedures for assessing how well the pupils are doing. The information gathered is recorded carefully and used effectively to track progress and to identify future targets. Although assessment information is generally used well, the school is rightly working on ways to improve how it shares the targets with pupils. This is necessary to enable it to consistently provide more challenging work for a small number of the most able pupils who do not always do as well as they should. Grade: 2

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Grade: 1

The school underestimates the quality of its curriculum provision, which is outstanding and provides a stimulating and rich environment for pupils to learn. Recent additional funding obtained through the Education Action Zone initiative has provided additional staff and resources for information and communication technology (ICT), resulting in pupils having far greater confidence to record and generate their creative ideas more effectively. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is good and firmly based on the acquisition of the basic skills in literacy and numeracy. The school provides many exciting work related activities to enrich the curriculum. A local business has instigated an innovative competitive design project in which pupils have to invent and market flooring, and convince the board of directors through visual presentations of the potential for profit of their product. The pupils respond very

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Grade: 1

enthusiastically to these types of activities. Pupils with additional educational needs receive outstanding support, with work tailored to their individual needs and their successes celebrated. The school teaches pupils to take control and responsibility for their lives and challenge all types of abuse. Personal, social and health education is focused very effectively on pupils’ well-being and achievement. A diverse range of extra curricular activities enriches pupils’ experiences and includes an environmental programme demonstrating how to recycle. No pupils are excluded from any of the activities because they cannot afford it. Grade: 1

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Grade: 1

All staff are committed to providing the best possible support to keep pupils safe, to promote their personal development and well-being and to allow them to achieve the best they can. They are successful in this goal. The headteacher strongly believes that 4 Inspection Report: Woodside Primary School, 4 October 2005 to 5 October 2005 pupils will only learn successfully when they are safe, happy, self-confident and enthusiastic about what the school provides for them. Only then will they learn successfully. Pupils, parents and other inspection evidence confirm that the school achieves this aim. Teachers set challenging targets for pupils and pupils enjoy challenging each other, as in the ‘Maths Challenge’ in Years 5 and 6. The needs of pupils with learning difficulties are identified early and the generous levels of well qualified support staff are used effectively to support these pupils. The school works

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Grade: 1

very well with parents and outside agencies to ensure that pupils make the best progress that they can. Child protection arrangements are robust. Grade: 1

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good and this confirms the school’s own judgement. The headteacher and his deputy form a very strong team which drives the school forward. They have a firm commitment to ensuring that all pupils, no matter what their background or capability, reach their full potential although they recognise that the children in the Foundation Stage need to make better progress. There are outstanding systems in place to ensure that the school continues to improve, as it has since the last inspection. The analysis of pupils’ work, and the tracking of their progress over time, leaves nothing to chance. This is particularly evident in the progress made by those pupils with learning difficulties. The school is very aware of how well it is doing and plans effectively for its future development. Other leaders perform their duties well. Subject leaders have a very clear view of standards and help to ensure that the curriculum is stimulating, varied and rich. There

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Grade: 2

had been disruptions to the leadership and management of the Foundation Stage due to the illness of the permanent coordinator. Provision for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is managed very well and every opportunity is used to take advantage of the help and guidance offered by outside professionals. The leadership has been very effective in securing additional grants and these, together with existing funding, are spent very efficiently to improve the provision for the pupils. New staff are provided with very good support and guidance, resulting in a confident and capable workforce. The governors’ support and guidance are much valued by the school and they play an important and effective part in ensuring the school retains its well earned respect within the community. Grade: 2 5 Inspection Report: Woodside Primary School, 4 October 2005 to 5 October 2005 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Woodside Primary School, 4 October 2005 to 5 October 2005

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 3 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 1 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 1 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

6 October 2005 Dear Pupils Thank you all for your very warm welcome when we visited the school and for talking to us and telling us everything we needed to know. We really enjoyed our time in your lovely school. Woodside is a good school and we most liked: the good progress you make in your work, particularly in English, mathematics and science your beautiful building with super displays of your work and the careful way that you look after it your excellent behaviour and the way you work very hard in lessons the way the school helps you to become mature and how you look after one another the good teaching you receive and the help, care and guidance that all staff give you the wonderful range of very interesting activities that you all undertake. To make it even better, we have asked the school to: make sure that teachers give you more challenging work all of the time, particularly for those of you who find it ‘a little bit easy’. Even though the teachers provide work that is quite

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

challenging for you, we would like them to make sure they do this all of the time ensure that the teaching and learning for the children in the Early Years gets better. Yours sincerely Paul Edwards Lead Inspector

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