Wood's Foundation CofE Primary School

Wood's Foundation CE Primary Inspection report

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122810 Unique Reference Number NOTTINGHAMSHIRE LA Local Authority 314411 Inspection number 21 January 2008 Inspection date Keith Edwards Reporting inspector

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

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Primary Type of school Voluntary aided School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 200 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Carl Clarke Chair Mr Shaun Hopwell Headteacher 20 May 2003 Date of previous school inspection Lingwood Lane School address Woodborough Nottingham Nottinghamshire NG14 6DX 0115 9652136 Telephone number 0115 9656115 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 21 January 2008 Inspection date 314411 Inspection number .

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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 an Additional Inspector. The inspector evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues: pupils' achievement and standards, their personal development and well-being, the quality of teaching and learning and the effectiveness of the school's leadership and management. Evidence was gathered from the school's self-evaluation, national published assessment data, the previous Ofsted report, and the school's records of progress over time. A range of school documents, particularly assessment data and the questionnaires returned by parents, were scrutinised. The inspector looked at parts of lessons, met staff, pupils and governors and a representative from the local authority. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but the inspector found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were

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Introduction

not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

The school serves the village of Woodborough on the outskirts of Nottingham. Fewer than 50% of the children live in the village as an increasing number are drawn from further afield. Almost all of the pupils are from a white British background. Attainment on entry is above national expectations. The proportion of children entitled to a free school meal and the proportion with learning difficulties is below average. The newly appointed headteacher started at the school just two weeks before the inspection. Prior to that, the deputy headteacher took on the role of acting headteacher for one term after the previous headteacher retired in the summer of 2007 after 28 years service.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 9 Inspection Report: Wood's Foundation CE Primary, 21 January 2008

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding school. It has made good progress since the last inspection and is well set to maintain this momentum. Standards remain consistently high at the end of each key stage because the quality of teaching and learning is exceptional. One delighted parent, whose views are echoed by many others, commented, 'Wood's Foundation is a wonderful school in every aspect. We are thrilled with our child's progress and also with how happy and secure she feels'. Achievement is outstanding and standards are high. The children in the Foundation Stage make exceptional progress and reach standards that are well above national expectations. Skills the children acquire in the Reception class give them an excellent start to their education and provide a great deal for the school to build on when they start Year 1. In Year 2, standards in reading, writing and mathematics are consistently high. This is because the teaching is excellent

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Grade: 1

and careful use is made of assessment information to ensure that the work set is well matched to the pupils' needs. Standards in writing are excellent because the pupils are provided with frequent opportunities to develop their vocabulary and the confidence to experiment with new and interesting words. Current standards in English, mathematics and science are exceptionally high in Key Stage 2. Challenging targets are set and met in the end of key stage national tests. The school has dealt with the recent slight slippage in the pupils' performance in the these tests by sharpening its assessment procedures and by targeting support for specific pupils, for example those who might benefit from additional support in literacy. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) have risen because of enhanced resourcing and training for staff. The school's approach to inclusion is outstanding. Because they are very well supported, particularly by a

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Grade: 1

team of dedicated teaching assistants and volunteers, those pupils who find learning difficult make excellent progress. The more able pupils are challenged to reach their potential because they are encouraged to apply their skills to solve problems. This is particularly evident in mathematics. Older pupils talk enthusiastically about how much they are made to think in numeracy lessons. The pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding. The pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. They gain a deep understanding of a range of moral issues, both through assemblies and the school's close links with the church. Their grasp of cultural diversity is strengthened by the exciting range of opportunities available to them such as the African drumming day, that enrich the curriculum. Pupils speak enthusiastically about school and attendance is above average. Pupils are courteous, polite and helpful. Their

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Grade: 1

behaviour is exemplary around the school and in lessons. They are particularly knowledgeable about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle and appreciate the range of opportunities to keep physically active. The pupils make a significant contribution to the village community through, for instance, the high quality of their musical performances. Pupils take pride in their work and successfully acquire the essential skills that equip them for the next stages of education and adult life. Teaching and learning are outstanding. Teachers have high expectations of pupils' behaviour and academic progress and this promotes excellent achievement by the end of Year 6. A common feature in all classes is the warmth of the relationships that motivates the pupils to do their best. Interactive whiteboards are used very successfully to demonstrate new techniques and 4 of 9 Inspection Report: Wood's Foundation CE Primary, 21 January 2008

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Grade: 1

the teachers ensure that the pace of learning is good. Teachers and classroom assistants work very effectively together to provide pupils with a high level of support to develop their independent learning skills. Learning is fun because the work set is designed to encourage pupils to think and is closely matched to the range of ability in each class. This enables pupils to make rapid progress. Teachers provide excellent, ongoing feedback to pupils to make sure that they learn from their mistakes. The curriculum is good and strongly supports the children's personal and academic development. It is tailored to the needs of the pupils to ensure that they remain interested and alert to the joy of learning. The curriculum imaginatively links learning across different subjects, particularly to promote writing. Pupils particularly appreciate the wide range of additional activities, including clubs, visits and visitors. However, there is a weakness in the Foundation Stage curriculum, as

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Grade: 1

the accommodation lacks a discrete area to enable the children in the Reception class to fully develop their physical and decision making skills. Welfare, care and guidance are good. The level of pastoral care is outstanding and the school is increasingly making more effective use of assessment data to raise expectations of the pupils' achievement. Leadership and management of the school are good. The school's view of itself is broadly accurate and has resulted in a clear strategy for continuing improvement. The newly appointed headteacher has spent much of his time developing relationships and considering school improvement strategies with colleagues, particularly the deputy headteacher, and governors. They are aware of the need to promote greater accountability amongst staff and to develop a new leadership team to evaluate school effectiveness. The quality of governance is good. Governors have developed a range of strategies to gauge the school's effectiveness and to

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Grade: 1

Attainment on entry to the Reception class is above national expectations but includes a wide range of ability in each year group. The children make outstanding progress in the Foundation Stage, particularly in their personal and social development and in their communication skills. As one parent commented, 'We are very pleased with the outstanding care and education that our daughter is receiving in the Reception class'. This is because the leadership and management of the Foundation Stage are outstanding and the staff are highly successful in enabling the children to settle quickly. The curriculum places great emphasis on encouraging children to work together across a range of activities and the development of their language. Their skills of cooperation and in using ICT are very evident. Progress in these areas builds the children's confidence and strongly supports their developing knowledge and understanding of the world.

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Grade: 1

However, opportunities to develop their skills outdoors are limited by the lack of a discrete play area. Otherwise, the stimulating curriculum, effective assessment procedures and very effective teaching ensure that children are very well prepared for making excellent progress as they move through the school.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Develop the leadership and management skills of staff in evaluating school effectiveness.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Enhance the curriculum by providing a discrete outdoor learning area for the children in the Foundation Stage. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Wood's Foundation CE Primary, 21 January 2008 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: Wood's Foundation CE Primary, 21 January 2008

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 1 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

1 How well do learners achieve? 1 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 7 of 9 Inspection Report: Wood's Foundation CE Primary, 21 January 2008

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 1 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 of 9 Inspection Report: Wood's Foundation CE Primary, 21 January 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

22 January 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Wood's Foundation CE Primary School, Woodborough, NG14 6DX I really enjoyed my visit to your school this month because everybody was so helpful and friendly. I was very pleased to be able to work with you in your classrooms, join in with your assembly, listen to your magnificent displays of drumming and meet the school council. I can understand why you enjoy your school so much as there are so many things that make your school very special. Here are some of them.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You clearly want to do your best to learn in lessons and are prepared to work hard.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You achieve very high standards in your work.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Everybody understands the school rules and your behaviour is wonderful.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Everybody tries to be friendly, thoughtful and helpful. Well done!

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The school has a great team of teachers who make your lessons interesting and fun.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The school provides a wide range of activities and visits to keep you interested.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Mr Hopwell, the staff and governors are really committed to helping the school to become even better. You are fortunate to be able to attend your school. This is because all of the staff really understand how to make learning fun and work very hard to help you. However, I am asking your teachers to take on more responsibility for checking out how well you are doing and also the school really needs a special play area for the youngest children. Perhaps you can help with the design. I would like to wish you all the very best for the future success. Yours sincerely Keith Edwards Lead inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Wood's Foundation CE Primary, 21 January 2008

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