Woodside CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school and they like spending time with their friends.

Pupils say they feel safe because staff look after them. Older pupils have a clear understanding of the school's values. They say, 'We accept everyone and live our Christian values'.

Leaders and staff want the best for all pupils. However, some pupils do not experience a consistently well-delivered curriculum. In these instances, pupils struggle with new learning in a range of subjects and do not achieve as well as they could.

Leaders know this and are working with staff to improve the quality of education across the school. This includes the teaching of phonics, which needs to improve urgent...ly to support early reading.

Where teachers deliver the curriculum well, pupils concentrate and focus on their work.

Pupils enjoy playing together on the playground and value the outdoor environment. Pupils understand the different types of bullying, including cyber bullying. They say bullying hardly ever happens in school, but when it does, staff deal with it immediately.

Most parents speak positively about the school. They value the fact that it is close-knit community where everyone knows each other. Parents appreciate the kind and caring nature of the staff.

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

Leaders have mapped out the knowledge and skills that pupils will learn from Year 1 to Year 6 in a range of subjects. Curriculum plans are based on published schemes or written by subject leaders with support from the multi-academy trust. These plans help teachers to know what to teach and when to teach it.

New learning builds on what pupils have learned before. However, the curriculum in early years is not well ordered, so does not consistently build on what children already know.

Staff do not deliver the curriculum consistently well in all year groups.

When it is delivered well, teachers explain new learning in a clear, structured and well-thought-out manner. They use questioning effectively to check and deepen pupils' understanding. In these instances, pupils understand and remember what they have learned.

However, when this is not the case, pupils struggle with new learning. They become confused and do not achieve as well as they should.

Some subject leaders have not checked that curriculum plans are being well delivered across the school.

This is partly due to COVID-19 related restrictions. As a result, some subject leaders are unclear about what is done well and what needs to improve in their curriculum area. This limits their ability to organise support for staff who may need extra help to improve.

Pupils are developing a love of reading. They enjoy it when teachers read books to them. Leaders make sure that all pupils have access to high-quality books at home and in school.

However, not all staff teach phonics well and, pupils' reading books do not consistently match the phonic sounds that they have learned. As a result, pupils fall behind with their reading and need extra help. This has a negative impact on their learning in other subjects.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in all aspects of school life. When required, teachers adapt lesson activities and provide extra resources so that pupils with SEND can learn alongside their classmates. Staff are quick to act if pupils need extra help with their work.

However, when staff do not deliver the curriculum well, pupils with SEND struggle. They lose interest and do not achieve as well as they should.

Leaders organise a range of trips, after-school clubs, visiting speakers and special events to enrich the curriculum.

Pupils speak enthusiastically about these. For example, they mentioned the recent residential visit and they enjoy the assemblies led by 'Open the Book'. Leaders encourage pupils to take on responsibilities within school.

Older pupils take on roles such as 'eco-councillors' and 'well-being ambassadors'. Pupils enjoy the breakfast club due to the level of care they receive.

With support from the multi-academy trust, senior leaders have identified key priorities to improve the quality of education in the school.

However, leaders know that there is more work to do. Governors are constantly improving their understanding of the curriculum, so they can question, challenge and support leaders more effectively.

Staff enjoy working in the school.

Teachers and teaching assistants work well as a team and support each other. Staff value the training they receive and are keen to share what they have learned with other staff. Teachers say that leaders listen to their concerns and are considerate of their well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Keeping pupils safe is the school's top priority. Leaders organise safeguarding training and regular updates for all staff.

This means that staff know what to do if they have a concern about a pupil's welfare. Leaders respond to concerns quickly. When required, they work with external agencies so that the right support is in place for pupils and their families.

Through the curriculum and special events, staff teach pupils how to keep themselves safe, including when working online. Leaders also raise parents' awareness of the risks associated with the internet and social media by sharing useful information.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Staff do not deliver the curriculum consistently well in all year groups in a range of subjects, including English and mathematics.

As a result, pupils are not achieving as well as they could in these subjects. Leaders need to make sure they provide the support that staff need so that they can deliver the curriculum in all subjects effectively. ? Members of staff do not deliver the phonics curriculum consistently well for children and pupils at the early stages of reading.

As a result, pupils fall behind with their reading and require extra help. Leaders need to provide staff with the relevant support and training so they can deliver the phonics curriculum effectively. ? Many subject leaders have not monitored their curriculum areas to see how well staff implement the curriculum plans across the school.

This is partly due to COVID-19 related restrictions. Consequently, subject leaders do not have a clear understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement in their curriculum areas. Senior leaders need to make sure that subject leaders have the time, support and expertise to monitor their curriculum areas in order to address any areas for improvement.

• In early years, curriculum plans do not clearly identify how knowledge and skills are ordered and connected. This means that children's learning does not always build on what they already know. Leaders need to continue to review the early years curriculum to make sure it gives children the opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills over time.

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