Northwood Community Primary School (With Designated Special Provision)

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Northwood Community Primary School (With Designated Special Provision) has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils speak very positively about their school. They enjoy time with their friends and are proud to be part of the Northwood 'family'. Pupils feel well cared for and safe.

They are polite and respectful. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are incredibly happy in school. Relationships are strong between all in this school community.

The school is aspirational for its pupils. They achieve well by the end of key stage 2. Pupils a...re prepared for the next stage of their education.

Pupils behave well. The school is calm and orderly. Pupils' well-being is a priority.

The pupils who attend the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND and the specialist language base receive an exceptional level of care so that they are able to thrive.

Pupils enjoy the wide range of opportunities that are available to promote their personal development. They have jobs in school such as the pupil council, tuck shop monitors and well-being champions.

Pupils learn about being active citizens and life beyond their community through various inspiring visits and visitors. They explore different careers to gain a sense of what they may wish to do in the future. They regularly visit secondary schools and universities to promote future opportunities and aspirations.

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

Since the previous inspection, the school has further refined the curriculum so that it is clear what crucial knowledge should be delivered and when this should be taught. The curriculum is ambitious for all, including for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. Staff deliver the content of the curriculum in a clear manner that engages and supports pupils' learning.

Pupils are encouraged to be active and collaborative learners. As a result, pupils achieve well in a range of subjects.

The additional needs of pupils with SEND, including those pupils who attend the two specially resourced provisions, are identified quickly and accurately.

Teachers make careful adaptations to the delivery of the curriculum to ensure that pupils with SEND learn successfully.

Staff have benefited from guidance and support so that they deliver the curriculum well. The use of assessment strategies, which was an area for improvement at the previous inspection, has improved.

Teachers make regular checks to ensure that pupils understand and remember their learning. Pupils who find learning difficult, or who need to catch up because they have been absent from school, are supported well to overcome gaps in their knowledge.

Teachers deliver the phonics programme effectively.

Children in the Nursery class enjoy songs and rhymes and develop an early love of reading from the stories that are shared with them. Older pupils talk passionately about reading for pleasure and the books that they have studied in class. They love to be rewarded with books from the book-vending machine.

Clear routines and high expectations for pupils' behaviour are well established in the early years. Pupils across the school behave well in lessons and during unstructured times. The school has appropriate systems and procedures in place to monitor, track and challenge poor school attendance.

However, some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. They are missing significant learning opportunities and creating gaps in their knowledge and understanding across subjects.

The personal development offer is carefully considered and effectively implemented.

Pupils, including those with SEND, regularly take part in events in the local area, such as swimming, church visits and performing in the theatre. Pupils understand that each person's uniqueness should be celebrated and accepted. They speak with maturity about why this is important to life in modern Britain.

Governors are effective in supporting the improvements of the school. They maintain a clear focus on the quality of education and make decisions in the best interest of the pupils. Staff are proud to work at the school.

They appreciate the support offered by school leaders around managing their workload and well-being. Staff feel valued and appreciate the school's commitment to their ongoing professional learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils still do not attend school regularly enough. This means that pupils are missing vital learning, which hinders their progress through the curriculum. The school should further develop its work with families to raise the importance of school attendance and reduce persistent absence rates.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged [to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in December 2019.

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