Stone with Woodford Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Stone with Woodford Church of England Primary School is welcoming and friendly. Staff and pupils describe the school community as 'a family'. Pupils enjoy coming to school, and staff are proud to work at the school.

Pupils are considerate and respectful of each other and their differences. They are polite and often behave well around the school. Mostly, pupils get on with their learning in lessons.

However, sometimes pupils do not follow instructions well and learning is disrupted.

Pupils feel safe. Children in the early years are well looked after by adults at the school.

Pupils are tolerant and keen to learn about different beliefs and values. Bull...ying is rare, but if it occurs, pupils know it will be dealt with quickly.

Pupils enjoy reading and many develop a love of reading.

However, the reading curriculum does not help all pupils to recall what they have learned. Pupils are keen to talk about their learning, but they do not always learn important content well enough.

Pupils have opportunities to develop their interests.

They talk enthusiastically about visits to literary festivals, meeting authors, residential trips and representing the school in sporting activities.

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

The headteacher has an ambitious vision for the school. He has begun to make the right improvements to the school, prioritising safeguarding and the curriculum.

This is welcomed by staff and acknowledged by parents.

Staff have worked together to lead and develop the subject curriculums. In core subjects, such as mathematics, staff have sound subject knowledge.

However, they do not have a secure understanding of what makes a strong curriculum. Leaders and staff have not identified the essential knowledge from early years onwards that pupils need to know, or the best order in which to learn important content. As a result, pupils do not have a secure base on which to build and deepen their knowledge.

Leaders understand the importance of reading. They have implemented a new systematic approach to the teaching of reading. However, the curriculum is not delivered as leaders intend.

As a result, pupils do not always recall and use important phonic knowledge to read accurately. Pupils' books are usually matched to their phonic knowledge. However, when they are not, pupils struggle to decode words or develop fluency in reading.

Staff use assessment well in core subjects to check on pupils' starting points. However, assessment in other subjects is undeveloped. Teaching does not always check effectively what pupils know and can do.

For example, checks on how well pupils are learning to read, or their development of historical knowledge, are not precise. This means that pupils' difficulties are not always spotted and addressed as they occur.

The school's expectations of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not high enough.

While new leadership of SEND is addressing this, it is early days. The school's curriculum is not sufficiently adapted to meet the needs of pupils with SEND, including in the early years. Staff know pupils well.

However, teachers do not always know how to adapt the curriculum so that pupils with SEND learn as well as they could.

Many pupils behave well at school and are keen to get on with their learning. However, sometimes pupils get distracted from their learning.

This usually occurs when the curriculum is not planned carefully enough to meet pupils' needs. Leaders take attendance seriously. They have developed a new system to promote better attendance.

This is in its infancy and is yet to have the desired impact.

There is a well-structured curriculum to support pupils' wider development, from early years onwards. Staff adapt the personal, social and health education programme well so that it is responsive to pupils' needs.

In the early years, children are carefully taught the language of emotions so they learn to recognise and manage their feelings. Older pupils learn about sensitive topics in a supportive environment and at a time that is right for them. Teaching of personal development helps pupils to understand and to recall important content.

Staff, including those early in their career, feel well supported. Leaders and governors are mindful of staff well-being and workload. While governors are supportive of leaders and other staff, they do not have a realistic understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The headteacher has recently improved safeguarding systems to strengthen record-keeping. Staff receive regular training and safeguarding updates.

They know pupils well and know how to identify and raise concerns. Leaders take appropriate action when dealing with safeguarding concerns.

Pupils know how to stay safe, including online.

They say there is always someone to talk to if they have any concerns.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority) ? The expectations for pupils with SEND are not high enough. Teaching and the curriculum are not adapted effectively to meet their needs.

This means pupils with SEND do not do as well as they could. Leaders need to ensure the curriculum meets the needs of all pupils with SEND. ? Curriculum leaders do not have a secure understanding of what makes a strong curriculum.

The curriculum does not identify the essential knowledge pupils need to know. As a result, pupils do not build and deepen their knowledge. Sometimes pupils get distracted from their learning.

This usually occurs when the curriculum is not planned carefully enough to meet pupils' needs. Leaders should ensure that staff develop their curriculum understanding so they can strengthen the curriculum accordingly. ? Assessment is not always used effectively.

Teaching does not routinely check pupils' learning. This means that pupils' difficulties are not always spotted and addressed as they occur. Staff need to make better use of assessment to check the impact of the curriculum more effectively.

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