The Willows Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The new leadership team has been highly effective in improving the quality of teaching and addressing weaknesses so that teaching is now of a high standard. The quality of teaching is good. Time is not wasted, and pupils enjoy their learning and believe they can succeed.

After a turbulent time with many changes of teachers, pupils are now making good progress. The school uses assessment information effectively to identify pupils who are underachieving, and address their learning swiftly with additional support. This is having a positive impact, particularly for the most disadvantaged.

Governors have a clear understanding of the school's s...trengths and weaknesses in the quality of teaching and pupil achievement. They monitor the work of the school to see for themselves how things are going. The behaviour of the pupils is good.

They are focused in lessons, listen well, and there are good relationships between each other and between adults and pupils. Pupils feel safe in school, confident that staff will deal with their concerns. All parents who responded to Parent View agree that their children feel safe.

A range of subjects are taught well. Pupils' basic literacy skills in reading and writing are effectively reinforced across different subjects. It is not yet an outstanding school because : The teaching of mathematics is not as good as other subjects.

Pupils are not achieving as well as they could because the work is sometimes too easy. Teachers do not always respond in lessons quickly enough to help pupils apply their knowledge and deepen their understanding. Pupils' attendance has been persistently below the national average.

Some of the youngest children in the early years have limited outside access. Activities outside do not always provide high-quality learning or promote written language to help children improve their reading and writing.

Information about this school

The Willows is a larger than average-sized primary school.

The majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds, although there are an increasing number of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds who speak English as an additional language. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is higher than average. This funding provides additional support for children who are looked after and those known to be eligible for free school meals.

The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is well above the national average. Pupils' needs range from moderate learning difficulties, including speech and language and social and emotional needs, to specific learning difficulties. The school has recently restructured its leadership.

Since the last inspection there has been a significant change in teaching staff with many new appointments. The running of the school is now overseen by the executive headteacher of Merrylands Primary School, supported by a head of school based at The Willows. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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