Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Working hard, showing kindness and being responsible make up the 'Willowbrook Way'.

Pupils have a firm understanding of these values. Staff model these qualities and pupils try their best to show them.

The aim at Willowbrook is for all pupils to have bright futures.

To achieve this ambition, the 'Removing Barriers to Learning' team ensures that all pupils are ready to learn and able to succeed. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils thrive in this inclusive, nurturing environment.

Pupils behave well.

They are enthusiastic about the subjects they study. Most pupils listen well and sustain the...ir concentration in lessons. Pupils have a strong sense of right and wrong.

They know to challenge someone's behaviour if it is unkind or inappropriate.

Staff go the extra mile for the pupils at Willowbrook. Their top priority is to make all pupils feel welcome and at ease.

Pupils feel happy and valued in this homely, inclusive environment. The school's special 'Hygge Room' is a cosy, safe space for pupils in need of emotional support. Pupils say, 'The staff are so nice here – they always check how you are and sort things out to make sure you feel good.'



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

Staff are passionate about the subjects they lead. The school has ensured that subject curriculums clearly set out what pupils will learn and when. The curriculum in the early years has been broken down into a series of small steps so that children can become secure in the important knowledge and skills they need for their future learning.

Developing pupils' spoken language is a key aim of the curriculum. Staff explain the meaning of technical words in lessons and encourage pupils to use precise terminology. In mathematics, for example, Year 6 pupils confidently use the terms denominator, numerator and factor to add and subtract fractions.

While pupils have a firm understanding of the curriculum content they are covering now, their recall of what they have been taught before is much less secure in some subjects. In history, for example, pupils are not knowledgeable about important concepts that help to make sense of the past. This is because the key knowledge that pupils need to remember is not revisited regularly and systematically in all subjects.

All staff have been trained to teach phonics. However, they do not always use all the strategies that are set out in the school's chosen phonics programme. Some elements of the scheme are occasionally left out which means pupils do not secure their knowledge of letter sounds or become fluent readers as quickly as they might.

Pupils really enjoy the novels they read in English lessons. These texts have been carefully selected to expose pupils to a range of genres and to teach them about conflict, mental well-being, family dynamics and stewardship of our planet. Pupils enjoy these stories, and they take life lessons from reading them.

Staff have high expectations of pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils. They ensure that lessons are adapted to take account of pupils' individual needs. This means that pupils with SEND have full access to the curriculum and the school's wider offer.

The designated specialist provision, called 'The Willow', provides a nurturing environment and bespoke support for pupils with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs.

The school's systems for managing pupils' behaviour and attendance, and for responding to safeguarding concerns, are very effective. The school's 'Vulnerability Index' ensures there is joined-up thinking across the school so that pupils and families get the support they need straight away.

Pupils benefit from a rich variety of experiences to broaden their horizons. This includes trips to the seaside and listening to an orchestra at De Montfort Hall, as well as enjoying a three-course meal before watching a West End show. The school's personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) curriculum prepares pupils for the challenges and issues they face in their local area.

There is a vast array of extra-curricular club opportunities on offer at Willowbrook which pupils can access free of charge. Pupils learn about difference and diversity, and they show respect for others. However, pupils' knowledge of British values and equality is not as secure as the school intends.

The trust ensures that frequent checks are made on all aspects of the school's work. These assurance measures provide the school with effective support and challenge. Staff appreciate the consideration given to their well-being, workload and career development.

They say, 'This is a happy school, where people are welcomed and valued.'

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, pupils do not remember what they have been taught before in sufficient detail.

They recall the things they have done before rather than the important knowledge they need to use again. This prevents pupils from building on their prior learning and deepening their understanding of key concepts. Leaders must ensure that staff systematically revisit the crucial content that pupils need to retain, helping them to remember it over the long term.

• Sometimes, staff do not use the strategies set out in the school's phonics pro-gramme. When this happens, pupils do not develop their knowledge of letter sounds as quickly as they might. The school must ensure that staff implement all aspects of the school's phonics programme consistently so that every pupil gets the help they need to become a fluent reader as quickly as possible.

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