Windale Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this nurturing and inclusive school. Leaders are passionate about enabling all pupils to live out the school motto, 'Aim high - be the best you can be'. Leaders' ambition is for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to learn the skills they need to make a positive difference to society both now and in the future.

Leaders consistently promote high levels of respect. Adults model respectful behaviour across the school, and pupils learn helpful sentences to use when resolving conflicts. Leaders ensure that all pupils know what bullying is and what to do if they are being bullied.

On the rare occasions t...hat bullying happens, leaders use a variety of strategies to ensure that it is dealt with effectively.

Leaders aim for all pupils to develop as highly respectful citizens. Leaders want pupils to recognise the value of serving the community they live in.

All pupils learn to make a real difference in their locality by designing and carrying out high-quality community improvement work. For example, pupils have recently created a service pledge to plant a community garden, build animal homes to protect wildlife and volunteer at the local food bank.

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

Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum which identifies the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn right from the start of Nursery.

Leaders refer to this knowledge as 'Golden Nuggets'. Teachers know exactly what to teach in all subjects so that pupils learn important knowledge and skills. In lessons, teachers present information clearly, using subject-specific language.

All pupils, including those with SEND, are supported effectively to learn the curriculum.

Overall, pupils in all year groups achieve well. The tasks that teachers set help pupils to learn new content securely.

In most lessons, teachers plan activities that help pupils to make connections between topics and remember their learning. For example, in religious education, pupils learning about Sikhism could explain how previous learning about Christianity and Buddhism was helping them to make sense of the Sikh religion. In the early years, adults support children to develop socially and emotionally as well as academically.

For example, children learn about the social aspects of mealtimes through sitting at the table to eat snacks together.

However, teachers do not always support pupils to deepen their understanding across the whole curriculum. This is because teachers' knowledge of how to strengthen and deepen pupils' understanding in subjects is variable.

For example, in physical education (PE), pupils do not always learn detailed knowledge of the rules and strategies of individual sports. In mathematics, some pupils are not supported as well as they might be to explain their mathematical thinking precisely.

Leaders prioritise the teaching of reading.

They want to inspire pupils to love reading. Teachers use carefully chosen, high-quality texts to teach comprehension and extend pupils' vocabulary. Leaders have introduced a phonics programme to support pupils at the early stages of learning to read.

While this is generally taught well, there is variability in the quality of extra support that some pupils receive. Also, some phonics teaching is not as sharply focused as it could be. However, leaders know exactly what they need to do to iron out these inconsistencies.

Leaders' have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Relationships between adults and pupils are strong. Children learn consistent routines right from the start of Nursery.

Behaviour in lessons and on the playground is calm and respectful. Most pupils listen and respond to each other well when taking part in group conversations. Where behaviour falls short of leaders' high expectations, pupils are quick to recognise this and readily admit their mistakes.

Opportunities to promote pupils' wider development are extensive. Pupils experience a carefully planned, bespoke curriculum that builds life skills and knowledge of the wider world. Leaders teach pupils to be resilient to setbacks and give them strategies for managing conflict.

Pupils enjoy attending the many extra-curricular clubs, including gardening, gymnastics, storytelling and construction. Leaders make the most of community partnerships to ensure every pupil has the opportunity to learn a musical instrument. In addition, well-planned visits to local museums such as the Ashmolean and Oxford Castle, and further afield to London, really broaden pupils' understanding of the world around them.

Leaders and those responsible for governance work well together to continue to improve the school. Staff are highly positive about the school. All staff feel well supported to do their job effectively, to help all pupils learn and achieve.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have established a strong culture of vigilance. They put the needs of pupils first and always seek to act in pupils' best interests.

Leaders have clear processes to record incidents and to identify pupils at risk of harm. They deal with concerns swiftly to ensure that pupils and their families get the help and support they need. Leaders readily seek advice and support from other professionals when necessary.

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, both online and in the local community. Pupils are confident that they have trusted adults in school to speak to if they are worried or upset.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Teachers' knowledge of how to strengthen and deepen pupils' understanding in all subjects is not as detailed as it could be across the curriculum.

This means that teachers do not consistently challenge pupils in a way that enables them to achieve highly. Leaders should continue to deepen teachers' subject and pedagogical content knowledge in all subjects so that they can support pupils to achieve highly. ? Early reading is taught effectively overall.

There are, however, some inconsistencies in how well some pupils are supported to learn to read. This means that some pupils do not learn to read quickly enough. Leaders should ensure that these inconsistencies are ironed out so that all pupils learn to read confidently and fluently as quickly as possible.