Wood End Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Wood End Primary has high aspirations for all pupils and staff.

Pupils enjoy coming to school and attend regularly. The environment is calm, welcoming and showcases children's work. Pupils express a sense of belonging.

One pupil, who reflected the views of many, stated, 'We are one big community.'

The school has high expectations of how pupils should behave, and pupils rise to these both in and outside of the classroom. Pupils are caring and friendly towards each other and to visitors.

They are polite and respectful. They have positive attitudes towards their learning and achieve well in most subjects. Pupils feel safe coming to school and know who ...they would go to if they had a problem.

They are confident that any issues with bullying are dealt with quickly.

Pupils' personal development is a strength. They have many opportunities to take responsibility.

Pupils lead lunchtime clubs such as running and basketball and take great pride in their librarian roles. Pupils take part in activities such as Shakespeare and poetry workshops and recorder recitals. These experiences help pupils to develop into confident and responsible young people.

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

The school continues to make improvements in the quality of education for pupils. Pupils achieve broadly in line with national averages in reading, writing and mathematics. However, there are a few curriculum areas where further work is still required.

In some subjects, the school has not considered well enough how prior knowledge connects to new learning. This prevents pupils from deepening their understanding over time. Furthermore, the school does not always check pupils' learning well enough, including in the early years.

Therefore, some pupils make repeated errors over time, particularly in their number and letter formation.

The school recognises the value of reading and is committed to ensuring all pupils learn to read. Children in the early years get off to a good start learning phonics straight away.

Staff are well trained to deliver the phonics programme well. Staff identify pupils that need extra support and put this swiftly into place. This helps pupils, especially those who are at the early stages of learning to read, to catch up.

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well in the phonics screening check and learn to read well.

The needs of pupils with SEND are quickly identified and well supported. Staff have been identified as 'intervention champions' to spread good practice.

In class, teachers usually adapt learning well. Consequently, pupils with SEND are making good progress towards their targets.

Children in the early years have settled well into school life and are beginning to develop essential social skills such as sharing and taking turns.

Children in Nursery get off to a good start and are learning their numbers well. Children in Reception use their knowledge of letter sounds to write simple words. However, sometimes activities are not consistently well thought through and do not provide opportunities to practise the skills that children have been taught.

This means that by the end of the Reception Year, many children are not as well prepared for the next stage of learning as they could be.

Pupils benefit from a well-structured personal, social and health education curriculum that teaches them about the importance of healthy relationships and online safety. They have a good understanding of how to manage their own emotions, such as stress and anger.

Pupils learn not to discriminate and show high levels of mutual respect. They talk knowledgeably about diversity and demonstrate inclusivity, particularly by including all their peers at lunchtime. Consequently, pupils are increasingly prepared for later life.

Staff make sure that the well-established behaviour policy is implemented consistently across the school. This helps to maintain a calm and positive school environment. The school is working closely with parents and families to improve attendance.

It also addresses issues that prevent pupils from attending regularly and supports families in helping their children to attend school more often.

Teachers echo the pupils' sentiments that the school is one big community. They appreciate the support offered by school leaders around their well-being and are proud to work at the school.

Governors understand their duties well. Between them, they offer a diverse range of skills and knowledge, which means that they provide a good level of support and challenge to the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subject areas, the school has not considered well enough how prior knowledge connects to new learning. As a result, pupils do not develop the depth of knowledge intended to meet the aims of the curriculum. The school needs to ensure that the curriculum clearly and sequentially identifies the knowledge and skills that pupils should build over time.

• The school does not always check pupils' learning well enough, including in the early years. As a result, children and pupils make the same errors over time, particularly in the formation of numbers and letters. The school needs to ensure that teachers use assessment more effectively to address errors.

• Activities in early years do not always support children to develop the skills and knowledge that they need to be ready for Year 1 and beyond. As a result, children are not always strongly prepared for their next steps. The school should design activities that ensure that children acquire secure foundational skills and knowledge by the end of their time in early years.