Wood End Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending Wood End.

They behave well in class because expectations are clear and well understood. Pupils appreciate the certificates they receive for positive behaviour. Any incidences of bullying are dealt with swiftly.

Pupils value 'The Space', where they can speak with someone and get support with any worries they may have. This helps to ensure that pupils are kept safe and feel safe at school.

Pupils try hard in lessons.

They typically produce work of good quality and achieve well in English and mathematics. However, the curriculum in other subjects is not as well established. This means pupils, including those with special education...al needs and /or disabilities (SEND), do not secure as deep a knowledge and understanding.

In these subjects, pupils are less well prepared for the next stage of their education than they need to be.

Pupils access a developing range of visits and additional activities. For example, some pupils enjoy attending clubs such as football, karate and tennis.

Older pupils take on additional responsibilities such as supporting their younger peers at breaktime and lunchtime.

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

The curriculum matches the breadth and ambition of what is expected nationally. The important subject content that pupils need to learn and remember has been identified and logically sequenced.

This helps pupils to build their understanding over time and tackle more complex ideas. For example, in mathematics, children in early years practise measuring and using key vocabulary such as 'taller' and 'shorter'. This solid foundation is built on so that pupils can add and subtract different measures confidently.

Older pupils draw on this knowledge when solving more complex problems calculating fractions of measurements. The curriculum in English and mathematics is well implemented. For example, teachers use assessment effectively to identify and address pupils' misconceptions.

This helps pupils to develop a secure body of knowledge and achieve well, including in published outcomes.

The curriculum in other subjects is at an earlier stage of implementation. Across the school, there is significant variation in how well the curriculum is delivered.

For example, the use of assessment in these areas is not effective. This means some pupils have gaps in their learning which have not been sufficiently addressed. As a result, pupils do not secure deeper knowledge in these areas of the curriculum.

A number of staff are new to their subject leader positions. They have not secured sufficient oversight of the curriculum meaning some of the inconsistencies in, for example, the use of assessment has not been identified or addressed.

Pupils with SEND are accurately identified.

Information about their needs and the strategies they need to learn effectively are communicated with staff. Teachers use this information to make appropriate adaptations to tasks and activities. This supports pupils to access the same curriculum as their peers wherever this is possible.

Leaders have prioritised pupils' reading. The foundations for reading are well established in early years. Staff implement the school's chosen curriculum with precision.

This includes effective support for those who need additional help. Pupils practise reading books which match the sounds that they are learning. This helps them to read with increasing fluency.

A love of reading is promoted across the school. For example, pupils mark World Book Day by celebrating their favourite authors. Similarly, parents from all year groups are invited in each week to read a story with their children.

Effective systems and clear expectations mean that pupils attend well. The school's values of 'dream, believe and achieve' are reinforced each day. The 'learning friends' provide reminders about the expectations of behaviour.

Consequently, the school is calm and orderly during lessons. Leaders recognise that further work is needed to ensure behaviour at lunchtime is consistently positive.

Pupils' personal development is well considered.

The curriculum is designed to help pupils understand important ideas such as what constitutes a healthy and respectful relationship. A developing programme of educational outings underpins the curriculum. For example, pupils have visited the local church and have attended a residential in Hertfordshire.

There are opportunities for pupils to develop their leadership skills by taking on additional responsibilities including fundraising and helping out at lunchtime.

Leaders are considerate of staff well-being. The significant and recent changes to the curriculum have impacted on staff workload.

Governors understand the school's priorities. They understand their role to offer support and challenge leaders. However, oversight of some aspects of the school's work is not sufficiently rigorous or robust.

This limits governors' understanding of the impact of leaders' work and the precision with which priorities for improvement are identified.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Pupils are kept safe at school.

Staff have received appropriate training. They understand their role in safeguarding pupils, including how to report concerns they may have. Recruitment processes are appropriate, this includes pre-employment checks.

The curriculum is designed to help pupils learn about keeping themselves safe, including when online.

However, the rigour with which concerns are shared with the local authority and subsequent advice acted upon is inconsistent. Similarly, those responsible for governance do not have access to the range of information they need to maintain an effective overview of safeguarding systems and processes.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In subjects other than English and mathematics, the curriculum is at an earlier stage of implementation. There is variability in the delivery of these subjects, including the use of assessment to identify and address pupils' misconceptions. As a result, there are significant gaps in what pupils know and understand.

The school should ensure that staff have sufficient training to implement these subjects effectively. Similarly, subject leaders should receive appropriate support to develop and maintain their oversight of the subjects they lead. ? The systems for checking different aspects of the school's work are not fully developed.

Information about, for example, the impact of the curriculum, aspects of safeguarding, pupils' behaviour and the provision for pupils with SEND is not readily available. The school should ensure that record-keeping is coherent and well organised. The school should also ensure that information is used to inform leaders and those responsible for governance about the impact of the school's work.