Woodbridge Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

There has been no change to this school's overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection.

However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Woodbridge Primary School is a happy community.

Pupils are kind to one another. They are eager to help each other at playtimes and in class. They highly value their school and their teachers.

Pupils learn and emulate the school's values. These include confidence, commitment and craftmanship.

Pupils a...cquire a solid grounding in reading and mathematics.

They share their teachers' love of reading. Pupils are eager to learn. However, the quality of the education pupils receive in some subjects is not good enough.

This is because the school's expectations of what pupils will learn and how they will behave are not as high as they could be.

The school offers all pupils opportunities to achieve sporting success. Pupils also relish taking on leadership roles as a librarian or a member of the school council.

Pupils partake in a wide variety of experiences. For example, visits from various faith leaders, trips to places of natural beauty and opportunities to perform musically in the community. The school's residential trip to Derbyshire is a much loved and anticipated foray into orienteering, independence and teamwork.

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

The school has steadily improved many aspects of the curriculum. This includes the way that phonics is taught. Pupils start learning how to read as soon as they join the Reception Year.

Teachers help pupils to understand and practice the sounds that letters make. Most pupils quickly learn how to read. As they move through the school, they develop a love of reading.

Staff give additional support to pupils who need to catch up. However, the school has not ensured that all staff have received effective phonics training.In some subjects, the curriculum does not sufficiently set out the knowledge, vocabulary and skills that pupils will learn.

Checks on what pupils have learned are at the early stages of development. Teachers have not received the training and guidance they need to teach these subjects well enough. The work that teachers set for pupils does not always help them to understand and remember key knowledge.

As a result, pupils do not learn, in depth, knowledge that would enable them to understand, for example, the past and the world around them.

The school teaches pupils to be polite and kind to one another. Teachers give pupils opportunities to voice their opinions and make their own decisions.

However, in some parts of the day and some parts of the school, pupils' natural exuberance is not held in check. The school has not established clear expectations for pupils' behaviour when moving around class or to different parts of the school. For example, transitions to the lunch hall can become too noisy and somewhat chaotic.

The school gives pupils the pastoral support they need to overcome anxieties or barriers to learning. The school identifies pupils' needs accurately and promptly. A range of effective support helps pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to engage, feel included and learn well.

For example, the school provides individual workstations and sessions with speech and language therapists. Leaders support pupils with SEND to take part in clubs and wider sporting opportunities.

Children in the early years quickly learn to feel at home with one another and their teachers.

This is because of the nurture, care and attention that staff in the early years give to them. Every day is filled with stories, singing, games and conversation. Children like the stories, songs and games so much that they learn them off by heart.

This helps children to develop their language, vocabulary and communication skills.

The school's personal, social, health and economic curriculum is a strength. It teaches pupils how to keep healthy and safe, how to make friends and how to respect different cultures and traditions.

Pupils are confident to talk about the ways that we all differ, yet should be treated equally.

The governing body is undergoing a change to its structure and leadership. Governors are enthusiastic about the school's future and are keen to engage with all staff.

Although workload can sometimes be a challenge, staff feel supported. Staff appreciate the way that the school's culture encourages everyone to feel part of a team.

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, the school's curriculum does not sufficiently identify and sequence the knowledge, vocabulary and skills that pupils should learn. This makes it difficult for teachers to plan suitable lessons or provide appropriate work for pupils to complete. As a result, in some subjects, pupils do not learn in sufficient depth.

Leaders should review their curriculum documents so that all subjects identify and sequence the knowledge, vocabulary and skills that pupils will learn. Leaders should also provide training and guidance to teachers so that they teach the curriculum effectively and enable all pupils to achieve well. ? In some subjects, assessment is at an early stage of development.

This means that teachers cannot ascertain pupils' gaps in knowledge and understanding. Leaders should continue to review their assessment processes so that they encompass all aspects of pupils' education. ? The school has not ensured that all staff have sufficient knowledge to teach early reading effectively.

Consequently, some pupils are not learning to read as well as they should. The school should ensure that all staff are early reading experts and are skilled in providing pupils with the help they need to become confident and fluent readers. ? The school's expectations of pupils' behaviour during transition times and in communal parts of the school are not high enough.

During these times, some areas become noisy and chaotic. Leaders should develop routines and have high expectations of behaviour so that pupils know how to behave during these times and around the school.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2014.