Woodfield School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Woodfield School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

A cheerful warm welcome awaits pupils as they arrive at this school.

This positive approach carries on throughout all activities during the day. Consequently, strong and trusting relationships between adults and pupils are built, and pupils say they feel safe in school.

Because leaders aspire for pupils to be successful, expectations around behaviour are high.

Leaders and staff get to know everyone really well. They find out what is important to each individual. This results in pupils receiving effective support that helps them to become increasingly independent in their ability... to regulate their own behaviour.

Older pupils thoughtfully reflect that everyone here is different in their own way. There is a shared understanding that sometimes people need different approaches or support to be successful in school. Pupils' attitudes represent the school values.

As one pupil commented, 'Everyone is included here.'

Leaders are ambitious for every pupil to leave school confident and able to make a positive contribution to the world. As far as possible, teachers link learning to real-life situations.

Where pupils require a more personalised approach, this is provided for them. Pupils respond to this by engaging well in learning.

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

Pupils are well prepared for their next stage of education.

This is because leaders have established a carefully sequenced curriculum that helps pupils build on their knowledge and skills over time. A broad range of subjects are offered, and these are delivered alongside a well-organised life skills curriculum. This helps pupils gain a sense of purpose and meaning to their learning.

As they progress through the school, they achieve a range of accreditations, such as functional skills in English and mathematics or food hygiene qualifications. Where it is appropriate for pupils to access higher level qualifications such as GCSEs, targeted teaching and support is provided. All staff are well informed about pupils' personalised targets from their education health and care (EHC) plans.

This means that throughout all areas of learning, the members of the skilled staff team facilitate pupils to constantly make progress towards these highly personalised targets.

As pupils progress into key stage 4 leaders have created a tailored enterprise programme with the pupils' interests in mind. This provides opportunities for 'in house' work experience.

Pupils are highly motivated to apply for job roles in the school shop, bank and the newly set up radio station. Further careers education is becoming established throughout the school. This careers guidance and the opportunities for work experience are well planned by leaders.

Independence is promoted through teaching pupils the necessary skills for future employment. Pupils work on projects to design, produce and sell a product, such as 'tea tray' gifts. Some pupils enjoy developing their horticulture skills in the garden or at the local allotments.

These experiences give pupils confidence and a range of useful skills for their future lives. Transitions to college, or other placements, are managed sensitively.

Leaders are steadfastly determined that all pupils will learn to read.

They are keenly aware of the impact that being able to read has on pupils' confidence and future possibilities. All staff have received training in phonics. This means that teachers are clear about where pupils have gaps in learning.

They target these precisely to help them to improve and become more confident. Teachers take creative approaches and harness pupils' interests to motivate them and make reading enjoyable. This helps to ensure pupils achieve well before they leave school.

The school council representatives take their role seriously because they understand that their classmates have voted them into this important position. Pupils appreciate this opportunity to have a say on school issues. Whole-school assemblies are an opportunity for pupils to be inspired by visitors or provoked to think about important issues.

Pupils can recall learning about respect from activities during anti-bullying week.

Some clubs and other rich experiences were paused because of COVID-19. Many trips, visits and residentials are now being reintroduced by leaders to enhance the curriculum.

Pupils are keen to pursue these valuable opportunities.

Pupils are sensitively helped to regulate their behaviour. Where pupils exhibit more challenging behaviour, leaders and staff collaborate supportively.

They strive to understand what is behind this behaviour and to put the right support in place.

Leaders are focused on improving attendance. They work effectively with the local education welfare officer.

However, they do not have sharp enough processes in place, and too many pupils do not attend school regularly enough.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders know the pupils and their families well.

They are alert to the specific vulnerabilities of their pupils and understand the possible associated safeguarding risks they may face. Leaders work closely with a range of external agencies, including social services. However, while leaders are diligent in the actions they take to keep pupils safe, there are examples of where safeguarding records lack sufficient detail.

Pupils are taught about risks, such as how to keep safe when online or how to stay safe outside of school. They know they can talk to a trusted adult if they need help.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes, some safeguarding records lack sufficient detail about the action taken in response to an incident.

This means vital information could be missed. Leaders need to make sure that all actions are clearly and consistently recorded. ? Too many pupils do not attend school regularly enough.

This means they miss out on vital learning. Leaders must implement a well-monitored, clear and coordinated attendance strategy, where all staff know and understand their roles and responsibilities in supporting pupils to attend well.

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 September 2012.