Woodford Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school During a challenging time for the school, the whole community has come together.

There is a remarkably strong sense of team work and an absolute focus on ensuring that the school becomes the best it can be. Leaders, including the trust and governors, are ambitious for pupils. There is a relentless drive to continue to implement improvements to teaching, learning and assessment.

As a result, the quality of the education provided is good. The strong leadership team has secured the trust and goodwill of staff. Leaders support staff well, providing clear expectations and feedback.

Because of this, staff are motivated, and morale is h...igh. There are strong systems for assessing pupils' progress. As a result, most teaching and learning is built on a deep and secure understanding of pupils' next steps.

Teachers plan learning that challenges pupils to apply and extend their knowledge. Consequently, most pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress. There remains some variability in the quality of teaching.

At times, particularly in key stage 1, and in mathematics lessons across the school, the challenge provided to pupils is not quite high enough. This means that some pupils, particularly the most able pupils, do not make consistently good progress throughout the school. Teaching assistants provide precise support that targets pupils' individual next steps well.

On occasion, the support is less effective when working within the class. The curriculum is varied and interesting. Pupils develop skills effectively in different contexts and across subjects.

There is a high emphasis on promoting strong values. Therefore, pupils' attitudes towards their learning are strong and many are inquisitive and resilient learners. This prepares pupils well for their futures.

Pupils enjoy school. Attendance is good. Pupils are polite and courteous, and the school is calm and orderly.

Leaders do not analyse patterns of behaviour over time. As a result, they are not evaluating the differences that new strategies make on the behaviour of pupils.

Information about this school

Woodford Primary School is a large school.

In June 2016, the school became an academy sponsored by Boringdon Primary School. Both schools are now part of the Plym Academy Trust, a multi-academy trust of five primary schools within the Plympton area of Plymouth. The schools work collaboratively and support each other in various ways related to school improvement.

The chief executive officer (CEO) of the trust provides strategic support to the leadership team and to the local governing body, which is known as the local advisory board. The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is lower than the national average. The proportion of pupils with SEND is broadly average.

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