Woodhill Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This school is ambitious for all pupils, and pupils enjoy attending. Leaders, governors and staff from the trust and school share the same high expectations for pupils' behaviour and achievement.

Pupils are courteous, respectful and enthusiastic about their learning. They are taught about the importance of kindness and respect, values they typically reflect in their own behaviour. From the early years upwards, relationships between staff and pupils are strong.

Leaders ensure that all pupils benefit from special experiences, including meeting a beekeeper in the early years, going to the coast in Year 1, ice skating in Year 4, a residential visit to a rural setting in Y...ear 5 and a theatre performance in Year 6. Events such as the annual 'World Café' introduce pupils to a wide range of cultures, backgrounds and heritages.

Pupils are keen to take on roles in school, including as art ambassadors, digital leaders, school librarians and peer mediators.

These contribute well to developing pupils' confidence and character. Clubs, including choir, chess and tennis, extend pupils' talents and interests. The school works closely with parents and carers, for example by regularly inviting them into the school for events such as 'reading breakfasts'.

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

Leaders have devised a highly ambitious curriculum that takes account of pupils' starting points and needs. For example, leaders know that many pupils speak English as an additional language or have low starting points in communication and language. To support pupils for whom this is the case, the school has identified key vocabulary within the curriculum that pupils need to know.

From the early years onwards, teaching focuses on helping pupils to know, understand and use this important language.

The curriculum is well sequenced to build pupils' knowledge in detail over time. The experiences children have in the early years are well planned and are an important starting point for later learning.

The school ensures that pupils are helped to revisit knowledge in new contexts so that they make links between the content they learn. For example, when learning about the impact of colonial rule in Africa, Year 6 pupils draw on what they learned about 'invasion', when studying the Roman Empire in Year 4, and about the HMT (His Majesty's Transport) Empire Windrush in Year 5. The school has processes in place to check pupils' recall of key knowledge.

However, teaching does not systematically check that pupils have understood the important content that they need to know before moving on to new learning. As a result, there are some gaps in pupils' knowledge, and pupils sometimes have misconceptions that are not picked up and addressed.

Leaders ensure that the needs of pupils who join the school part way through their primary education are carefully identified and well met, as they do for all pupils in the school.

This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language, for whom the school provides well-devised and comprehensive support. As a result, all pupils access the same curriculum and all that the school has to offer. Pupils achieve well in relation to their starting points.

This is not fully reflected in the published outcomes of national assessment tests at the end of Year 6.

Teachers receive regular, well-thought-out training. This supports their knowledge of the curriculum and the best ways to deliver it.

Teachers use common routines for learning, which pupils are familiar with. They present information clearly and break it down into manageable chunks, which supports all pupils, including those with SEND, to learn the curriculum.

Reading is important and valued here.

Pupils enjoy reading and talk enthusiastically about their favourite authors. Pupils in the early stages of reading are taught the phonics knowledge they need to become fluent readers. They have plenty of practise, reading books that focus on the sounds they are learning.

Leaders swiftly identify and provide support to pupils who need it. The reading curriculum includes a wide range of carefully chosen texts, selected to expand pupils' knowledge and language.

Pupils typically focus well in the classroom; they know what is expected of their conduct and are supported by clear routines.

They socialise well with one another during breaktimes. From the early years, the school teaches children about the importance of recognising their feelings and emotions and how their behaviour can affect others.

Pupils are given excellent opportunities to develop their knowledge beyond the academic curriculum.

Starting in the early years, pupils learn about different religions and traditions. They visit places of worship and have many opportunities to discuss different views and beliefs. This helps them to develop a careful consideration of what it means to show respect and tolerance.

Pupils know how to stay safe, including online and in relationships. They are well prepared for their futures, for example through experiencing the world of work in Year 6.

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 instances, teaching does not check pupils' understanding systematically. As a result, pupils' misconceptions are sometimes not identified and addressed swiftly, and in some instances, pupils' knowledge is not as secure as it might be before they go on to do more complex tasks. Leaders should ensure that teaching checks pupils' understanding of important content securely before moving on to new concepts or more complex work.