Woodland Middle School Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school School leaders and governors have established a culture that challenges pupils to achieve well in a range of subjects, including English and mathematics. Safeguarding procedures are effective. Governors have high expectations of staff and pupils.

They provide support and challenge in equal measure. Teachers provide pupils with insightful feedback about their learning. Pupils know how well they are doing and how to improve their work.

Pupils currently in the school are making good progress across a range of subjects. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 are making good progress in English and mathematics. This is a significant improvement from previous... years, when progress at the end of key stage 2 was below average.

Work with other schools has ensured that teaching, learning and assessment in mathematics are appropriately challenging and support pupils in making good progress. The curriculum is broad and balanced and provides opportunities for pupils to benefit from specialist teachers and facilities. The curriculum strongly supports pupils' social, moral, spiritual and cultural development.

Support for pupils' personal development and welfare is outstanding. The school provides high-quality support to help pupils overcome difficulties that hinder their learning and progress. Most pupils enjoy school and attend regularly.

Attendance is improving and is in line with the national average. For a small minority of pupils, absence is above average. Teachers use questioning that probes and deepens pupils' understanding but this is not consistent across subjects and year groups.

Teachers challenge the most able pupils to develop their problem-solving and reasoning skills in mathematics. They provide fewer opportunities for other pupils to do so and these skills are therefore less well developed.

Information about this school

The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish. The school is a smaller than average sized secondary school. (Although the school is a middle school, it is deemed a secondary school.

) The very large majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is small. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is in line with the national average.

The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium grant is below average. The school meets current floor standards. These are the minimum standards set by the government for pupils' attainment and progress.

No pupils are educated off site or through alternative provision. The school works closely with other local schools as part of the 'Redborne Pyramid'. The school also commissions the support of a consultant to act as a school improvement partner.