Woodside Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Woodside Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

The headteacher of this school is Claire Bennett. This school is part of Woodside Primary School Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Claire Bennett, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Gordon Channon.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and enjoy coming to this happy school. They say the school is 'full of kindness' and that it is 'like a big family'. The school has high expectations of its pupils.

Staff in the school are ...passionate about helping each pupil achieve well as they grow. They work well as a team to make sure that all pupils learn well across all subjects and get the help they need. Staff know each pupil and their families well.

Pupils are friendly and polite. They learn and play well with each other. Their behaviour in lessons, and around the school, is considerate and sensible.

Pupils often go out of their way to help others. Most pupils speak with an infectious enthusiasm about their school, its values and their learning. Bullying is very rare.

The school environment is welcoming and attractive. Children in the early years and pupils settle quickly into the school because of the care they get. They enjoy the spacious grounds, including the school's forest area and when using the new 'play boxes' that the school provides.

Most parents and carers say that the school is helping its pupils to thrive. They recommend the school to others without hesitation.

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

The school has worked hard to improve the curriculum since the previous inspection.

The new curriculum is ambitious. Pupils learn the subjects of the national curriculum.

There is a strong emphasis on early reading and mathematics.

This gives pupils a firm foundation for future learning. Pupils are learning mathematics well. Their lessons help them to recall number facts with fluency.

They enjoy using their mathematical knowledge to reason and solve problems.

The school responded quickly to dips in results in the Year 1 phonics screening check and the Year 6 reading test. A new phonics scheme is helping all pupils make good progress with early reading.

Pupils who fell behind in earlier years are making up lost ground rapidly. Those who need it get extra specialist help. Most pupils are now confident and fluent readers.

The school pays close attention to how well each pupil is doing at Woodside. School leaders meet with other staff to make frequent checks on each pupil's progress. Any pupils who struggle in lessons get further intensive support.

This helps all pupils in school flourish, including those who have a special educational need and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported effectively.

Training for staff across all subjects is extensive, including in early reading and mathematics.

Teachers and key workers have sound specialist knowledge. They use this to help pupils learn in lessons and when providing any additional support. A focus on communication and language in early years prepares children well for Year 1.

Pupils' attendance fell sharply after the COVID-19 epidemic. It is now increasing. Pupils with poor attendance benefited from effective support last year.

Many improved their attendance markedly. However, some pupils are still absent from school without good reason. Alongside this, not all parents understand fully the importance of regular school attendance.

The school emphasises the importance of extra-curricular and other activities. These activities support pupils' wider development. They help pupils get ready for the next stage in their education.

Most pupils take part in the many artistic, sporting, charitable and community activities on offer at Woodside. For example, they enjoy the after-school clubs, regional competitions and the 'Big Sing'. These encourage new interests and broaden pupils' horizons.

When they leave Woodside, most pupils are creative, aspirational, resilient and empathetic learners. However, some pupils do not take part in many activities. They do not develop wider interests or experience unfamiliar contexts.

As a result, they are not as well prepared as they could be for the next stages of their education.

The school is led and managed well. Leaders take great care to support the well-being of their staff.

In turn, staff are particularly positive about working in the school. They feel keenly supported. They are very eager to meet the high expectations set by leaders.

All staff in the school are ambitious for pupils to succeed and act in the best interest of pupils.

Parents are happy with the school. Some say that they want to know more about what their child is learning in school.

Governance is effective. The board of trustees has plenty of experience. Trustees use reports, visits and meetings to hold the school to account.

Leaders discharge their delegated responsibilities well. The school meets its statutory duties.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils have too much absence from school. This means that they do not learn as much as they could. The school should promote better attendance more widely among pupils and, where necessary, provide additional support and guidance on the importance of attendance to parents, so that pupils learn as well as they could.

• Not all parents understand what pupils are learning in school. This makes it difficult for them to provide relevant support at home. The school should review how it provides this information to parents so that they can be more involved in their child's education.

• The school's enrichment programme helps to prepare pupils for their next steps. However, not all pupils take part as much as they could, and this means they are not as well prepared as they could be. The school should identify these pupils and ensure they are able to benefit from these wider development opportunities.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 predecessor school (Woodside Primary School) to be good for overall effectiveness in February 2015.