Woodside Primary School and Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school and feel safe here. There are many systems for supporting pupils and their families to make the most of the education and care provided. Pastoral support is strong.

Pupils know that staff will take their concerns and worries seriously, and find ways to help.

Bullying is not accepted. Adults and pupils work well together to stop any unkind or careless behaviour that might upset others.

This means that everyone can enjoy playtimes and lessons.

Pupils are taught well. Lessons are orderly and cover the full curriculum.

Since the previous inspection, expectations for what pupils can achieve have risen. This shows in the qualit...y of learning and the rising standards being seen throughout the school.

Whatever their needs, all pupils receive teaching and support that enable them to feel good about themselves and what they can achieve.

Beyond lessons, there are lots of other things to do, including clubs, trips and stays away from home.

There is a strong team spirit. Everyone works well together to provide pupils with a caring and ambitious education.

Pupils, staff and parents describe the school as welcoming and friendly. Inspectors agree.

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

Since the previous inspection, the school's leadership, including the support provided by Hales Valley Trust, has continued to improve the school.

It has been a united team effort that has strengthened the curriculum and lifted standards. As the staff survey comments show, everyone is on board with the school's vision for all pupils to achieve. There is still more work to do to strengthen curriculum design further, but leaders and staff are on the right track.

Already, improvements in reading, writing and mathematics are evident in pupils' work and end of key stage results.

Early attention to communication and language in the Nursery class prepares children well for phonics lessons in Reception. The school uses a well-resourced phonics scheme and staff have regular training.

Standards coming up through the school have risen. Now, more children move into key stage 2 being able to read accurately. For those who take longer to learn, the school provides extra tuition.

In addition, staff regularly read to their classes, and pupils have many books to choose from, for reading in school and at home.

The improvements in reading are mirrored in mathematics. From early years to Year 6, the curriculum is carefully sequenced.

New learning builds securely on what has gone before. At times, some lessons do not work as well as others but, overall, pupils are now doing much better.

Assessment in both English and mathematics is efficient and accurate.

This enables staff to plan new learning in an informed way.

The rest of the curriculum is broad and interesting. All the subjects of the national curriculum are taught.

Subject leaders keep up with new developments and have time to check on how well different subjects are planned and taught. In many subjects, the knowledge to be taught is set out in curriculum guidance. Staff appreciate this and report that it helps them with workload.

Nevertheless, at times, they are not sure about the most important content to emphasise. In computing, for example, teaching does not focus enough on some crucial terminology.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities continue to benefit from expert support.

Needs are identified accurately and the school's inclusive ethos means no one is left out. Indeed, staff find ways to show everyone they are special and valued. Whether pupils need help with learning, their feelings or behaviour, this school provides for them.

This is a distinctive feature of the school.

In addition to classroom learning, the school takes pupils out on trips and provides a range of lunchtime and after-school clubs. Pupils can participate in sports and music events with other schools.

They also carry out jobs such as anti-bullying ambassadors, librarians or digital leaders. They take these roles seriously, and other pupils respect the work they do to help others. Indeed, the school does much to teach pupils about respectful and safe behaviour.

Pupils learn about healthy relationships and why discrimination is wrong.

Following the pandemic, leaders worked closely with parents and professional services to get pupils back into school. This work is paying off.

Current attendance figures are on the up. Even so, some pupils still miss too much school.

Staff value the subject-specific training provided for them.

They also benefit from the networks across the trust that enable them to share their work with staff in other schools.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum in some subjects is still being developed or has only recently been established.

This means that staff's subject knowledge, confidence and delivery vary. It also means that, in some subjects, staff are not sure about the most important knowledge to emphasise, revisit and check. The school should continue to develop the curriculum, with appropriate support and guidance for staff, so that pupils learn and achieve as well as possible in all subjects.

Some pupils miss too much school too often. This hinders their learning. The school should continue to work with parents and professional services to provide families with the necessary challenge and support to improve their children's attendance.