Woolston Brook School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Senior leaders and governors promote a culture of high expectations for pupils' behaviour and achievement. Their ambitions are endorsed by all staff.

The leadership team is being expanded to support a more distributed approach to leadership. This is in its early stages. Pupils' physical and emotional well-being are at the heart of the school's work.

Staff nurture, praise and encourage pupils. They support pupils to feel safe and grow in confidence. Pupils currently make good progress.

They benefit from a personalised curriculum that helps them to engage in education and prepares them well for their next steps. Pupils typically at...tain strong passes in GCSE art and gain a good range of vocational qualifications. These qualifications support pupils to access further education or training.

In 2018, many pupils did not gain strong passes at GCSE and they did not have other qualifications in English, mathematics, science and information technology. This reflects weaker progress in the past than is currently the case. The promotion of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength.

Pupils' education is enriched with many exciting experiences. Teaching is adapted successfully to each pupils' abilities and their specific social and emotional needs. It engages pupils' interests and extends their learning.

Pupils have a clear understanding of how to produce high-quality work in art and physical education (PE). They enjoy applying their skills to explore, reason and investigate in mathematics and topic work. However, such skills are not developed as fully in some other subjects.

Assessment is used effectively to plan teaching from day-to-day. However, assessment systems do not easily enable leaders to obtain an overview of pupils' progress in all subjects. Pupils are respectful towards staff and show pride in their achievements.

Pupils' behaviour and attendance improve significantly as they grow to value their education. For some pupils, lack of effective communication skills is a barrier to their progress. Developing these skills remains a priority in improvement planning.

The new leadership team is building on existing good practice and driving further improvements effectively. School improvement planning is based on incisive self-evaluation.

Information about this school

Since the last inspection there have been a number of changes.

The school has moved into a different building and the number of pupils on roll has doubled. There were no pupils at key stage 2 at the time of the last inspection. The current headteacher was appointed in September 2018.

The chair of governors has held this position for two years. The school provides education for pupils who have an education, health and care plan for social, emotional and mental health. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is well above average.

A number of pupils are looked after by the local authority. The majority of pupils are boys. The vast majority are White British.

A small proportion are travellers of Irish heritage. The school works in partnership with the local authority. Staff provide training in SEN to local mainstream schools.

Leaders have also established a teaching and learning partnership with Chaigheley School, an independent special school in Warrington, enabling subject leaders to share good practice. A small number of pupils attend alternative provision to pursue vocational studies for one or two days a week at Warrington Vale Royal Collegiate or Cornerstones, an independent educational provider. A small number are educated by school staff within the community.