Outwood Primary Academy Woodlands

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has seen some improvements since the last inspection. However, the quality of education is not good enough and leaders know they still have a lot of work to do. The curriculums for reading, writing and mathematics are planned well.

But planning for all other subjects is not effective. Pupils do not learn as well as they should.

Most pupils enjoy coming to school and feel safe.

Pupils are cared for well because staff respond well to pupils' needs. Pupils are kept safe and supported effectively in class. Staff know the pupils well and have good relationships with them.

Most pupils think behaviour in lessons is good and this is what we saw in... most of the lessons we visited. Most pupils move around the school sensibly and listen to the teachers. When bullying happens, teachers deal with it.

However, the behaviour of some pupils, especially in key stage 2, disrupts lessons and stops others from getting on with their work. Some staff, parents, carers and pupils agree with this. During playtime, some pupils say unkind words to other pupils.

Pupils enjoy attending the breakfast club because there are lots of activities for them to do, such as playing games. Pupils also get a range of healthy breakfast options.

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

Since the last inspection, the school has experienced a period of change.

New teachers and senior leaders have been appointed and some staff have been absent for long periods of time. This means that some of the leaders and teachers are new to the school. Leaders and governors know that the quality of education provided by the school is not good enough.

Many pupils do not achieve as well as they could. Members of the interim executive board, the executive headteacher and the deputy headteacher are clear on what needs to be better.

During the past two years, leaders have concentrated on developing early reading, writing and mathematics.

This includes training for teachers and new resources. The new approaches are starting to have a positive impact on the quality of pupils' work. The curriculum plans for the core subjects are well thought out and the content is logically sequenced.

However, all other subjects are not well planned. Teachers do not understand well enough what needs to be taught in each subject or when. As a result, pupils miss out on important knowledge and do not make links with existing knowledge.

For example, pupils in a Year 6 reading lesson could not predict the meaning of unknown text such as 'noble blood' because they did not have any prior knowledge from history lessons about royalty.

Teachers and leaders for subjects such as history and geography have not had training on how to plan or teach different subjects. As a result, they are not confident in either teaching or leading each subject of the national curriculum.

The teaching of early reading is becoming a strength of the school. Leaders have placed a strong focus on this. They make sure that pupils who struggle with their reading get the time and support they need to catch up.

Teachers read to their classes every day and pupils are developing a love of reading. The books pupils take home are well matched to their reading ability. Pupils in all classes enjoy their daily story time session when an adult reads a book to them.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. The SEND coordinator leads teachers well. She makes sure that teachers identify and cater for the needs of pupils with SEND.

Teachers and teaching assistants adapt lessons and resources to help these pupils access the same work as other pupils.

Children in the early years achieve well. They are happy and confident because of the warm relationships they have with staff.

Children learn to read as soon as they enter Reception. The curriculum is well planned and ambitious. The outdoor area is exciting and children show real enjoyment in developing their own ideas and play together.

Staff model speaking and listening and, as a result, children develop the knowledge, skills and understanding that help them to communicate effectively.

Pupils, on the whole, behave well in lessons and listen to their teachers, especially in key stage 1 and the early years, where the environment is calm and purposeful. However, the behaviour of some pupils in key stage 2 classes disrupts lessons.

Some parents, staff and pupils have expressed concerns about this. Leaders are doing what they can in supporting these pupils to improve their behaviour. However, not all staff apply the school's behaviour policy consistently.

Leaders record all incidents of bad behaviour, but they do not analyse them to see if the help they put in place for pupils works.

Due to the lack of dining hall facilities, different year groups go to break and lunch at different times. During the key stage 2 lunch break, the dining hall gets cramped and this can lead to some inappropriate behaviour and noise.

This affects pupils' learning in key stage 1 classes. Also, the limited common space prevents leaders from getting all pupils together as part of the curriculum for personal development. Leaders have plans in place to improve this area after half term.

Pupils have opportunities to play musical instruments, attend after-school sports clubs or go on trips and visits. Pupils are rewarded when they show personal qualities such as perseverance, teamwork and resilience. Pupils regularly watch 'Newsround' and discuss topical issues such as Brexit and racism in football.

However, these opportunities are not planned carefully and, as a result, not all pupils benefit.

The interim executive board (IEB) has been in place for a year. IEB members know the strengths and weaknesses of the school very well.

Their extensive knowledge and experience enable them to provide strong challenge and support to leaders. The local authority has provided valuable support to school leaders and staff during some turbulent times.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong safeguarding culture in the school. The safeguarding leader has a good overview of this area of the school's work. Where necessary, she makes referrals to the local authority and other agencies.

The school works well with specialist services so that pupils and their families get the support they need. Staff receive regular training in safeguarding. Appropriate recruitment checks are in place to ensure that staff are safe to work with pupils.

Staff and pupils know who to go to if they have any concerns. Also, pupils know what to do to stay safe, including when online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

The school's curriculum for foundation subjects is not planned well enough to help pupils build on what they have already learned.

Pupils do not know enough about each foundation subject of the national curriculum. The school has not given enough thought to this in the past and, as a result, pupils do not acquire the knowledge and understanding they need to do better in every subject, such as history and geography. Leaders must ensure that the content of each foundation subject is sequenced logically so that pupils' knowledge builds on over time.

The school must provide better opportunities for all pupils, including the disadvantaged pupils, to learn the key skills, knowledge and vocabulary specific to each of the subjects of the national curriculum. . Leaders must ensure that the personal development curriculum is better coordinated so that all pupils receive consistently high-quality experiences.

The school's curriculum provides ad-hoc opportunities for pupils to learn about different faiths, customs and cultures. Leaders have not considered how to further adapt the curriculum offer to address the use of derogatory language by some pupils and support them to understand the impact of this behaviour. The school must address this so that pupils develop a greater degree of tolerance, acceptance and understanding of others.

. Although leaders work hard to manage behaviour in school and record incidents of misbehaviour, they do not strategically analyse this information. Leaders must urgently address this so that they are in a position to accurately evaluate the impact of their actions and numerous interventions with various pupils.

This analysis will also enable them to ensure that all staff apply the school's behaviour policy consistently. . Following some staff turbulence, new appointments and some staff absences, a number of staff are new to their positions.

Senior leaders must ensure that all staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. As a result of the lack of a well-thought-out whole-school curriculum and strategic direction from senior leaders, teachers tend to work in isolation. Leaders must make sure that staff at all levels, including teaching assistants, have the appropriate training, including subject-specific training, to support them in leading the different areas of the school effectively.