Warren Wood Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. The school's motto of care, courtesy and consideration is woven through all that happens during the school day. It underpins the strong and respectful relationships that pupils develop with staff and with one another.

Pupils are confident and articulate. They are proud of the positive contribution that they make to their school and to the wider community.

The school has high aspirations for pupils' achievement, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Current pupils achieve well following improvements to the school's curriculum. They benefit from a well-designed personal, social and mental healt...h programme.

Pupils are polite and well mannered.

Classrooms are calm and purposeful. This allows pupils to do their best in lessons. Pupils are inquisitive and display positive attitudes towards their learning.

Pupils have a strong understanding of a range of important issues, including equality and diversity. The school ensures that pupils understand fundamental British values, such as democracy and tolerance. Pupils revel in their many responsibilities, including acting as restorative ambassadors or as buddies to younger pupils.

A rich variety of visits and after-school activities enhance pupils' learning across the curriculum.

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

The school, including the governing body, has worked effectively with the local authority to secure considerable improvements to the quality of its curriculum. The impact of this work can be seen in some of the school's most recent published data.

In 2023, the proportion of pupils who met the expected standards in reading and writing at the end of key stages 1 and 2 was in line with national averages. However, these pupils did not fare as well in mathematics. A significant proportion did not meet the expected standard.

These pupils were hindered by the legacy of a previously weaker curriculum and the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The published data for mathematics does not reflect the improved curriculum that current pupils enjoy.

The school has implemented an ambitious curriculum that meets the learning needs of pupils, including those with SEND, well.

Children in the early years get off to a strong start. They settle into school life quickly. The implementation of a well-designed early years' curriculum promotes a love of learning through curiosity and sustained focus during learning activities.

The school's curriculum identifies the important knowledge that pupils should acquire. This is designed to build on pupils' prior knowledge in well-ordered steps. However, in some subjects, the school has not fully considered how teaching will help pupils to remember what they have learned over time.

Pupils are not confident when recalling or discussing their prior learning in these subjects.

Within lessons, teachers use assessment strategies effectively to check how well pupils are learning. This helps them to identify and address pupils' misconceptions as they happen.

However, the school's approaches to checking how successfully pupils retain key knowledge over time are at an early stage in some subjects. This hinders how well teachers build on what pupils already know.

The school has made sure that pupils develop a love of reading from an early age.

Teachers in the early years develop children's vocabulary through rhymes and traditional tales. Older pupils read widely and often. They spoke enthusiastically about authors and the books that they have read and enjoyed.

Teachers skilfully build children's phonics knowledge in the Reception Year. This continues as pupils move into key stage 1. Teachers make sure that pupils read books that are carefully matched to their phonics knowledge.

They are swift to spot any pupils who are finding reading tricky. Teachers help these pupils to catch up with the reading programme quickly.

The school identifies the specific needs of pupils with SEND at the earliest opportunity.

Staff check that appropriate support is in place for these pupils as they move through the school. This support enables pupils with SEND to achieve well and to participate in all aspects of school life.

Pupils behave well.

They rarely disturb the learning of their peers. They understand and follow the school's routines. Pupils work and play productively and safely.

The school has developed clear procedures to manage attendance and punctuality. As a result, pupils attend school regularly and arrive on time.

The school has established a very effective programme to develop pupils into well-rounded individuals.

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online. They benefit from highly effective support for their social and emotional well-being. The school places a strong focus on positive relationships.

This is well supported by the restorative ambassadors who have been trained for this role. Opportunities to learn outdoors promote pupils' independence and mental well-being.

Staff enjoy working at the school.

They appreciate the support that they receive to fulfil their roles effectively. For example, the school considers staff's workload when implementing new initiatives to improve the curriculum.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the opportunities to recap and recall previous learning are at an early stage of development. This means that some pupils are less confident in recalling what they have been taught. The school should ensure that the curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to develop secure foundations on which to build new learning.

• In some subjects, teachers' checks on pupils' knowledge at the end of units of work are not effective enough to spot gaps in learning or to ensure that pupils remember what they have been taught. This hampers how well pupils build securely on what they know. The school should develop its assessment strategies to support teachers to reinforce pupils' learning more effectively in these subjects.