Woodcot Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Woodcot primary is a place where pupils are happy and safe. Following a period of change, the school has raised its expectations of what pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can and should achieve.

The school is taking the right actions to improve the quality of education. However, the impact of these actions is not yet resulting in pupils' learning and outcomes.

Staff secure positive relationships with pupils and this is at the heart of the school's culture.

Pupils live out the school's values of consideration, resilience and independence as much as they can. This helps to foster a nurturing atmosphere throughout... the school. Dedicated staff take the time to understand both pupils and their families.

Pupils benefit from a range of clubs, including computing and woodland club, which help to develop their interests.

Pupils, including children in the early years, generally behave well in class and around the school. They know what bullying is and are rightly confident that adults will act swiftly to resolve any issues.

Staff provide effective support for pupils who find it challenging to regulate their emotions at times. This helps to create a positive and engaging environment and ensures that learning is not impacted.

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

This school is emerging from a significant period of instability.

With the help of the trust, leaders have brought about substantial improvements to the curriculum, pupils' behaviour and attendance. Those responsible for governance provide effective support and challenge to the school. The school prioritises professional development and support for staff, giving appropriate regard to their workload and well-being.

The school is improving how well pupils learn through the development of a well-sequenced curriculum. It has identified the important knowledge pupils need to know and remember across subjects. This helps teachers to know what to teach pupils and when.

Children get off to a great start in the early years. From Nursery onwards, children engage in activities for increasing periods and demonstrate the ability to cooperate and be kind to each other. With the support of skilled staff, they quickly learn important early reading, writing and number skills.

They share stories, learn rhymes and develop an understanding of the world around them. Children are prepared well for Year 1.

Reading is prioritised throughout the school from the early years.

This starts in Nursery, where staff teach children to develop their communication and language skills. This prepares them for when they learn to read. Teachers follow the intended phonics programme well.

Pupils gain the knowledge and skills they need to become confident, fluent readers. Those pupils who find reading difficult receive regular support to help them to catch up quickly. This helps them to become confident and fluent readers over time.

The implementation of the curriculum is too variable. Where it is successful, ongoing checks ensure pupils demonstrate a secure understanding of concepts before they are introduced to new learning. Pupils are provided with sufficient opportunities to practise key knowledge and skills, which helps them to remember and apply their learning with confidence.

This is helping pupils to achieve well.

However, in newer aspects of the curriculum, pupils can be introduced to new learning before they are ready. In these subjects, pupils are not always provided with sufficient opportunities to revisit prior learning to secure their understanding.

Teachers' checks do not accurately identify gaps in learning or address misunderstandings. This can lead to pupils struggling with tasks that are too difficult for them. Consequently, this hinders pupils building on their existing knowledge securely.

Leaders identify pupils' needs accurately and inform staff of suitable strategies to support pupils with SEND. However, the support for pupils with SEND is not as strong as it could be. Sometimes, learning is not adapted well enough to meet pupils' specific needs.

As a result, some pupils with SEND struggle to build their knowledge, skills, and confidence.

The school's work to improve the attendance of pupils is effective and reducing absence. Leaders work in partnership with parents to understand the importance of their children being in school each day.

The school promotes pupils' personal development well. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe and how to lead healthy lifestyles. They know they make a difference to others.

For example, pupils develop leadership skills and contribute to school life as 'house captains' or in the active 'eco council'. They also learn about democratic processes as 'pupil governors' and provide feedback on school initiatives. Trips and experiences, such as visits to the Mary Rose or Shakespeare workshops enhance the curriculum.

The school makes adaptations to its offer to ensure all pupils benefit, including those who are disadvantaged.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Staff do not routinely check that pupils have understood new learning.

When this happens, some pupils develop gaps in their knowledge. At times, they can be overwhelmed and unsure about the knowledge they need to learn. The school should ensure that teaching helps pupils to focus on the important knowledge that the curriculum identifies.

On occasions, learning is not adapted well enough to meet pupils' specific needs. This means that pupils with SEND do not progress through the curriculum as the school expects. The school should ensure that staff have the knowledge and expertise to adapt their teaching and meet the needs of pupils.

• In some newer curriculum subjects, teaching does not support pupils to recall and build on previous learning sufficiently well. Some pupils therefore have gaps in their knowledge and insecure foundations on which to build new learning. The school should implement effective strategies to ensure that teachers regularly revisit previously taught content and knowledge.