Warren Wood Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Undertake a more strategic analysis of performance information so that leaders, including governors, can effectively monitor the progress of groups.
• Ensure that teaching, including in the early years, addresses the needs of the most able, particularly in writing.
• Make sure that pupils pay sufficient attention to the accuracy of basic spelling and punctuation.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• After pupils underachieved by the end of key stage 2 in 2017 and by the end of key stage 1 in 2018, leaders, including governors, did not shy away from making an honest evaluation of the weaknesses which had caused the decline.
• Leaders and governors have increased expectations of what pupils can and should achieve, although this has not had enough impact on the progress and attainment of the most able pupils.
• The headteacher now involves subject and phase leaders much more in monitoring activities. They now check more frequently and more thoroughly on the quality of teaching and the progress which individual pupils make in every subject. This enables them to identify quickly if anyone is falling behind and to put in place strategies to remedy this before it is too late.
• Work with other schools, in clusters organised by the local authority, enhances the school’s monitoring procedures. This gives teachers and leaders opportunities for sharing and learning from best practice and for comparing marks awarded for pupils’ work. The school improvement partner’s visits bring a useful external perspective to the school’s self-evaluation.
• Leaders have successfully improved the quality of teaching, particularly in mathematics. They now identify weaknesses in teaching quickly. They give teachers time to watch and learn from each other and from videos of lessons. Teachers also have opportunities for training in and beyond school in areas which they need to develop. Leaders give teachers very precise annual targets to improve their performance.
• Although the tracking of pupils’ progress is now more thorough and frequent, leaders do not use this to check how previously underachieving groups are performing. However, working alongside inspectors to analyse the school’s assessments during the inspection, leaders were able to see that their strategies and spending have been effective in improving the progress of disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Diminishing differences between boys and girls in English and mathematics also became evident during the inspection.
• In September 2018, leaders introduced a new curriculum, which better meets the requirements of the national curriculum. It provides a good balance between the teaching of English and mathematics and that of other subjects such as science, art, history and geography. Cross-curricular links are very evident and allow pupils to apply their skills in a variety of contexts. Teachers develop English skills across all subjects and they enhance numeracy skills in geography and science.
• Inspectors saw the realisation of leaders’ ambition for pupils to be ‘resilient, inquisitive, ambitious, collaborative, proud, confident, responsible and happy’ in every classroom and at social times. Pupils are well aware of these eight qualities and explained them well. When, during the inspection, one pupil was finding a mathematics task difficult, he told an inspector, ‘Never give up. If you keep on trying hard you will eventually get it right – especially in maths.’
• The leadership of SEND is very effective in ensuring that staff identify needs quickly and put support in place so that these pupils can reach their full academic and social potential.
• Leaders, including governors, and all staff model the school’s motto, ‘Care, courtesy and consideration’. Consequently, pupils follow suit. During the inspection, pupils explained very well their knowledge of British values such as democracy, respect for difference and the rule of law. They also showed a good understanding of the differences between the religions of the world and their similarities.
• Through the curriculum, the school’s well-devised behaviour policy, assemblies and the very wide range of extra-curricular activities, leaders provide good opportunities for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. Older pupils have excellent opportunities to take on responsibilities in many areas of school life, for instance as librarians and school ambassadors.
• Leaders have used the physical education (PE) and sports premium to very good effect to enhance staff’s skills in teaching PE and to provide a wide range of high-quality sporting activities during and outside the school day. Pupils’ participation in sporting events is high and the school has achieved considerable success in competitions with other schools.

Governance of the school

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers have a good knowledge of the subjects they teach and of national-curriculum requirements. They use this knowledge well to plan logical sequences of activities which allow pupils to make good progress. Their explanations are clear and supported by good modelling of tasks. Teachers use plenary sessions very well to consolidate what pupils have learned.
• When asked by inspectors, ‘What is the best thing about this school?’, almost all pupils said, ‘The teachers’. They said that teachers make sure that lessons are interesting and full of fun. Lesson observations and scrutiny of pupils’ work by inspectors found this almost always to be the case.
• The progress of pupils in mathematics, including that of the most able, has improved considerably because, in response to the 2017 results, leaders transformed the teaching of this subject. They were assisted in this by one member of staff who is a local-authority leading teacher of mathematics. Teachers now plan sequences of lessons which consolidate and deepen skills. Pupils now regularly practise mathematical skills in real-life contexts and can explain their methods clearly.
• The teaching of writing has improved, but not sufficiently to make up for weaknesses in the recent past. For older pupils, the activities which teachers plan do not take sufficient account of capabilities and prior attainment, particularly for the most able. One pupil’s comment to an inspector exemplified the difference between match of work to capabilities in mathematics and that seen in writing: ‘In maths lessons, different groups have different levels of work. We don’t need that in writing because in writing there’s no hard and easy, it’s just writing.’
• Teachers and teaching assistants manage guided-reading sessions well. Teaching staff work on the specific weaknesses of individual pupils or small groups, and this contributes to the good progress that most pupils make.
• Teachers cover subjects such as science, geography and art in topics. This allows them to make links between subjects and to reinforce transferable skills. Effective curriculum planning and mapping allow them to do this skilfully, while also developing subject-specific skills. These topic lessons are particularly interesting, lively and motivating.
• In key stage 1, teachers develop pupils’ phonics skills well. Pupils apply their knowledge of phonics routinely in reading, but not as effectively in writing.
• Teachers create a pleasant and calm atmosphere in their classrooms. They frequently praise pupils and make them laugh. On the rare occasions when pupils lose concentration or distract others, teachers deal with this swiftly so that they minimise loss of learning time.
• Pupils follow instructions immediately and behave well. They enjoy the routines which teachers have established for the smooth running of each lesson. Pupils work well in pairs and groups to share ideas, comment on each other’s work and help one another.
• Teachers have worked together, and with the local authority, to develop effective strategies to motivate boys in reading and writing and similarly to help girls to enjoy and achieve in mathematics. The differences between the performance of boys and girls in these subjects are diminishing.
• Teachers set homework regularly and give pupils several days to complete it so that it does not have to clash with family and leisure activities. They expect pupils to read frequently at home. In reading records, parents and carers comment helpfully on pupils’ home reading. They value the information that the school gives them about their children’s progress.
• Neither teachers nor pupils tolerate discriminatory language. One boy said that when he first came to Warren Wood he used racist words because he did not know that they were racist. He said, ‘I stopped using them because teachers taught me about racism and I realised the words were hurtful and offensive.’

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

Behaviour

Outcomes for pupils Good

• At key stage 2, after progress scores which were well below average in 2017, pupils of lower and middle ability currently in the school are now making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Pupils of higher ability are still not reaching their full potential in English because of the standard of their writing. Nevertheless, they make good progress in mathematics.
• In key stage 1, results declined in 2018. Leaders and teachers have reversed this trend. Most pupils currently in key stage 1 are making good progress in all subjects. However, not enough of the most able pupils are achieving greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics.
• At key stage 2, differences between the small number of disadvantaged pupils and non-disadvantaged pupils nationally are diminishing. At key stage 1, disadvantaged pupils often do better than their peers in the school and across the country.
• In mathematics, girls are now doing as well as boys. In English, the progress of boys has almost caught up with that of girls.
• Pupils with SEND make good progress, taking into account their starting points and individual learning needs.
• The school’s effective curriculum planning and cross-curricular links ensure that pupils across the school develop good subject-specific skills in areas such as science, history, geography and art.
• Standards achieved in PE are high across a wide range of sports.
• Pupils in key stages 1 and 2 enjoy reading and do so frequently in and out of school. Strategies to increase boys’ enjoyment of reading have borne fruit. Both boys and girls read aloud with confidence and can discuss preferences in styles, genres and authors. Pupils in key stage 1 read fluently without the need to sound out words.
• By the end of Year 6 most pupils have the academic and social skills needed for starting secondary school.

Early years provision Good

• Children in Reception develop the skills necessary to make a good start in Year 1. Arrangements for transition to Year 1 are very effective. Children make the move seamlessly and with confidence.
• The early years leader ensures that staff understand the learning needs of young children so that practice is consistent with the school’s policies.
• Staff settle children in well to enable them to be happy and enjoy school. They teach children well how to sustain their concentration, follow instructions, share and take turns.
• The atmosphere in Reception classes is calm and purposeful. All activities, whether initiated by adults or chosen by children, have a clear learning outcome.
• Staff frequently assess children while observing them. They record these observations online with photographic and video evidence which parents can see on their computers or mobile devices. Parents are very pleased with this system because it allows them to see frequently how their children are progressing academically and socially. In the playground, they used their phones with pride to show inspectors videos of their children. They told inspectors that this system puts their minds at rest.
• Most children enter Reception with skills which are typical for their age across the full range of areas for learning. By the end of the year, most have made good progress, especially in mathematical and physical skills. However, in the other areas of learning, too few of the most able achieve beyond the expected standard. Staff expectations of what the most able children can achieve in these areas are too low.
• The early years rooms are welcoming and well organised. Nevertheless, for the most able children there is not enough stimulus in the learning environment for the development of reading and writing.
• The same high standards of safeguarding, care and welfare as in the rest of the school are very much in evidence in the early years.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority 106083 Stockport Inspection number This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school 10046726 Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 341 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address David Grundy Erica Reyes 01614568171 www.warrenwood.stockport.sch.uk headteacher@warrenwood.stockport.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 31 October – 1 November 2013

Information about this school

• Warren Wood Primary is larger than the average primary school.
• The number of pupils supported by the pupil premium funding is lower than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who receive support for SEND is low in comparison with the national figure. The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is higher than national averages.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is lower than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils whose first language is not English is lower than the national average.
• A school-improvement partner from the local authority supports the school and staff benefit from working in local cluster groups for subjects and some aspects of leadership.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited classrooms to observe teaching and pupils’ learning. They carried out some of these observations jointly with the headteacher.
• Inspectors observed and spoke to pupils during lessons and at playtimes.
• Inspectors met formally with two groups of pupils and took into account 128 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for pupils. An inspector heard a range of pupils read.
• Inspectors held discussions with staff, middle and senior leaders, members of the governing body and the school-improvement partner from the local authority.
• Inspectors looked at a range of documentation, including arrangements for safeguarding. They took account of the school’s information about pupils’ outcomes and scrutinised pupils’ books and assessment information.
• Inspectors spoke to parents as they brought their children to school and considered 96 responses to Parent View (Ofsted’s online questionnaire), including 66 free-text comments.
• Inspectors took account of 31 responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.

Inspection team

Liz Kelly, lead inspector Doreen Davenport Craig Richardson

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector