Co-op Academy Woodlands Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:
  • their plans for school improvement are more tightly focused on the key areas for development and include ‘milestones’, so that they can check progress more effectively at regular intervals across the year
  • work in all subjects is taught in the same depth as in mathematics and English.
• Continue to work closely with families to reduce the proportion of pupils who are repeatedly absent.
• Further improve progress and raise attainment in writing by:
  • ensuring that all pupils have frequent and regular opportunities to write at length
  • extending pupils’ vocabulary
  • ensuring that the most able pupils are consistently challenged in their writing
  • ensuring that the least able children in the early years have enough support to develop their writing skills effectively.



Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Since the previous inspection, Woodlands Primary Academy has a new executive headteacher. She works closely with the effective head of school and assistant headteacher. Together, they have correctly identified the key areas for improvement and pursued these with vigour. This leadership team has successfully communicated its high aspirations for every pupil to all staff in the school. They ensure that the school’s ethos – ‘Respect, co-operate, succeed’ – is at the heart of everything they do. As a result, the attainment and progress of the pupils are steadily improving.
• Although leaders have plans in place to address their key priorities for improvement, these plans are often too detailed and unwieldy. While the final outcomes are clear, plans do not identify those smaller targets or ‘milestones’ along the way to achieving the final goal. As a result, it is more difficult for leaders and governors to monitor how well these priorities are progressing at different points in the year.
• Staff share a common vision. They feel valued and part of the team. Leaders provide effective support and training for teachers and teaching assistants to develop their knowledge and skills further. They monitor the performance of staff robustly. As a result, the morale of staff is high and they are proud to work in the school. One teaching assistant told inspectors, ‘It’s clear what we’re working towards and everyone has the same aim.’
• Newly qualified teachers, and those who are in the early stages of their teaching career, are given strong support and mentoring by middle leaders to develop their skills well. They have good opportunities to access specifically targeted training, which meets their individual professional development needs effectively.
• Middle leaders receive good support to develop the skills and knowledge they need to lead their subject effectively. There is a positive ethos of collaboration between members of this team, which allows them to share good practice. These leaders are at different stages of development and effectiveness; some are relatively new to their role. Leaders recognise that not all subjects are taught in as much depth as mathematics and English and are addressing this.
• The funding for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is used effectively and has a positive impact on these pupils’ outcomes. The leader of this work ensures that all staff have high expectations of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities and teach them well. The school also has close links with outside agencies to enhance the support further. As a result, these pupils make good progress. One parent told inspectors, ‘My daughter has a disability and we waited two years to get her into this school. She’s doing really well and we’re very happy.’
• Leaders ensure that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. The school’s provision for social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is strong. Links to the ‘Co-op values’ and fundamental British values are threaded through the plans for every subject. Pupils respect and celebrate the cultural and religious diversity in the school and can talk intelligently and enthusiastically about this. Leaders ensure that staff understand their duty to prevent radicalisation and extremism.
• The funding for disadvantaged pupils is used effectively. For example, disadvantaged pupils benefit from focused learning time in smaller groups with a teacher. As a result, these pupils make good progress and are catching up with other pupils. The use of this funding also has a positive impact on the attendance and personal development of disadvantaged pupils.
• The primary school physical education and sports funding is used well. Pupils take part in a wide range of sporting activities, including football, rugby, cricket, dance, gymnastics and hula-hooping. The proportion of pupils accessing a sports club after school is increasing.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced. A rich variety of extra-curricular opportunities increases and enriches the pupils’ life experiences effectively. Pupils study topics such as, ‘Whatever the weather’, ‘Never eat shredded wheat’ and ‘Fairies and frogs’. Exciting trips and visitors into school further enhance the curriculum. Recent visitors to school have included representatives from the Dog’s Trust and also a commercial dairy, who brought in an inflatable classroom! However, expectations in subjects other than mathematics and English are not as consistently high in all parts of the school.
• The school engages very well with parents and carers. Although there was only one response to Ofsted’s online survey, ‘Parent View’, the school regularly conducts its own survey to gain the views of parents. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school and the very large majority would recommend it to others. They are satisfied with the amount of information they receive about their child’s progress. One parent told inspectors, ‘Whenever I go into school, I’m allowed to ask any questions I like.’ Another commented that, ‘My daughter has come a very long way.’ Parents agree that staff are very helpful and approachable.
• Support from The Co-op Academies Trust and other external partners has been effective in strengthening the school’s leadership team. In consultation with senior leaders, the trust has also provided and brokered valuable training and professional development sessions for staff to improve their skills further.

Governance of the school

• The governance of the school is strong. Governors are very committed and have high aspirations for all pupils. When asked about their vision for the school, governors told inspectors that there should be ‘no barriers to learning.’
• Governors ensure that the specific skills of each individual governor are identified and used to the best effect. The Co-op Academies Trust provides a very comprehensive induction programme for new governors so that each can quickly become involved and play an effective part in the team.
• Governors receive detailed and relevant information about all aspects of the school’s performance from the executive headteacher and other school leaders. Consequently, they are able to probe this information further and ask challenging questions to deepen their understanding of school improvement. They make good use of a wide range of external monitoring reports and first-hand information gained on monitoring visits to the school. This enables them to have an accurate picture of the quality of teaching and learning in the school. Governors recognise that the school development plan needs to be more sharply focused so that they can monitor it more effectively across the year.
• Governors work closely with the education director from The Co-op Academies Trust to monitor the performance of the executive headteacher. They use the school’s performance information and development priorities to inform the challenging targets they set. These targets are underpinned by the ‘Co-op values’.
• Governors attend regular training sessions and complete online training modules to ensure that they are up to date with the latest developments in education. Some of this training ensures that they can fulfil their statutory safeguarding duties effectively.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• All checks on staff and visitors are thorough and up to date. Records of these checks are well maintained and meet government requirements. Staff receive regular training on various aspects of safeguarding and leaders check that all adults who work in the school are fully aware of their responsibilities to keep pupils safe.
• Pupils feel safe in the school and are taught about risks, including those related to the use of the internet and drugs.
• The leadership team and the pastoral leader work well with the local authority and other agencies to support pupils and their families. Leaders’ good knowledge of the community allows them to intervene swiftly when problems arise. They follow up any cases which are referred to external agencies to ensure that they are dealt with swiftly and effectively.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The vast majority of teaching across the school is good. Many teachers are new to the school since the last inspection and have been supported well to settle in quickly. In almost all classes, teachers have high expectations and pupils are given tasks that are suitably challenging. Leaders provide effective support for the very small amount of teaching that needs strengthening further.
• Teachers use the school’s RESPECT system and the underpinning ‘Co-op values’ to establish a calm and productive working atmosphere in the classroom. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and conduct in lessons and establish good relationships with their pupils. This ensures that pupils have positive attitudes to learning and remain focused on their work. Very occasionally, where teaching is less engaging, a small number of pupils lose their focus and concentration.
• The mathematics curriculum is varied and interesting. Teachers make good use of a wide range of practical resources to support pupils’ understanding effectively. Teachers have a consistent method and approach to teaching calculation skills, which ensures that pupils’ progress from class to class is smooth. Pupils have regular and meaningful opportunities to apply their learning across a range of interesting problem-solving activities. For example, in one lesson, pupils were investigating symmetry and working out how they could create the other half of a symmetrical pattern on squared paper. As a result of the well-planned curriculum, pupils make much stronger progress over time than other pupils nationally.
• Reading has a high priority in the school. Teachers recognise that the early stages of learning to read are especially important. Since the previous inspection, teachers have reviewed and improved the way in which they teach phonics. As a result, the proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check has improved steadily and is now in line with the national average. Pupils enjoy reading at home as well as in school. In one Year 2 class, pupils were very keen to read back to inspectors the stories they had just written. They did so with fluency and developing expression.
• Pupils have opportunities to use their writing skills across the curriculum. However, over time, most pupils do not make as much progress in writing as they do in reading and mathematics. Pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to write at length. Leaders are aware that many pupils’ command of vocabulary is limited and prevents them from being able to write more effectively. Recent changes in the approach to the teaching of writing are proving to be successful but these have not yet had time to become fully embedded in all classes and show impact on the standards that pupils reach.
• Teachers cover a wide variety of interesting topics in their lessons. In science, pupils learn about such things as seed dispersal, conductors and insulators and the composition of the human skeleton. They cover topics such as Ancient Egypt, the Second World War, features of volcanoes and climate change in history and geography, and enjoy learning French and Spanish. However, in most classes, this work is not taught in the same depth as work in mathematics and English.
• Teachers are supported well to understand and meet the needs of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities in their class effectively. As a result, these pupils make strong progress.
• Pupils who are new to English receive very effective support to develop their language and communication skills. As a result, they make strong progress in this area and are quickly able to become fully involved in lessons.
• Teaching assistants are deployed well to support and extend pupils’ learning in a variety of contexts. They are particularly good at working with small groups of pupils who need additional support with aspects of their work. They are sensitive to the pastoral needs of individual pupils, as well as their academic needs.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pastoral support across the school is very strong. Pupils and their families receive the help they need from outside agencies. Parents praise the pastoral support they and their child receive from school when they are in challenging circumstances. One parent told inspectors, ‘The school gives me good support with the personal things I’m going through.’
• Pupils are confident, self-assured learners. They were keen to talk to inspectors and share their work. They told inspectors how much they enjoy coming to school. They play well together and take care to ensure that no one is left out. One pupil told inspectors, ‘If we see someone who is new, we talk to them and look after them.’
• Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. They told inspectors that they feel safe in all parts of the school. They said that, occasionally, bullying does occur, but adults deal with it quickly. All said that they could tell a teacher if something was worrying them.
• The school’s work to teach pupils how to stay safe is strong. Pupils recently took part in ‘Brake’s Kids Walk’, a national road-safety charity event designed to teach children and adults about staying safe near the road. Pupils learn the importance of staying safe when using the internet, both through their computing lessons and through visits from outside organisations. They have a strong understanding of cultural diversity and have ample opportunities to explore and appreciate other cultures and faiths. The very small amount of racist incidents in school are dealt with swiftly.
• Pupils have opportunities to talk about issues that are worrying them in their weekly, class-based ‘Care to Talk’ sessions. This provides effective support for pupils’ emotional well-being.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils are polite and well mannered. They move around the school sensibly and quietly, holding doors open for adults and for each other.
• All parents spoken with during the inspection agreed that behaviour is good. One parent, after some reflection, told inspectors, ‘I haven’t really heard of any bad behaviour at all.’ In the school’s own survey of parents’ views, the very large majority of parents agreed that behaviour is good.
• The very large majority of pupils conduct themselves well in lessons and have positive attitudes to learning. They focus on their work and are proud of what they achieve. Occasionally, a very small number of pupils do lose concentration in lessons.
• Pupils are clear about the school’s strict behaviour code – RESPECT – and can explain the consequences of breaking this. They are proud of the badges they earn through this system. There is a detailed programme of strategies in place to manage the very small amount of behaviour that is less than positive. The school’s fixed-term exclusions figures are low and there have been no permanent exclusions in the last two years.
• Attendance has a high profile in the school and parents are fully aware of the school’s high expectations. Pupils receive and value awards and incentives for good attendance. One parent exclaimed that her refrigerator door was ‘full of attendance awards!’ As a result of this focus, attendance has improved steadily since the previous inspection and is now much closer to the national average. The work of the pastoral team, together with the more direct involvement of the leadership team, has been pivotal in achieving this. The proportion of pupils who are repeatedly absent has reduced significantly but remains higher than the national average. Punctuality is generally good. Pupils are keen to arrive in school on time.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• A very high proportion of pupils enter the school in Nursery or Reception with skills and knowledge that are below or well below typical for their age. Additionally, a significant number of pupils join the school at other points during the year, into different year groups. Many of these pupils arrive directly from other countries and even more are in the early stages of learning English. These pupils are supported very well, both emotionally and academically, to ensure that they settle in and catch up quickly. As a result, they make rapid progress.
• Progress at the end of key stage 2 improved in reading, writing and mathematics from 2016 to 2017. This improvement in progress was greater in reading and mathematics than in writing. All pupils and disadvantaged pupils made at least the same progress as others nationally, and progress in mathematics in 2017 was among the highest in the country for both groups.
• At the end of key stages 1 and 2, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected and greater depth standard in reading, writing and mathematics remains well below the national figures. However, attainment in both key stages improved in all subjects, and at both standards, between 2016 and 2017. This was also the case for disadvantaged pupils. The school’s current performance information shows that this improvement has been sustained this year.
• From a strong start in the early years foundation stage, pupils in key stage 1 did not make good progress in 2016 and 2017. Leaders identified and successfully tackled the reasons for this. As a result, the progress of all groups of current Year 2 pupils has improved to be similar to or better than the national average in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Disadvantaged pupils make good progress over time. This is because the funding for disadvantaged pupils is used effectively, for example to provide pupils with additional time from a teacher in a smaller group. At the end of key stage 2 in 2017, the progress of disadvantaged pupils was similar to that of other pupils nationally in reading and writing and much better in mathematics.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities also make good progress over time. At the end of key stage 2 in 2017, pupils receiving SEN support made better progress in reading, writing and mathematics than all pupils nationally.
• In almost every class, the school’s current performance information shows that an increased proportion of pupils are on track to reach or exceed the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of this year.

Early years provision Good

• A significant minority of children enter the Nursery and Reception classes with no understanding of English. Some are new to the country and have no experience of being in a childcare setting. Children make good progress from starting points that are below and even well below those typical for their age. Despite these often very low starting points, around half of the children reach a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year.
• Children make rapid progress in Nursery due to consistently high-quality provision. Progress in the Reception class is typically good. Staff regularly and accurately assess how well the children are learning. Information from the school’s online assessment system, lesson observations and other assessments show that children make good progress in mathematics and rapid progress in reading.
• Progress in writing is improving but there is not always enough support for the least able children to develop their writing effectively. This was evident when inspectors observed the children retelling a story about pirates, designed to develop their vocabulary for writing. The vast majority of children were excited by the story and enthusiastically demonstrated the actions to go with the words that they had learned. However, for a few of the least able children, this was too difficult and they made little progress.
• Staff in the early years teach phonics effectively and children achieve consistently well. Staff enrich the children’s learning with a multitude of opportunities for role play, story-telling and activities to develop speech and language skills.
• Children who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress due to highly skilled teaching assistants. Children with little or no speech benefit greatly from tailored support from the school’s speech and language therapist. High-quality, small-group interventions with a specialist teaching assistant help children to develop the essential skills they need for early reading and writing.
• The leadership of early years is effective. There is an inclusive and welcoming environment with a strong focus on equalities. Partnerships between home and school are strong and parents say that their children are happy in school. They receive ample information about their child’s progress and are made to feel very welcome at the start and end of each day. One parent shared with inspectors that her daughter, ‘is always wanting to read and write at home and cries when she can’t come to school.’
• Staff provide exciting activities in the stimulating and well-organised learning environment. Children engage well with these. During the inspection, Nursery children were excitedly exploring blocks of ice. They talked about the feel of the ice and one child exclaimed, ‘It’s freezing my fingers off!’ They were tenacious in their attempts to chip away the ice to ‘rescue’ the plastic animals that were ‘trapped’ in the blocks. Children use the engaging outdoor area to run, climb, construct and create. They also have opportunities to practise their reading, writing and mathematical skills outdoors.
• Adults use effective questioning to support and extend children’s learning and to increase their vocabulary. Those who are new to English are supported well to make accelerated progress.
• Staff in the early years promote healthy eating and healthy lifestyles well. At the end of the school day, inspectors observed children proudly presenting to their parents the fruit salads that they had made during the day.
• Children typically behave well. Many children need a significant amount of adult direction in their learning because of their abilities on entry. Routines are well established. Staff continually reinforce punctuality, good manners, sharing and taking turns. Children respond well to this and comply.
• Safeguarding is effective and all welfare requirements are met.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 139015 Leeds 10047612 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy sponsor-led 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 467 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Russell Harvey Executive Headteacher Georgina Winterburn Telephone number 01132 407382 Website Email address

www.woodlands.coop headteacher@woodlands.coop

Date of previous inspection 1–2 July 2014

Information about this school

• The school is larger than the average-sized primary school. It is a member of The Co-op Academies Trust Leeds, which is sponsored by The Co-op Group. It has a trust board and a central team to provide strategic services. Woodlands Primary Academy has its own governing body, appointed by the trust.
• The executive headteacher has joined the school since its first inspection in 2014. She is also the executive headteacher of Brownhill Primary Academy. There have also been other changes to the leadership team.
• The school is in an area of high deprivation, with a deprivation indicator twice the national average.
• Over half of the pupils speak English as an additional language. This is well above the national average.
• Mobility is higher than typical in primary schools nationally. Many pupils have joined the school at times other than the beginning of the academic year and moved into various classes. Most of these are new arrivals to England and are at the very earliest stages of learning English. Many have no previous experience of formal education in any country.
• Nursery children attend the school for two and a half days each week. This is either at the start or at the end of the week.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils in school is well above average.
• The school has 16 of the 17 ethnic groups. While the largest of these groups is White British pupils, this only accounts for around 25% of the school community.
• The proportion of pupils who have support for SEN and/or disabilities is above average. The proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is below average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in almost all classes. Some observations were carried out with members of the senior leadership team. Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of pupils’ work and visited the school’s breakfast club.
• Inspectors listened to some pupils read and talked with many pupils about the work in their books. Inspectors also spoke with groups of pupils about their enjoyment of school and their opinions on behaviour and safety.
• The inspection team considered a wide range of school documents. These included: the school’s review of its own performance, the school development plan, minutes from governing body meetings, behaviour and attendance records, information about the progress of the pupils, action plans for various subjects and a wide range of documents relating to safeguarding and child protection.
• Inspectors held discussions with teachers, teaching assistants and governors. They also met with the education director from The Co-op Academies Trust.
• Inspectors considered the one free text response to Ofsted’s ‘Parent View’ and the 110 responses to the school’s own survey of parents’ views. They also spoke with a number of parents in the playground. Inspectors considered the 17 responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey, the 350 responses to the school’s own survey of pupils’ views and the 30 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

Inspection team

Heather Mensah, lead inspector Mike Tull Sally Kenyon

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector