Ofsted conducted a monitoring inspection at Woodland View Primary School on May 5, 2021, following three consecutive judgments of requires improvement. The inspection aimed to evaluate the progress made by the school since the last section 5 inspection. The findings indicate that school leaders and governors are taking effective action to improve the school, with a focus on enhancing the curriculum and teaching practices.
The pandemic has impacted the pace of improvements, as staff have faced challenges in attending training and collaborating with other schools. Despite these challenges, leaders have made significant strides in refining the school’s curriculum. They recognized that the previous curriculum did not encompass all the necessary knowledge for students and are now planning a new, ambitious curriculum. However, this shift has understandably slowed progress.
Subject leaders are actively involved in planning the new curriculum, working collaboratively to outline the knowledge that students will learn. For the new curriculum to succeed, subject leaders must be confident and skilled in their roles. Currently, some lack the necessary expertise to provide effective leadership in their subjects.
The school has introduced a new phonics program, which has been fully implemented in the Reception class. Children are progressing well, with most able to recall the sounds they have learned. During the lockdown, staff worked with parents to assess students' understanding of phonics, allowing teachers to identify the next steps for each child upon their return to school. However, in Years 1 and 2, the new phonics approach has not been fully adopted, leading to inconsistencies in teaching methods. Some students are receiving a mix of old and new phonics instruction, and not all staff have received adequate training to teach phonics effectively. While leaders can identify weaknesses in teaching, they have not addressed these issues with sufficient rigor, resulting in a lack of necessary feedback for staff to improve their phonics instruction.
The school’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) team is collaborating with teachers to ensure that students receive appropriate support. The leader for SEND is actively monitoring the effectiveness of the support provided to these pupils.
Governors are aware of the school’s priorities and provide both support and challenge to school leaders. They have engaged in discussions regarding the recent curriculum changes and understand the importance of monitoring the implementation of the new curriculum. The school’s improvement plans outline the necessary actions for enhancing the school’s performance and have been adjusted to reflect the recent curriculum changes. Governors are utilizing these plans to oversee the work of school leaders.
The local authority has offered support packages to assist the school in improving its teaching practices, particularly in writing. The school has engaged with local authority leaders to discuss its strategies for becoming a good school.
During the inspection, meetings were held with various stakeholders, including the headteacher, senior leaders, pupils, staff, governors, and local authority representatives. The inspector also visited classrooms, listened to pupils read, and reviewed curriculum documents and safeguarding records. The overall assessment indicates that while progress has been made, further action is required to ensure consistency in teaching practices and to fully implement the new curriculum across all year groups. The school is on a positive trajectory towards improvement, but continued focus on training and support for staff is essential for achieving the desired outcomes for all students.
