Elm Wood School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 28 January 2025

Pupils are enthusiastic about coming to school and learning here. They enjoy lessons and have good relationships with staff. This helps pupils feel safe. The Elm Wood promises of 'showing kindness and respect, developing resilience and perseverance and aiming for excellence and success' are lived out every day by the pupils. The school has high expectations for the attainment of all pupils. Pupils generally achieve well here. The school has put measures in place to improve the writing curriculum. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), who benefit from the support they receive. Pupils and parents describe the school as being 'like a big family.' Pupils value the importance of kind behaviour. The youngest children settle quickly, learn to share, listen to others, and take turns. When a small number of pupils need help to manage their emotions, staff and other pupils support them very well. Pupils learn to resolve differences through open discussion. The strong relationships between staff and pupils promote these constructive conversations.

What the school should improve

• Revisions and refinements to the curriculum have not embedded fully in some subject areas. In these subjects, the school has not identified, as precisely, the important knowledge it wants pupils to learn. As a result, sometimes pupils are not able to build on what they already know. This means that this key knowledge is not routinely prioritised or checked in lessons and, as such, some gaps emerge in what pupils know and remember. The school should continue to embed its ambitious curriculum, identifying the most important knowledge to ensure that all pupils consistently achieve as well as they can.

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