John Wood School & Nursery

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 16 July 2024

The school's values of 'kindness', 'respect' and 'ambition' are woven through all aspects of school life. Pupils flourish here because staff have high expectations of them. Across the school, pupils' behaviour is exemplary. Pupils feel happy because teachers listen to them and help them to learn. Pupils are confident that if they feel sad they can speak to an adult or place a worry in the 'worry monster's pouch' and that staff will help them. This means they feel safe. Pupils are taught the importance of helping others. For instance, pupils visited a beach and litter-picked to help look after the area. Other pupils planted flowers in a local park for the community to enjoy. The school values pupils' suggestions. For example, members of the school council are democratically chosen by their classmates. The school council spoke with leaders to see if the school could have a pet to support pupils' well-being. Consequently, Lilo and Stitch are now the school's resident guinea pigs. Pupils access a range of enrichment experiences, including trips to the Horniman Museum to learn about the Arctic. There are a range of clubs on offer for pupils to develop their talents and interests, such as, cricket, football and gaming club.

What the school should improve

• In a few of the foundation subjects, teachers and leaders do not check what pupils have learned effectively enough. This means that some pupils find it difficult to recall the essential knowledge, skills and vocabulary that leaders expect them to know and remember. In addition, some pupils have gaps in their learning. The school needs to ensure that pupils retain and recall the key knowledge skills and vocabulary that they have been taught, so that they can apply this important learning to their current and future learning.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)