Woodford Halse Church of England Primary Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 22 October 2024

Woodford Halse is a caring and nurturing school. The school has a strong community feel, and parents spoke of it feeling like a family. Pupils are happy and feel safe. They enjoy learning in different ways, and the majority of pupils focus well in lessons. Pupils value the opportunities to learn outside and in the school's own woodland. The school has high expectations of all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, to achieve well. Some of the school's published outcomes do not accurately reflect the current quality of education in the school. Pupils and staff are very positive about the recent changes to the school's wider curriculum, and current pupils achieve well. Pupils particularly enjoy the opportunity to explore their own interests and talents through the school's wider opportunities curriculum. A small number of parents feel that the school does not always deal with bullying appropriately. The school has listened to these concerns. Its work in training older pupils to become anti-bullying ambassadors is a proactive example of this. The school takes swift action to address any incidents of bullying. It ensures that tailored support is in place for all pupils concerned. Pupils talk positively about attending sessions where they learn strategies to control their emotions.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, the school has not established a clear approach to check what pupils know and can remember. This means gaps in pupils' learning are not routinely identified and addressed. The school needs to implement a clear approach to checking what pupils know and can remember across all curriculum subjects.
• There are some inconsistencies in expectations of behaviour across the school. Staff do not consistently uphold the school's high expectations for behaviour. As a result, some pupils do not always maintain positive attitudes to their learning, and there are occasions where this hinders their learning. The school should ensure that high expectations for behaviour are equally upheld by staff across all phases so that all pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning and remain focused in lessons.
• The provision for pupils with SEND is variable. Sometimes the adaptations made to pupils' learning are not as effective as they could be. The school needs to ensure that pupils with SEND receive the support they need.

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