Woodland Middle School Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 16 May 2023

Pupils are happy and confident at school. They feel safe, attend well and arrive promptly. They are focused and industrious in lessons. They are considerate of others as they move calmly around the site. They treat each other with respect and kindness. Pupils are proud of their 'values-based' school. They can talk about the 22 values which shape their behaviour. These values help make the school a supportive and inclusive community. If bullying does occur, pupils know that teachers will work patiently with all those involved to stop it from recurring. Learning is planned with high expectations of what pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), will be able to learn and understand. Pupils know that teachers make them work hard but will support them well at every stage of their learning. Pupils have wonderful opportunities to contribute to their school. They are inspired by the wide range of high-quality clubs and societies they regularly attend. Pupils enjoy the time they get to read alongside their teachers at the start of every day. Teachers make sure that pupils read books which interest them and improve their reading skills.

What the school should improve

• Subject leaders are not consistently given the opportunities or guidance they need to find out how well teachers are delivering the curriculum. This means that they are not always clear on how well their curriculum area is being implemented by teachers. This leads to some variability in standards between teachers. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders have the capacity and training to evaluate standards rigorously within their own departmental area to ensure pupils achieve well throughout the curriculum.
• The curriculum content does not provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to practise planning and structuring extended pieces of writing in other areas of the curriculum aside from English. As a result, pupils do not consistently develop the knowledge and skills they need to successfully apply their English skills. Subject leaders should develop and include a range of opportunities that ensure pupils have the opportunity to practise using their learned English skills in all curriculum areas.

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