Woodrow First School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 4 June 2024

'We care, we share, we learn together' is at the heart of Woodrow First school. Pupils and staff show this as soon as you enter the building. Pupils speak positively about the support they receive from staff and enjoy learning. There is a strong culture of safeguarding and well-being across the school. Pupils are safe and say they are happy in school. Staff and pupils talk about the school being a 'family community'. Parents and carers agree. They are very supportive of the school and its ethos. There is a purposeful atmosphere around the school. Pupils focus on their learning well, work hard and want to learn. Teachers speak calmly with any pupil who loses concentration and offer support to regain focus. During social times, pupils mix with others in a calm and orderly manner. Pupils know who to talk to about any concerns they may have. The school places a strong emphasis on pupils' personal development. Pupils learn about their health and well-being. Pupils also develop their leadership roles. For example, Year 4 pupils enjoy the responsibility as 'play leaders' with younger pupils. Many pupils take part in a range of enrichment opportunities, such as multi-skills and book clubs.

What the school should improve

• The school has not fully developed and embedded its approach to writing across all classes and year groups. As a result, too many pupils do not develop a full range of writing skills and knowledge by the time they leave the school. The school should ensure that the key writing skills and knowledge are developed and embedded rapidly to support all pupils to make further progress.
• In some subjects, teachers do not use assessments well enough to check pupils' understanding or identify gaps in their learning. Therefore, pupils' gaps in learning are not addressed and they struggle to build on what they know. The school should ensure that all teachers use assessments consistently to identify and address any gaps in pupils' learning so pupils can progress well across the curriculum.
• The school has not reviewed and analysed some of its improvement actions as carefully as it should. This means that the school does not always know the effectiveness of its strategies to support pupils' progress and development. The school should ensure that it precisely analyses the effectiveness of improvement strategies to ensure they make a positive difference to all pupils' education.

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