Woodrush High School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 23 April 2024

This is a school where pupils live out leaders' expectations of being Woodrush Ready: be prepared, be productive, be respectful, and be reflective. This means the school is a harmonious community where difference is celebrated, and pupils behave considerately to each other and to visitors. The school takes pride in its role in the local community, and pupils take a lead in promoting this. Pupils respond well to the school's expectations of them academically. They that adults at Woodrush High go the extra mile for them, both in their studies and the many extra- curricular opportunities that are organised for them. These include a wide range of trips and visits, which are planned within the curriculum. There are also a number of sporting opportunities including partnerships with local clubs. Typically, pupils focus in lessons and aim to do their best. Pupils understand the school's expectations of them and aim to meet them. They know that the school will listen to them and support them in a range of ways. Pupils speak highly of this, and are proud of their school.

What the school should improve

• Assessment is not always used precisely enough. This means that, on occasions, teachers miss opportunities to identify when pupils have not understood key learning, or when pupils could be moved to more challenging work. The school should ensure that all teachers are skilled in using assessment effectively to identify and promptly address any misconceptions, or to ensure that pupils have the knowledge to move to more challenging work.
• Although current overall school attendance is above national levels, absence rates for more vulnerable pupils are higher. This means some of these pupils miss too much school and learning. The school needs to continue to work closely with parents and external agencies to instil the importance of regular attendance for these more vulnerable pupils.
• The school has work in place to support pupils in the earlier stages of reading. However, this is not yet fully embedded. This means that some pupils who struggle with their reading, especially in phonics, have challenges in fully accessing the curriculum. The school must ensure that it accelerates its programme of support for pupils who struggle with reading and regularly measures its impact. In this way, these pupils can access the whole curriculum effectively.

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