Willowdown Primary School

Overview

Willowdown Primary School has made "significant and rapid improvements" following a period of instability, with leaders implementing "highly effective plans" to drive progress. The report highlights a "welcoming, learning-focused culture" where pupils "thrive" and feel safe, supported by strong leadership and a clear vision to "flourish together with kindness, respect and aspiration."

Strengths

• Inclusion is rated at a "Strong standard," with leaders knowing pupils as individuals and using "detailed understanding to shape provision precisely" for those with SEND and additional barriers.
• Staff benefit from a "well established" professional learning programme, valuing the "consideration leaders have for their workload and wellbeing."
• The curriculum is "well sequenced," helping pupils remember key knowledge confidently, while targeted teaching is successfully closing gaps in reading, writing, and mathematics.
• Pupils feel safe in a "warm, predictable environment" with a "zero-tolerance approach to bullying" and positive, respectful relationships with adults.
• Personal development is effective, with pupils demonstrating a "secure understanding of fundamental British values" and engaging in leadership roles like eco-councillors.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must continue to address "low rates of attendance, in particular for those who are persistently absent," as persistent absence remains a challenge despite recent reductions.
• Leaders need to "embed and build on the rapid improvements made to achievement, the curriculum and teaching" to ensure consistently high-quality education over time.

Safeguarding

The safeguarding standards are met, with an "open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility" ensuring pupils are made safer and feel safe.