IQM REPORT: WILLOW WOOD COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Date of Assessment:                     29^th April 2010

Headteacher:                                  Jean Johnson

School IQM Co-ordinator:            Liz Dickens, Jean Johnson

IQM Assessors:                              Chris Vohora, Dave Wallace

Context of School

The school was built in 1966 and was originally an Infant and Junior school until the amalgamation in September 2007. The school is still on two sites with the Children’s Centre between and this caters for children 0-4 years of age and through the specialised resources, both cater for children whose learning needs are complex. The school has developed a positive reputation within the Traveller community and through understanding and trust the school provides stable educational opportunities for many of the children.

The two buildings are of traditional design with modern facilities including two large, purpose built halls used for PE, assemblies and eating lunch. The class rooms are large and well resourced and the outdoor facilities extensive including playgrounds, two ponds, outdoor stage, adventure playground and a trim trail.

The school works hard to involve the families and community as much as possible and is linked with Christ Church, the Children’s Centre and the local primary and high schools. The school currently holds Becta ICT Quality Mark, Investors in Children Award, Activemark and Artsmark Gold Awards and has achieved the Healthy Schools Standard.

The school’s Mission Statement is, ‘We value all members of the school community equally and, through sensitivity and support, strive to ensure that each child feels valued and learns to value others. We encourage our children to seek high standards by providing education of the highest quality, enabling them to develop their potential as individuals’.

Portfolio

The portfolio which consists of 5 folders of evidence is comprehensive, concise and gives clear examples of systems, processes and activities identifying inclusive practice in the school.  Evidence for each of the ten elements is clearly signposted. There is variety of evidence, including photographs which serve to highlight the many opportunities and successes enjoyed by pupils and the wider school community. The assessors were also given the opportunity to share a range of evidence on the day including a ‘Book of Achievements’ which showed the children taking part in Sports Relief activities, a visit to Christ Church, Interschool Gymnastics event and dressing up for World Book Day. There were examples of newsletters to parents and governors providing updates of all that goes on within the school as well as very explicit head teacher reports to governors with relevant updates around school issues and minutes from all the governor committee meetings. There was a very detailed action plan around Behaviour, identifying areas for development as well as high lighting the good practice around Quality First Teaching and the training staff members have completed. It also evidenced Learning Walks done by the head teacher or deputy to look at the quality of displays and resources throughout the school and the upkeep of the building, the results of which are shared with all staff members.

The School Council had devised questions to ask the candidates during their interview for the caretaker’s job which high lighted the importance of their role. There were lovely comments from parents and members of the community written after events they had attended and included ‘The children were well behaved, confident and relaxed’ (Following a visit to the Lifestyle Centre) and ‘Really enjoyed it, what a lot of fun!’ (Written by a parent after attending a Craft session).

The school has evaluated the effectiveness of its provision and this has resulted in a vigorous and honest whole school audit of best practice with objectives that engage the five strands of Every Child Matters. The IQM co-ordinators, Liz Dickens and Jean Johnson, are to be congratulated on their hard work in the co-ordination of the IQM process.

As a working document the assessors recommend that time is dedicated to up-date the portfolio termly to provide an instant snap-shot of the school’s inclusive practice. 

Element 1: Pupil Progress

The school has set up a tracking process which identifies each child’s progress against expected attainment. If there are any identified areas of concern support and intervention programmes are introduced, these include Quest, ELS, One to One literacy and maths and Letters and Sounds. The Provision Map monitors the success of the intervention programmes and allows support to be modified. The work is differentiated to meet the children’s individual needs and a variety of teaching and learning activities are incorporated into the lessons allowing the children to progress at their individual levels.

A wide range of assessment procedures are used including Mapping Attainment Grids, APP and class tracking for reading and writing together with FS Profiles. The vulnerable groups such as Travellers and RP children are also tracked separately as well as within their classes. There was also evidence of assessments against curricular targets which take the form of Must, Should and Could and whole school reading and spelling assessments. These allow teachers to plan a variety of activities to take account of pupils’ individual needs and levels of working.

At Willow Wood, the children have their own targets which are shared termly with parents on Target Setting Day and suggestions are given for parents to support their child with homework and learning. The targets are displayed in the backs of the children’s numeracy and literacy books and on the class room walls. The children are encouraged to continue their school work at home through access to the Learning Platform and the children regard homework as part of their learning and are keen to complete it. Individual targets are also set for children who have an IEP or IBP and these are reviewed half termly. Lesson objectives are clearly explained to the children at the beginning of the lesson and the children and teachers use tick sheets to assess a completed piece of work. During conversations on the day pupils were able to cite a number of ways in which they are made aware of success; this includes comments on work, stickers for their personal achievement and behavior charts and Head teacher’s Award. The school uses Assessment for Learning in the form of traffic lights and smiley faces for the children to determine where they are with their own learning.

There is a strong ethos of celebration of achievement in the school at all levels. This is reflected in classrooms and corridor displays seen on assessment day.  Pupils' work, particularly art work, takes pride of place as a celebration of achievement and is used effectively to develop children’s self esteem and personal confidence and support and promote learning; this included the Rangoli and African art work, the William Morris work and the puppets. Both the portfolio and interviews from the children provide evidence that all children are celebrated and that there are opportunities for children to value the achievement of others. Examples of celebration cited by pupils include the Head teacher’s Award, Star Award, Lunchtime VIP Award, sharing their work at the end of the lesson and messages sent home through the Home/School Diary and postcards. Parents felt well informed and valued the range of strategies used by the school to encourage and motivate the children.

The school caters for the individual needs of the children and succeeds in ensuring that all pupils are fully included in all that it has to offer. This was affirmed through parent and pupil interviews. Gifted and Talented children had the opportunity to attend an academy for multi skills during October half term. There are a number of children with barriers to learning and their needs are met in a caring and appropriate way by staff members and the other children. The RP children take part in activities as a group when appropriate, for example they have their own residential trip which one parent said was a huge success as all the children achieved success in every activity. They also have the opportunity to take part in the activities undertaken by the children in their main stream class too. In school training has taken place around ‘Improving Boy’s Writing’ and supporting children with EaL. The school has teaching assistants who work with individual children or small groups whenever they need support, enabling the teacher to continue with the teaching and learning. The Prospectus positively states that at Willow Wood “Our aim is to provide a stimulating, well ordered, happy, safe, secure and inviting environment with a curriculum that provides opportunities for all pupils to learn and to achieve.” 

The SENCOs and RP manager consult regularly with staff, governors and parents/carers to ensure appropriate intervention. There is evidence that the school liaises very effectively with other agencies in order to develop agreed targets for individual development; these include Social Services, Behaviour Team, Occupational Therapist and Speech and Language Therapists.

Element 2: Pupil Attitudes, Values and Personal Development.

This is an area of significant strength in the school.

“Pupils enjoy school life. They are enthusiastic about their lessons and the wide range of additional activities, especially their residential visits to the Lake District and Wales. Attendance is good. Pupils behave well. They are polite, well mannered and show respect towards adults and each other. Caring attitudes are shown in the way in which pupils give generously to various charities. By the time pupils leave Willow Wood they are confident to face the next stage of their education." Ofsted  January 2009  

On assessment day there was evidence that positive relationships are fostered between all members of the school community at every level.  Pupils have many opportunities to enjoy a range of activities both during the school day and after school, as well as taking part in residential visits including Tattenhall, Beeston and Conwy. After school clubs include dance, sport, choir and computer and the children can join the Lunch Club which offers activities for children who do not want to go outside. As some children arrive in school by taxi, a selection of clubs are offered during lunch time to provide equal opportunities, and fencing and judo take place before school.

Pupils are friendly and confident amongst both peers and adults.  There is a strongly developed sense of care and respect which is evident in different areas of the school. Pupils also demonstrated great sensitivity towards the needs of others and were very polite. Posts of responsibility are given to the children and include Recycling Officers, Road Safety Officers and Play Leaders, whose job it is to organise games at break and lunchtimes but they were also responsible for organising a sponsored event to raise money for sports equipment.  All Year 6 children are encouraged to have a job within school which they have to apply for.

At Willow Wood, children know the behaviour expected from them and this good behaviour is reflected generally throughout the school in the manners and respect shown to each other and the following of the class rules. The rules are displayed within the classrooms and there are rewards for following them and consequences for breaking them. Children know good behaviour is rewarded with stickers or certificates. Two children from Year 5 took part in the Rewards and Sanctions Project together with children from other schools to improve behaviour within each school and all the children were given the opportunity to voice their opinions through a questionnaire.

In line with ECM – Stay Safe, pupils have been involved in work around anti-bullying and this, together with the anti-bullying policy which states, “There is no place for bullying, violence, vandalism, rudeness to adults or bad language in our school,” ensures school is a safe place to be.  All the children were given the opportunity to visit the Life Education Bus which raised their awareness around drug and health issues and the local police have addressed problems linked to internet safety.

Children at Willow Wood are very clear about whom they can go to if they have any problems or difficulties and they feel all adults are approachable. Pupils interviewed demonstrated care and concern for each other; they exhibited confidence and demonstrated a clear understanding of inclusive principles.

The SEAL curriculum is firmly embedded and the school has made a firm commitment to investing in emotional support for all children; pupils are taught to recognise and express their feelings enabling pupils to alert staff to any needs or insecurities. There is an area set aside where the children can go if they need Time Out or a place to reflect. The school is part of the Organic Learning Project and some of the children took part in the Annual Conference.

In line with ECM, the school is committed to developing and enhancing the role of pupil voice. There is an active and effective school council with representatives from each year group from Year 1 upwards, which meets regularly to discuss issues that have arisen in school. They were involved in the interviewing process for the new caretaker and were responsible for improving the toilets and school grounds. One of the Year 6 pupils holds the grand title of Junior Town Mayor after competing against entrants from all other Winsford schools. The Year 6 children have produced a leaflet about their school with quotes such as ‘A school with a difference, where we aim to have a smile on everyone’s face.’

In line with ECM – Be Healthy, the school has embraced a number of approaches to develop and encourage healthy lifestyles and has gained the Healthy School Award and the Active Mark and has devised a Travel Plan which includes opportunities to walk to school.  The children have access to healthy snacks and the cook provides an interesting variety of nutritious lunch time menus and has been nominated for an award for her skills. All children are encouraged to eat healthily and have access to drinking water throughout the day.

There is a wealth of evidence through interviews with pupils, parents, staff and governors that all pupils are encouraged to be involved in the wider school community through fund-raising events e.g. Comic Relief, Red Nose Day, Haiti and the Lord Mayor’s Charity. The school uses every opportunity to offer the children the chance to work with other schools or organisations to broaden their experiences e.g. two Year 5 children from local schools worked together on the Rewards and Sanctions Project and the children have taken part in the Winsford Dance competition and the Choir performed at the Cheshire Show.  

It was clearly evident on assessment day that pupils at Willow Wood are happy, cared for children.

Element 3: Leadership and Management.

This is an area of significant strength in the school.

The school went through an amalgamation in September 2007 and although it remains on two sites the staff and children work together as one school. The Head teacher, together with the staff are very effective role models for inclusive values and although the school provides resourced provision for a number of children they are involved in main stream activities whenever possible. There is a clear vision shared by all and articulated through the comprehensive Inclusion Policy.

Ofsted states, “Governors have successfully managed the smooth establishment of the newly amalgamated school. They share the headteacher's clear vision for the school and with the headteacher and staff they have brought about a unity of purpose which is helping to bring about improvements. Leaders work hard to establish the school's role within the community and are successfully drawing groups together for the benefit of pupils and families. There is a growing culture of respect within the local community and an acknowledgement of the school's inclusiveness.”

Inclusion underpins everything that happens within the school and is not something which has to be thought about separately. The staff see themselves as part of a team and work alongside each other and offer support when needed. There is clear evidence of shared leadership and responsibility throughout the school; all teachers and teaching assistants are able to take on leadership roles and support one another. Staff are involved in the action planning process and views of all stakeholders are gathered through a range of strategies and feed into the school’s Strategic School Development Plan.

Staff interviewed felt that their contribution to the school is recognised and valued. The performance management process is used to identify appropriate job descriptions for all staff and identify training needs. Communication between staff is effective and regular meetings are held to discuss pupil progress and identify concerns. The staff are available every day to talk to parents and problems are usually dealt with quickly and effectively. Appointments can be made to talk to staff or the head for more formal meetings. On assessment day the parents were very appreciative of the time and effort the staff gave to their children which they considered to be above and beyond their role. One parent said, ‘Inclusion is what this school does best, if anything is needed it is put in place because the school understands the needs of each and every child’.

It is clear that at Willow Wood leadership is built on a vision of shared and collaborative teamwork which enhances the talents of all. The Head teacher and senior leadership team promote high expectations.   

Element 4: Staffing Systems and Organisation

This is an area of significant strength in the school.

It was evident in staff interviews that TAs work closely with teachers to ensure that all pupils’ needs are fully met. The effective deployment of staff contributes to creating a safe environment and the teaching assistants are deployed to help children needing additional support. The school has built up a great trust between many of the Traveller families and the relationship that has developed has ensured good links and communication between home and school. One example is a  former pupil who attended Nursery at the Children’s Centre, Willow Wood Infant and Junior schools and went on to the local High school, and is now returning to the Children’s Centre for Work Experience. Her family have decided to settle in Winsford and now live in Council accommodation.

The school embraces the ‘Every Child Matters’ agenda and staff use a range of teaching methods to make learning fun and there is a multi-sensory approach with the use of equipment to support an individual’s learning as appropriate. The staff have introduced AfL and are all trained in cooperative learning techniques and the children enjoy taking part in paired and group work. The school has worked hard to move from a unit provision to resourced provision and has completed relevant training and audits. A teacher has obtained BDA approved teacher status and supports children with literacy difficulties and all staff are expected to complete a half termly review of what has gone well for them and what needs to be improved. All staff are invited to attend relevant training, including MDAs, and are trusted to make decisions and develop new ideas.

Staff interviewed also confirmed that support is provided in a sensitive and caring way to ensure emotional well-being of pupils, staff and parents. The TAs often introduce new work to children with learning difficulties so when it is taught by the class teacher they have a prior understanding, and most classes have the support of a TA. There are a number of children with diverse needs and they are included in every part of school life. There is also evidence to show that staff adapt and modify teaching techniques and resources to meet pupil needs. The RP children all have a book of achievements which they are very proud of and which high light their success across all areas within school. 

All teaching staff and TAs have relevant job descriptions which are reviewed as part of the Performance Management Process. The school welcomes students and supports their placements within the school as well as encouraging a number of parents and governors who help in class on a regular basis.

Teaching assistants are involved in curriculum planning and are effectively utilised to support learning in a variety of settings. The staff feel valued by verbal thanks from the head and other staff members who recognise their contributions to school life.

Element 5: Learning Environment.

The learning environment is visually vibrant with colourful displays. The school is very welcoming and friendly to pupils and visitors and offers good facilities and learning opportunities.  Every opportunity is taken to use the outside areas for learning including the pond and wild life areas.

The school is attractive, fully accessible and feels safe and secure.  There is a consistent approach throughout the school with all classes displaying the rules, reward charts, working walls, prompts for learning, SEAL displays and children’s work. Excellent use is made of the display areas to reflect pupils’ contribution and successes in many different aspects of school life. The head or deputy regularly completes an Environmental Walk looking at all areas of the school and the findings are shared with the staff. This encourages staff to share good practice and to take ideas and adapt them in their own classes. Although there is an expectation for all classes to follow the same guide lines they are encouraged to personalise their class areas.

Pupils’ work and resources are used very effectively to develop their self esteem and personal confidence and support and promote learning. Visible were displays showing children enjoying a variety of activities including the choir, residential visits and dancing for Sport Relief, pictures of the School Councillors and children with other posts of responsibility, the Ambitions Tree and various work displays including Ancient Greece and Monet art work. All subject leaders complete an audit for their subject area and can request new resources from the budget when required.

Classrooms and adjoining areas are vibrant and support learning in a variety of ways. Areas are set aside to support small group work, speech and language therapy and 1:1 teaching. There is evidence of allocation of resources enabling full curriculum access for pupils. The school is well furnished and resourced.  A variety of methods to promote inclusive learning within the classroom could be noted. These included interactive whiteboards, and displays and posters to support independent learning as well as reward systems and class rules. Many class rooms have role play areas such as a Vet’s surgery and the House of the Three Bears. The RP rooms are bright and reflect the children’s achievements and there is a very successful reward system in place that the children explained in great detail and which obviously worked well. The outdoor area is also used effectively for sport, drama, play and quiet activities as well as for teaching and learning for art, science, geography and a bear hunt! The children grow their own fruit and vegetables and different types of flowers.

There is a strong sense of ownership and responsibility for the school environment amongst pupils and staff and the quality of the learning environment fully reflects inclusive values.

Element 6: Teaching and Learning.

Willow Wood staff place emphasis on the need to provide learning activities according to individual needs. Identified children work 1:1 or in small groups with a TA when appropriate, and all children are given targets which are monitored regularly.

Lesson planning reflects opportunities for individual and small group learning with appropriate IEPs to support individuals.  A creative approach is used to enrich the curriculum and the children have the opportunity to work with outside artists for drama, art and ceramic activities. They attend trips linked to their work including Stockley Farm, Liverpool World Museum and the Jiffy factory. They visit the local church, some children had the opportunity to take part in the dancing competition and to sing at the Cheshire Show and the gifted and talented children attend workshops with children from other schools. All children have the opportunity to be involved in the life of the school and the staff ensure strategies are in place to overcome issues which may arise e.g. taking a child with physical disabilities on a residential visit and transporting children to and from residential visits if they are unable to stay overnight. All Year 5 children have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument free of charge during school hours which they love.

The staff provide every opportunity to have fun and have organised Science Days, pancake making and a Victorian Day. The curriculum offered to pupils at Willow Wood is enriching; a creative curriculum has been developed involving arts projects, productions, residential experiences and visiting artists such as Keystrings, which all serve to encourage children to enjoy and achieve.

There is a close link with the high schools for music and sports activities and the children within school are encouraged to work with children from different year groups e.g. Year 6 children help with the Year 2 Christmas party and production. The school works closely with the high schools to ensure a smooth transition between KS2 and KS3 with visits being organised and extra support put in place if necessary. Transition is supported between each class and the pre-school nursery which is housed in the Children’s Centre and the children are invited to share activities throughout the year. Year 3 children visit the Year 2 classes to talk about what it is like to be in KS2.

Individual members of staff interviewed on assessment day were able to demonstrate good inclusive practice.  Staff have clearly defined roles and are effectively deployed to support teaching and learning throughout the school. The curriculum provides equal entitlement whilst at the same time being sensitive to individual and group needs.  The use of ICT further supports inclusive practice. 

Element 7: Resources and ICT

ICT provision is good and provides access to an interactive whiteboard in every classroom with access to the Internet, a number of lap tops as well as microphones and a digital camera. The ICT suite is in regular use by KS2 children and fully supports an inclusive learning environment. The children are confident in the use of ICT and there is an excellent website which is very informative and keeps stakeholders up to date. A Learning Platform has been developed which has enhanced learning opportunities between home and school. The children are provided with as many opportunities as possible to learn through the use of ICT and are encouraged to use the forums to share their views.

A rich and varied learning environment is evident in all areas of the school and the children are particularly proud of the work undertaken in the art studio. Resources are adapted to suit the needs of individual children and there are well stocked libraries in both buildings. The outdoor environment is well equipped for both play and learning opportunities. It is clearly evident from portfolio evidence and interviews on the day that careful selection and deployment of resources promotes inclusion at Willow Wood. 

Element 8: Parents and Carers

This is an area of significant strength in the school.

The parents interviewed made it very clear that they were happy with their children attending Willow Wood and they could not praise the staff highly enough. There is an ‘Open Door’ policy and every member of staff is approachable. One parent said, ‘the staff include everybody and our ideas are listened to and developed.’

The parents are kept informed about what is happening in school through regular newsletters and the web site and are invited into school to help in class, to attend trips and to share special assemblies. Letters are sent home informing parents of the topics to be covered during the term and the ways in which they can support their children. The children’s targets are set and discussed with the children and parents at an allocated time on Open Day and parents are encouraged to communicate with the teacher through the homework diary. Ideas for making learning fun and helping the children with their learning are on the website. A texting service has been introduced to inform parents of school information e.g. school closure due to bad weather.

The school has tried to develop a PTA but has been unsuccessful but parents are willing to organise different events for families and children and have held cake sales and organised fund raising events for Children in Need. Parents are encouraged to participate in school life through an active approach. An eight week Parenting Course was offered to support parents with issues related to child care and parents were encouraged to attend a course to plant seeds and bulbs entitled ‘Start Growing Together’. Adult English and maths courses have been offered to those looking at going back to work or changing careers.

Parents felt they were kept informed of their children’s academic progress through the Open Days, written reports and also through verbal feedback. They enjoyed receiving positive comments about their child’s behaviour and progress and thought there were plenty of opportunities to celebrate these within school.

Parents spoke of staff being very caring and having lots of time to involve parents and they enjoyed attending the social events, especially the afternoon tea hosted by the children in RP. It is evident from interviews with parents that school policy and practice facilitates a strong partnership between parents/carers and the school.  The parents were very positive in their praise for the caring, nurturing atmosphere at Willow Wood and appreciated being asked for their views about different aspects of school life through questionnaires from the head and governors. The sensitive support and respect the school has for Traveller families is recognised by many stakeholders and there have been articles in the local paper praising the school for the positive relationships which have developed.

Parents, pupils and portfolio evidence confirmed that there are excellent induction and transition programmes in place between each class and the different Key Stages. All pupils have opportunities to be involved in a range of additional activities including external visits and clubs. These include drama, choir, sports and ICT. Curriculum delivery is clearly enhanced through trips and external visitors and a multi sensory approach.

It was clearly evident on assessment day that the school greatly values parental partnership and actively encourages parental involvement in school e.g. the Christmas arts and crafts afternoon, as well as inviting families to social events such as the Easter Social. Visitors are always asked for their feedback after any event organised by school to help improve future events as well as providing positive feedback to the staff and children.

Element 9: Governors, External Partners and the Local Authority

There is a close link between the school and the Governors and many help in class or attend visits and school events. The file evidenced some lovely comments from a number of governors who had attended various events with the children, commenting on how they had enjoyed themselves and the excellent behaviour of the children. The governors attend assemblies and talk about their role in school and are often seen monitoring the teaching and learning throughout the school. The head shares progress and results through regular reports which the governors question and discuss and the chair of governors attends the SIP meetings together with the head. The governors regularly seek the opinions of parents through questionnaires and receive communication from school through e-mails, newsletters and the web site. Governors attend training as necessary to keep up to date with current practice and are involved in the policy writing within school having developed a rolling programme to update each policy as appropriate.

It is clear from interviews on the day that members of the Governing Body have knowledge on a range of issues relating to inclusive practice and are invited to all Inset training days. Inclusion is endorsed as a key value at Willow Wood; it was clear to assessors that Governors are very supportive of the schools identified areas for improvement. The Governors interviewed demonstrated a commitment to promoting inclusive values across the school and use every opportunity to talk with parents, especially those with children in RP to obtain their opinions. Through curriculum committee meetings, Governors scrutinise Mapping Attainment Grids and have an overview of the assessment and tracking system. There are regular meetings between the head, SEN Governor, SENCOs and RP manager to discuss changes and updates around SEN.

It is evident from portfolio evidence and interviews on assessment day that the school has developed a clear and co-ordinated communication process with a range of external partners; a few of these  are the high schools and primary schools in the area, music tutors, Behaviour Team, and Speech and Language Service. The school encourages children to attend events held in the area e.g. Lifestyle Centre, RHS at Tatton Park and Cheshire Show.

Element 10: Community

This is an area of significant strength in the school.

The school is active in many aspects of community life at a local and national level; the police, school nurse and fire service regularly work with the children, and the Family Support Worker forms a close link with school and some of the families, working on issues such as attendance.  The school is part of WEP and different networks support teaching and learning, behaviour and staff roles, as well as providing training in a number of different areas. The pupils have developed an awareness of the lives of people in other countries through studying different countries during Global Week, looking at the work done through Fair Trade and children within the school from different cultures sharing their experiences of life in their own country. All the children learn to speak French and one class room has displays in Welsh and the children are encouraged to speak a few words of the language. Difference and diversity are celebrated and events such as music and art workshops delivered by visiting artists’ further help to foster an understanding of the wider world.

The school works collaboratively with other primary schools in the locality and both high schools and the children regularly visit the local church. There are very close links with the Children’s Centre and the two settings join regularly for events such as the Early Arts project. Parents are kept informed of events and courses taking place within the Centre. There is before and after school provision for the children on site and the children have access to the facilities inside and outside the building. The Reception class offers a wide range of learning opportunities both inside and outside the class room and a canopy is planned so the children will be able to be outside throughout the year. There is a garden that the children maintain where they grow fruit, vegetables and flowers and they are involved in planning their own learning activities.

The school has developed links with two primary schools from different settings within Cheshire, Kelsall and Horn’s Mill, in order to develop the children’s understanding of how local areas can vary. The children have been involved in exchange visits and worked together on joint projects. Some of the children use the community to help with their learning and have visited local businesses and factories and been pond dipping at Weaver Parkway. The local vet visited school and brought in a number of animals, explaining how each needed to be cared for.

It was lovely to see a child from RP returning to the school to complete a very successful work experience placement. The school has also completed training through Heart Start and is able to provide emergency treatment if needed. Some of the children were involved in designing the new library and while it was being built the school housed the books and encouraged the community to come into school and borrow them, a positive way of getting people involved with the school. The children sing in the local residential home for the elderly at Christmas time and deliver gifts to local residents during Harvest.

The children are actively involved in helping others and should be proud of the fund raising for Bible Explorer, Red Nose Day, Children in Need and Operation Christmas Child. They also took part in the Big Schools’ Birdwatch to help the RSPB look after birds.

Area(s) for Development

·       To continue to develop the outside area, including the canopy for Foundation Stage, in order to provide more learning opportunities outside the class room

·       To further develop the E-Learning Platform to help improve communication between home and school, especially with homework tasks

In conclusion the Assessors would like to thank the staff, pupils, parents and governors who all contributed to a very successful assessment day.  The assessors had a thoroughly enjoyable day and would like to extend their good wishes to all at Willow Wood for the future.

Renewal of IQM

Due: Summer Term 2013