Willow Bank Junior School
Catchment Area, Reviews and Key Information

Primary
PUPILS
238
AGES
7 - 11
GENDER
Mixed
TYPE
Community school
SCHOOL GUIDE RATING
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Can I Get My Child Into This School?

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This pupil heat map shows where pupils currently attending the school live.
The concentration of pupils shows likelihood of admission based on distance criteria

Source: All attending pupils National School Census Data, ONS
01189 746 000

This School Guide heat map has been plotted using official pupil data taken from the last School Census collected by the Department for Education. It is a visualisation of where pupils lived at the time of the annual School Census.

Our heat maps use groups of postcodes, not individual postcodes, and have naturally soft edges. All pupils are included in the mapping (i.e. children with siblings already at the school, high priority pupils and selective and/or religious admissions) but we may have removed statistical ‘outliers’ with more remote postcodes that do not reflect majority admissions.

For some schools, the heat map may be a useful indicator of the catchment area but our heat maps are not the same as catchment area maps. Catchment area maps, published by the school or local authority, are based on geographical admissions criteria and show actual cut-off distances and pre-defined catchment areas for a single admission year.

This information is provided as a guide only. The criteria in which schools use to allocate places in the event that they are oversubscribed can and do vary between schools and over time. These criteria can include distance from the school and sometimes specific catchment areas but can also include, amongst others, priority for siblings, children of a particular faith or specific feeder schools. Living in an area where children have previously attended a school does not guarantee admission to the school in future years. Always check with the school’s own admission authority for the current admission arrangements.

3 steps to help parents gather catchment information for a school:

  1. Look at our school catchment area guide for more information on heat maps. They give a useful indicator of the general areas that admit pupils to the school. This visualisation is based on all attending pupils present at the time of the annual School Census.
  2. Use the link to the Local Authority Contact (above) to find catchment area information based on a single admission year. This is very important if you are considering applying to a school.
  3. On each school page, use the link to visit the school website and find information on individual school admissions criteria. Geographical criteria are only applied after pupils have been admitted on higher priority criteria such as Looked After Children, SEN, siblings, etc.

How Does The School Perform?

Good
NATIONAL AVG. 2.09
Ofsted Inspection
(21/03/2023)
Full Report - All Reports
70%
NATIONAL AVG. 60%
% pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics



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Progress Compared With All Other Schools

UNLOCK Well Below Average (About 9% of schools in England) Below Average (About 9% of schools in England) Average (About 67% of schools in England) Above Average (About 6% of schools in England) Well Above Average (About 9% of schools in England) UNLOCK Well Below Average (About 10% of schools in England) Below Average (About 9% of schools in England) Average (About 67% of schools in England) Above Average (About 6% of schools in England) Well Above Average (About 8% of schools in England) UNLOCK Well Below Average (About 10% of schools in England) Below Average (About 11% of schools in England) Average (About 59% of schools in England) Above Average (About 11% of schools in England) Well Above Average (About 9% of schools in England)
Duffield Road
Woodley
Reading
RG5 4RW
01189691556

School Description

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Aspects of the school’s work, though, are better aligned to a judgement of outstanding notably, the school’s leadership and its contribution to pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare. As one parent commented, ‘There is so much to love about this school. There are assemblies for us to attend, Christmas plays, singing in the playground and so much more which create a wonderful community.’ A second parent commented, ‘I think this is a superb school. It has excellent teachers, headteacher and support staff who care about academics and student welfare in equal measures.’ Every parent who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, would recommend the school to other parents. In summary, this is because you exhibit careful, considerate, thoughtful and ‘inspirational’ leadership. Your evaluation of the school’s overall effectiveness is open, honest and clear. You know what the school does well and you also know candidly what else is required to make it even better. We agreed that progress outcomes for pupils still need to rise for the school to be judged outstanding overall. Governors, staff, pupils and parents acknowledge the positive manner in which you lead the school. All recognise the way you nurture staff and pupils’ well-being. Your leadership is underpinned with a clear moral purpose and explicit set of laudable values. Another parent stated, ‘Mr Foster is an excellent headteacher who sets an environment and a culture of inclusiveness for all children.’ Your ambition for the pupils is shared by all so that staff give freely of their time to support the outstanding range of extra-curricular activities. Pupils benefit from, among others, trips to Wales, Westminster and other Wokingham schools to take part in musical or sporting activities. Pupils enjoy participating in clubs based at the school, such as chess, choir and contemporary dance. Your own passion for music is evident in the provision of the ‘amazing’ orchestra and the multiple musical tuition and performance opportunities available to all pupils. A highlight of the inspection was the choral singing in assembly of the song you composed to celebrate the school’s approach to British values. These extra-curricular experiences consolidate the very strong curriculum that the school provides. English and mathematics are taught well so that pupils acquire the basic skills they need and are suitably prepared for the next stage of their education. In addition to these core subjects, teaching is strong in science and is supported practically for example, by the presence of fish, insects and African giant snails in classrooms, in well-maintained and hygienic tanks. Similarly, pupils are provided with age-appropriate opportunities in design and technology, where product design and nutrition are taught equally effectively. Pupils told me how much they enjoyed learning in art, and their knowledge and skills in music exceed those found typically among pupils of the same age. You use the primary physical education and sport premium funding sensibly to ensure that pupils benefit from high-quality specialist teaching. Pupils in Year 3 were making strong progress in learning how to execute the high jump accurately as part of a sequence of suitably tailored physical education lessons. Pupils are coached in actual sports such as athletics and football and are thus able to compete, often successfully, in local and regional competitions. There is something for every pupil. This is because you are determined that all will do as well as they can. This principle extends to the subtle and sensitive provision for the small number of disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Consequently, the progress of these pupils is good from their individual starting points. Safeguarding is effective. This simple judgement potentially masks the exceptional work the school does with regard to safeguarding. On the rare occasion when someone new joins the team, the background checks you make on them are suitably thorough. The school business manager maintains a secure record of these checks which is overseen by the appointed safeguarding governor. The school business manager conducts equally stringent checks on casual staff, volunteers or contractors undertaking work on behalf of Wokingham Borough Council. Your determination to ensure that pupils flourish and are safe has contributed to the creation of a calm and orderly environment based on excellent relationships between adults and children. Your behaviour policy, which emphasises the benefits of good conduct, results in extremely well-mannered, positive pupils and very rare examples of misbehaviour. You have trained pupils to sort out their own disputes, or ask for help from peers to restore good relationships when they break down. Pupils understand fully the differences between right and wrong and things that are fair or unjust. Praise far outweighs criticism in every exchange between adults and pupils. Rewards are used far more frequently than punishments. The recent visit of an ice cream van as a whole-school reward was welcomed by all. Parents appreciate the school’s work to encourage good behaviour and promote positive attitudes to learning: ‘Under Mr Foster’s leadership the school has flourished, supporting children in the transition from infant to secondary school by encouraging them to take responsibility for their own behaviour as well as supporting and encouraging those around them.’ Parents also commend the school for its determination to keep them informed. You, and the staff, work well with parents. You are easily available to them at the beginning and end of the day. Parents comment that you listen to any concerns they may have, and address them appropriately. This feeds into extremely detailed knowledge about each child, their individual strengths and weaknesses, where they are succeeding and any potential barriers they face. Consequently, any child at risk is quickly identified. You ensure that all staff training is up to date and that all can identify any signs of neglect or distress. Several families were keen to point out where the school’s work had helped them get through difficult times such as bereavement or family breakdown. Inspection findings  This inspection was undertaken to judge how well pupils currently on roll are doing. I wanted to investigate how well you were supporting the most able pupils to achieve as much as they can, and how pupils’ progress overall is being tracked against the requirements of the new national curriculum.  Everyone, staff and pupils, at Willow Bank is happy. All thrive. The culture leaders have created over time is celebrated by all. Noticeably, the retention of staff is remarkable. Teachers only leave when they have to retire. Staff absence is negligible. Every member of staff who responded to Ofsted’s confidential online survey strongly agreed that they ‘enjoy working at the school’. Pupils’ attendance is exemplary. A tiny proportion of pupils are persistently absent. You have not excluded a pupil permanently since joining the school four years ago and you struggled to remember any incidents of fixed-term exclusions.  With the staff, you have built an effective learning community based on mutual trust and respect. Pupils love your weekly headteacher’s tea party. You use this to engage pupils in open and honest debate about how well the school is doing. A pupil is recorded as saying, ‘Some things you will like and some things you won’t like, but they help you when you don’t find things easy.’ This is a clear example of how you take seriously pupils’ opinions and act on them to improve the school overall.  The school’s contribution to pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. In addition to a well-led and thoughtful formal curriculum, you provide a strong role model for staff and pupils of appropriate adult behaviour. A parent wrote, ‘The children are well behaved and courteous and this comes from a deep respect for Mr Foster and the staff.’  All staff adopt your inclusive approach. They treat each pupil as a unique individual. Through their actions they demonstrate to pupils the importance of tolerance. You encourage pupils to understand democratic participation. Pupils like the system of peer mediation which has reduced to virtually zero the incidents of perceived bullying. This is remarkable.  Pupils’ progress from key stage 1 to 2 is the single, most important, remaining consideration for the school. You have addressed this in your honest, open and realistic assessment of the school’s performance.  The local authority’s school improvement officer has rightly challenged you to ensure that staff focus on this aspect of the school’s work continuously. Governors similarly hold you to account for pupils’ progress and support the range of activities you have put in place to raise standards further.  According to publicly held data, the most able pupils do not regularly go on to write at greater depth or exceed age-expected levels in reading or mathematics. This means that their progress does not compare as favourably with other high-attaining pupils nationally, even though they work hard and are a credit to the school.  Current work to align the school’s assessment practice in English and mathematics even more closely to the new national curriculum requirements is timely. Leaders’ normal, thoughtful approach will help you evaluate, and then implement, the most effective changes to support even greater progress of the most able pupils. You will be aided in this by the recent adoption of a progress-tracking system. This system is already producing helpful information about what each pupil knows, understands and can do in each of reading, writing and mathematics.  Teachers’ skilful work in assessing pupils’ writing contributes well to this database as well as directly to pupils’ progress. It also contributes to leaders’ understanding of any gaps or where extra work may be needed. Next steps for the school Leaders and governors should ensure that:  pupils’ progress in all subjects continues to increase so that overall performance at least matches national expectations  the most able pupils are challenged to work at greater depth in writing and exceed age-expected standards in reading and mathematics.

Willow Bank Junior School Parent Reviews



unlock % Parents Recommend This School
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>69, "agree"=>31, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 68 responses up to 22-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>78, "agree"=>21, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>1} UNLOCK Figures based on 68 responses up to 22-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>53, "agree"=>43, "disagree"=>1, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>3} UNLOCK Figures based on 68 responses up to 22-03-2023
My Child Has Not Been Bullied Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"my_child_has_not_been_bullied"=>78, "strongly_agree"=>12, "agree"=>3, "disagree"=>3, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>4} UNLOCK Figures based on 68 responses up to 22-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>46, "agree"=>40, "disagree"=>13, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>1} UNLOCK Figures based on 68 responses up to 22-03-2023
I Have Not Raised Any Concerns Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"i_have_not_raised_any_concerns"=>28, "strongly_agree"=>35, "agree"=>35, "disagree"=>1, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 68 responses up to 22-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>54, "agree"=>31, "disagree"=>15, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 13 responses up to 22-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>41, "agree"=>46, "disagree"=>10, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>3} UNLOCK Figures based on 68 responses up to 22-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>56, "agree"=>40, "disagree"=>3, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>1} UNLOCK Figures based on 68 responses up to 22-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>51, "agree"=>46, "disagree"=>3, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 68 responses up to 22-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>66, "agree"=>34, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 68 responses up to 22-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>81, "agree"=>18, "disagree"=>1, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 68 responses up to 22-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>56, "agree"=>35, "disagree"=>3, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>6} UNLOCK Figures based on 68 responses up to 22-03-2023
Yes No {"yes"=>99, "no"=>1} UNLOCK Figures based on 68 responses up to 22-03-2023

Responses taken from Ofsted Parent View

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