Willow Green Academy
Catchment Area, Reviews and Key Information

Primary
PUPILS
226
AGES
3 - 11
GENDER
Mixed
TYPE
Academy sponsor led
SCHOOL GUIDE RATING
unlock
UNLOCK

Can I Get My Child Into This School?

Enter a postcode to see where you live on the map
heatmap example
Sample Map Only
Very Likely
Likely
Less Likely

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
01924 306 052

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
(12/09/2023)
Full Report - All Reports
77%
NATIONAL AVG. 60%
% pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics



Unlock The Rest Of The Data Now
We've Helped 20 Million Parents
  • See All Official School Data
  • View Catchment Area Maps
  • Access 2024 League Tables
  • Read Real Parent Reviews
  • Unlock 2024 Star Ratings
  • Easily Choose Your #1 School
£19.95
Per month

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)
Hampden Close
Ferrybridge
Knottingley
WF11 8PT
01977722487

School Description

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You and your leadership team have all been recruited to the school since the last inspection. At that inspection, your predecessor was asked to improve the quality of teaching so that more pupils could make faster progress, and to improve leaders’ reporting to the academy advisory board. You and your leadership team have a clear vision for the school and have fostered an open culture where pupils are at the heart of everything you do. You have worked effectively with the executive principal and other members of the trust to identify issues and take appropriate and sometimes difficult actions. Together you have adopted an analytical approach, making good decisions that have enabled you to move the school forward. The assistant principal is also the teaching and learning leader. She leads by example in her own teaching as well as coaching and nurturing others effectively. Teachers have developed strong relationships with pupils that enable the pupils to work with resilience and confidence. Teaching assistants have a thorough understanding of their roles and are particularly effective in supporting pupils who may need additional teaching in reading, phonics and mathematics. You are regularly held to account for pupils’ progress by the academy advisory board and by the Delta trust. Open and honest professional discussions within staff meetings and within the trust are helping you to accurately identify those areas of learning that are most in need of improvement and to put into place actions to swiftly address issues. This is enabling rapid improvement to take place within your school. Evidence of this can be seen in improved outcomes in phonics and reading overall, but also in the increase in the number of pupils reaching higher standards across key stages 1 and 2. In 2017, at the end of key stage 2, pupils’ progress overall, including that of disadvantaged pupils, was broadly in line with national figures for reading and mathematics. Some 20% more pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined than in 2016. Pupils’ progress in writing was above the national average, but it was more mixed in reading. Despite some pupils making very strong progress, around two thirds did not. Pupils in key stage 1 attained outcomes that were above national figures in reading, writing and mathematics but disadvantaged pupils did less well than other pupils. Safeguarding is effective. You have ensured that all staff and academy advisory board members are fully trained and up to date in identifying potential risks to pupils. Staff and visitors to the school know whom to alert if they have concerns. Academy board members make sure that you follow safe recruitment practices and that staff and visitors to the school are cleared to work with children. A few parents and carers raised concerns about bullying through Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire. However, most pupils who spoke to me during the day said that bullying was rare. When it does happen, pupils earnestly told me they ‘tell the bully to stop it’ and that that usually works. If it does not, then a teacher always makes it stop. In fact, pupils’ behaviour is very good. They conduct themselves calmly when moving between classes and assembly and, although lunchtimes are somewhat noisier, pupils are chatty and sociable. Pupils in classes demonstrated great attitudes to learning and were willing to have a go, to make mistakes and to learn from these mistakes. You have taken care to promote regular attendance and punctuality in the school and to discourage the taking of holidays during term-time. For example, pupils enjoy collecting tokens towards buying something from the ‘attendance shop’. Consequently, pupils’ attendance overall is just above national figures. Inspection findings During this inspection, I wanted to find out what leaders have done to improve the quality of teaching and learning overall, particularly in reading. You and your team have worked with great precision to ensure the accuracy of teachers’ assessments. You have introduced rigorous systems that enable you to carefully follow the progress of all pupils. This has enabled you to identify accurately which pupils are likely to reach the standards expected for their age and to put into place effective, individual support for those who are not on track. As a result, you can show considerable improvement in the proportion of pupils who are working at the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics. You quickly realised that pupils’ outcomes in 2016 were not good enough, particularly in reading, and took decisive action to improve the teaching of reading. Together with the executive principal and other schools within the trust, you have devised and implemented a new approach that places equal importance on developing pupils’ fluency and comprehension. You have ensured that staff and pupils have ample time to study high-quality, challenging, wholeclass texts to develop pupils’ understanding. Pupils are encouraged to develop their ability to read at speed, digesting important facts as they proceed through texts. As a result, you have raised pupils’ attainment and progress in reading throughout the school so that the vast majority of pupils are reading texts appropriate for their age. Over one third are now working at greater depth. The leader for reading has been very active in developing the knowledge of all staff to enable them to teach phonics successfully. She has adapted phonics plans to enable teachers to meet the needs of pupils at Willow Green more effectively. Consequently, pupils’ outcomes in phonics are well above the national average. Pupils’ secure knowledge of phonics is supporting them in getting off to a good start in reading so that, in key stage 1, higher proportions of pupils are attaining the expected standard than seen nationally. Less-able readers in key stage 2 continue to utilise phonics to support them in reading and writing words they find difficult. Pupils’ books and reading records show pupils read regularly and that pupils in danger of falling behind, including those who are disadvantaged, receive additional support. When I listened to pupils read, their love of books shone through. They value the weekly reading assemblies and enjoy your sharing of stories and poems. Pupils are benefiting from exposure to more advanced whole-class texts and are beginning to use adventurous vocabulary in their writing as a result. Teachers have maintained a focus on securing accurate comprehension of language so that more pupils are reading expressively and can explain what they are reading. Pupils read and respond to texts daily. Pupils’ books, particularly in key stage 2, show that they are able to articulate their thoughts and responses well when required to read beyond the surface features of the texts. Working with your team, you have carefully identified the specific barriers to learning for individual disadvantaged pupils and have put into place bespoke and sensitive support. Senior leaders ensure that teachers plan well to meet the needs of disadvantaged pupils. This support has had a positive impact on progress so that the majority of disadvantaged pupils are working at standards expected for their age in all core subjects. However, even though you have done much to diminish differences in reading and mathematics, there is still a discernible difference between the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and that of others in writing. Children enter Willow Green with skills and abilities broadly typical for their age. Staff in the early years ensure that children are safe and happy in the setting and are successfully helping them to develop skills across many areas of learning. Staff are skilled in assessing children’s progress. They accurately identify and share with other staff the next steps children need to take in learning. However, children are entering Year 1 with underdeveloped skills in reading and writing. Staff do not plan carefully enough so that all areas of the provision, including activities planned outdoors, help children develop these specific skills as rapidly as they should. Next steps for the school Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that: children in the early years more rapidly acquire early reading and writing skills so that they enter Year 1 with greater proficiency in these areas of learning independent activities are carefully planned to maximise learning in all areas in the early years, including outdoors disadvantaged pupils in key stages 1 and 2 continue to make accelerated progress in writing to enable them to catch up with other pupils. I am copying this letter to the chair of the academy advisory board and the chief executive officer of the multi-academy trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Wakefield. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website. Yours sincerely Lesley Butcher Her Majesty’s Inspector Information about the inspection I met with you, your assistant principal and the executive principal throughout the day to discuss different aspects of the school’s work. We visited lessons together. I met with two representatives of the academy advisory board and a representative of the academy trust. I scrutinised documents relating to safeguarding procedures and looked at assessment information. I considered 87 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire to parents. No staff or pupils responded to the Ofsted questionnaire but I was able to talk with pupils about their learning in lessons and at lunchtime.

Willow Green Academy Parent Reviews



unlock % Parents Recommend This School
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>60, "agree"=>31, "disagree"=>5, "strongly_disagree"=>5, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 42 responses up to 22-09-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>60, "agree"=>29, "disagree"=>10, "strongly_disagree"=>2, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 42 responses up to 22-09-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>40, "agree"=>33, "disagree"=>24, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>2} UNLOCK Figures based on 42 responses up to 22-09-2023
My Child Has Not Been Bullied Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"my_child_has_not_been_bullied"=>48, "strongly_agree"=>5, "agree"=>24, "disagree"=>10, "strongly_disagree"=>12, "dont_know"=>2} UNLOCK Figures based on 42 responses up to 22-09-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>40, "agree"=>33, "disagree"=>26, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 42 responses up to 22-09-2023
I Have Not Raised Any Concerns Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"i_have_not_raised_any_concerns"=>26, "strongly_agree"=>29, "agree"=>24, "disagree"=>14, "strongly_disagree"=>5, "dont_know"=>2} UNLOCK Figures based on 42 responses up to 22-09-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>18, "agree"=>45, "disagree"=>18, "strongly_disagree"=>18, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 11 responses up to 22-09-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>45, "agree"=>45, "disagree"=>7, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>2} UNLOCK Figures based on 42 responses up to 22-09-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>55, "agree"=>29, "disagree"=>5, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>12} UNLOCK Figures based on 42 responses up to 22-09-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>43, "agree"=>38, "disagree"=>12, "strongly_disagree"=>5, "dont_know"=>2} UNLOCK Figures based on 42 responses up to 22-09-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>55, "agree"=>45, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 42 responses up to 22-09-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>69, "agree"=>26, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>2, "dont_know"=>2} UNLOCK Figures based on 42 responses up to 22-09-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>45, "agree"=>36, "disagree"=>10, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>10} UNLOCK Figures based on 42 responses up to 22-09-2023
Yes No {"yes"=>86, "no"=>14} UNLOCK Figures based on 42 responses up to 22-09-2023

Responses taken from Ofsted Parent View

Your rating:
Review guidelines
  • Do explain who you are and your relationship to the school e.g. ‘I am a parent…’
  • Do back up your opinion with examples or clear reasons but, remember, it’s your opinion not fact.
  • Don’t use bad or aggressive language.
  • Don't go in to detail about specific staff or pupils. Individual complaints should be directed to the school.
  • Do go to the relevant authority is you have concerns about a serious issue such as bullying, drug abuse or bad management.
Read the full review guidelines and where to find help if you have serious concerns about a school.
We respect your privacy and never share your email address with the reviewed school or any third parties. Please see our T&Cs and Privacy Policy for details of how we treat registered emails with TLC.


News, Photos and Open Days from Willow Green Academy

We are waiting for this school to upload information. Represent this school?
Register your details to add open days, photos and news.

Do you represent
Willow Green Academy?

Register to add photos, news and download your Certificate of Excellence 2023/24

*Official school administrator email addresses

(eg [email protected]). Details will be verified.

Questions? Email [email protected]

We're here to help your school to add information for parents.

Thank you for registering your details

A member of the School Guide team will verify your details within 2 working days and provide further detailed instructions for setting up your School Noticeboard.

For any questions please email [email protected]