Woodside Primary School and Nursery

Woodside Primary School and Nursery has shown commendable improvement since its previous inspection, moving from a grade of 'Requires Improvement' to 'Good'. The school benefits from a supportive leadership team and the guidance of Hales Valley Trust, enhancing the quality of education provided. Pupils enjoy a safe and welcoming atmosphere, where they feel valued and supported. The curriculum has been strengthened, leading to noticeable improvements in literacy and numeracy, and the inclusive approach ensures that all students, including those with special educational needs, receive appropriate support.

Strengths

• Strong pastoral support for pupils and families.
• Pupils enjoy school and feel safe.
• High expectations for pupil achievement are evident.
• Effective teaching boosts rising standards in reading and mathematics.
• A broad and interesting curriculum is in place.
• Positive school culture of collaboration and support.
• Engaging extracurricular activities for students.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum in some subjects still needs further development.
• Variability in staff subject knowledge and delivery.
• Some pupils miss too much school, hindering their learning.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Woodside Primary School and Nursery attended 91.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 30.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.2% of pupils at Woodside Primary School and Nursery were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Woodside Primary School and Nursery had 44.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 38.4% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 23.2% of pupils at Woodside Primary School and Nursery were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has a SEN unit with 12 pupils.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Woodside Primary School and Nursery received £7,359 and spent £7,282 for each of its 462 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £125,000 (£270 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Hales Valley Trust, income was £6,705 and spending £6,681 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Dudley · Dudley local authority: places and applications

Woodside Primary School and Nursery is part of Hales Valley Trust, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• Withymoor Primary School Brierley Hill
• Priory Primary School Dudley
• Hurst Hill Primary School Bilston
• Gig Mill Primary School Stourbridge
• Lutley Primary School Halesowen
• Lapal Primary School Halesowen

What is Woodside Primary School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Woodside Primary School and Nursery is Good, from an inspection in January 2024.

When was Woodside Primary School and Nursery last inspected by Ofsted?

Woodside Primary School and Nursery was last inspected in January 2024.

How many pupils does Woodside Primary School and Nursery have?

Woodside Primary School and Nursery has 501 pupils on roll.

What age range does Woodside Primary School and Nursery cover?

Woodside Primary School and Nursery for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Woodside Primary School and Nursery's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 28% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Woodside Primary School and Nursery?

Woodside Primary School and Nursery is at Highgate Road, Woodside, Dudley, West Midlands, DY2 0SN.