Wyndham Spencer Academy

Wyndham Primary Academy Wyndham Street, Alvaston, Derby, DE24 0EP

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  Pupils of all abilities make excellent progress through the academy in English, mathematics and many other subjects. Standards are at least average by Year 6 and increasingly above that.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make an excellent start to their education and are extremely well prepared for Year 1.  The achievement of those pupils in receipt of the pupil premium is outstanding and they reach standards which are similar to their classmates.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs also make excellent progress from their individual starting points. They work with confidence and independence.  The quality of teaching is outstanding. Pupils' read widely, write at length for many reasons and solve mathematical problems well in response to the thorough and systematic development of their skills and inspiring opportunities to apply them.  Pupils' behaviour is exemplary and they feel

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

very safe. They take pride in their work. Their personal development and physical well-being is promoted extremely well through many high quality and challenging creative and sporting experiences.  The academy works very effectively in partnership with the sponsor academy trust and with other local schools to improve the quality of education. Senior staff increasingly take a lead role in training and development initiatives across the partnership.  The Principal's persistent drive and ambition for the academy is fully complemented by the highly committed senior and subject leaders and very effective governing body. It instils a love and passion for learning so that every pupil wants to succeed and is proud of the academy’s achievements. As a result, all aspects of academy life, particularly pupils' achievement and the quality of teaching, have improved very well since the academy opened and are well placed to continue to do so.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 15 lessons or parts of lessons, including several observed jointly with the Principal and other members of the senior leadership team. The inspectors also made a number of shorter visits to classrooms, looked at a wide range of pupils' work and listened to them read.

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Information about this inspection

 Discussions were held with several groups of pupils, the Chair of Governors and other members of the governing body, the chief executive of the academy trust and members of staff including senior leaders and other leaders with particular responsibilities.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors took account of the 15 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire (Parent View), the results from the school’s own regular consultations and communications from parents. The responses from staff questionnaires were also considered.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents, including information on pupils’ current progress, the school’s plans for improvement, the management of teachers’ performance, the use of pupil premium funding, and documentation and records relating to pupils’ behaviour and safety.

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Inspection team

Andrew Clark, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Kathleen Gisborne Additional Inspector Renee Robinson Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The academy is about average size for a primary school.

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Information about this school

 The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported by school action is average.

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Information about this school

 The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also above average.

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Information about this school

 The proportion of pupils who receive the pupil premium funding is well above average. (The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children that are looked after by the local authority.)

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Information about this school

 The majority of pupils are of White British heritage.

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Information about this school

 An average proportion of pupils are of minority ethnic heritage.

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Information about this school

 A small proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language.

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Information about this school

 The academy opened in September 2012 as part of the Spencer Academies Trust.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Build on the already very good partnerships with other schools to further improve the quality of education both within and beyond the academy.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children start the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and understanding which are generally well below those typical for their age. They make outstanding progress through the Early Years Foundation Stage in all areas of learning, especially their personal, social, number and communication skills and now reach above average levels. Children are eager to learn, inquisitive and increasingly self-assured.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils' achievement through the rest of the academy is outstanding. They make excellent progress from their starting points to reach standards which are increasingly above average. Pupils are extremely well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make outstanding progress from their starting points. In particular, they acquire good mastery of reading and writing skills which enable them to tackle a wide range of subjects and succeed well.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils known to be eligible for free school meals make outstanding progress and the gap between their achievement and that of other pupils is rapidly reducing. In the 2013 national tests for Year 6 pupils their results were similar to and sometimes above those of other pupils in all subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Most able pupils make excellent progress from their starting points. They have very positive attitudes to learning and excellent skills for improving their own work which contributes extremely well to the progress they make.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils read very fluently and widely. Pupils of all abilities tackle new and unfamiliar words very well because they develop a thorough understanding of letters and their sounds and are close to national averages and increasing in checks for these skills in Year 1. By Year 6, pupils read with confidence, expression and enthusiasm. They have a very good knowledge of the style of different authors and the way they use language to develop plot and characters.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils' writing skills are outstanding. There is a strong focus on ensuring accuracy in basic skills such as spelling and grammar and making imaginative use through, for example, play scripts, scientific and historical reports, letters and leaflets. They make very good use of information and communication technology to communicate their ideas. Work is extremely well presented and handwriting is a strength of the work of pupils of all abilities.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils’ mathematical skills are very well developed. They rapidly and securely develop good recall of number and use mental calculation facts to a good degree of accuracy. Pupils in Year 2 for example, explain how they use 'column' addition and subtraction to make sure calculations are correct and in Year 6 they create precise frequency graphs and pie charts to show outcomes in their work on probability.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The pupils' speaking and listening skills are a significant strength of their learning. They regularly articulate their thinking and reasoning in many different subjects and explain precisely what they aim to achieve. The strong focus on communication skills throughout the academy contributes to the very good progress made by pupils with English as an additional language.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils' physical and creative skills are very well developed. They are competitive and successful in team and other games. They use a range of different media in well-observed art work.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Pupils pay careful attention and are keen to learn new skills and concepts through the effective use of puppets, drama, games, ICT and quick-fire quizzes. 'Learning walls', often created from the pupils' own work, act as points of reference and guidance. Classrooms, corridors and outdoor spaces are alive with vibrant, well-mounted displays of pupils' work and highly engaging learning activities.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Children are eager to learn in the Early Years Foundation Stage because staff engage children through extremely well planned activities and attractive resources which interest all groups of learners. There is an excellent focus on quickly developing children's speaking, listening and social skills to support the development of reading and writing skills. Children rise to very high expectations such as making complex number patterns to 20 and beyond to create colourful necklaces for dolls.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Throughout the academy, pupils are ambitious and aim very high. This is the result of clearly- stated high expectations of all pupils. Pupils' learning skills, such as resilience and precision, are promoted through excellent example and direct teaching. This contributes to the outstanding achievement of all groups of pupils including the most able and those who find learning difficult.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs receive excellent support from staff through the use of extremely precise and very regular assessment of their academic, physical, emotional and social development and activities to develop their skills. The work in the NEST nurture unit makes a very significant contribution to their learning.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Pupils who are new to English, including a few who start school at times other than Reception, learn well in response to speedy checks of their needs and support in their heritage language.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The most able pupils often make excellent progress because staff ensure such pupils quickly engage in work which fully challenges them throughout the day. Pupils use an excellent precise vocabulary in different subjects and develop a deep understanding of new ideas through adults thoughtful and incisive questioning. Nothing less than clearly spoken, full and thoughtful answers are rarely accepted, which contributes to rapid improvements in speaking and listening skills.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Relationships between pupils and with adults are excellent. Pupils are polite and very considerate towards each other and they respond well to the excellent example all adults set consistently for them through the school’s agreed “GREAT expectations.  Pupils' pride in their school is evident in their smart appearance and the extremely careful presentation of their work and very tidy books. They value the care staff take in ensuring they work in attractive and orderly classrooms with high quality displays of their own work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are keen to come to the academy and are punctual and well prepared for the day's learning. Attendance is now above average. The academy works very closely with parents to encourage the best levels of attendance and ensure pupils are punctual and prepared for learning.  The academy's work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils feel very safe and extremely well looked after. Parents are fully confident that their children receive the highest levels of care.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils have an excellent understanding of how their behaviour affects others and that they should be kind and considerate. Staff make good use of a wide range of stories, songs and rhymes to reinforce positive attitudes and to promote excellent social skills. Assemblies strongly reinforce these messages. Consequently, pupils have a very good knowledge of potential bullying situations including racial and homophobic concerns. They are certain that very little takes place and any events are successfully managed by the staff. This is confirmed by the academy's good record keeping procedures. There have been no recent exclusions.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils learn to take appropriate risks and to keep themselves safe. They enjoy adventure on residential and other visits but know the dangers and how to stay safe. The academy has worked closely with the academy council to design and improve play facilities for pupils including the construction of the exciting 'Wyndham Towers' trim trail.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The Principal's excellent vision and planning for academy improvement is fully shared by all staff, governing body and parents. There is an imaginative and continuous pursuit of high standards in every aspect of the academy's work. This is very evident in the excellent culture and environment for learning and high quality assessment procedures which underpin rapid academy improvement.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The Principal and other senior staff are excellent role models for all staff and highly skilled in observing teaching and setting targets for others to aspire to. They are well supported by effective subject leaders and the supportive academy trust. As a result, all staff, including those new to the academy and the profession, quickly and consistently establish high expectations for all pupils.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The academy's use of rigorous procedures to check and measure pupils' progress is at the heart of rapidly improving standards and achievement. Almost daily analysis of outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics ensure that pupils are regularly working to their maximum potential and any additional support needed is rapidly provided.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Pupils make outstanding progress in a range of subjects because teaching is well informed through continuous high quality training delivered both through the academy and the partnership of schools. The senior staff and subject leaders often lead on this, for example, in aspects of assessment and Early Years Foundation Stage. It is exploring ways to extend this partnership further. Excellent use is made of staff with specialist skills such as in work with disabled pupils and those with special educational needs and in mathematics and writing.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Staff are held fully accountable for the progress their pupils make and are subject to fulfilling stringent criteria linked to pupils' achievement to reach the next salary level.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 A key factor in the quality of learning is the academy's commitment to providing varied and exciting learning opportunities. Subjects are interwoven through central themes and supported by a wide range of residential and other visits as a core to pupils' enquiries. There are sporting, artistic and musical clubs and events for all pupils to participate in.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The academy makes very good use of the new primary school sports funding to improve teachers' skills and support pupils' sporting and other achievements. This has already contributed to the development of teachers' skills in physical education, increased participation in clubs and revived success in inter-school competitions.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The academy works closely with parents and keeps them fully informed through newsletters, blogs and the academy's website. As a result, parents rightly hold the academy in high regard.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The academy tackles any issues of discrimination well, it promotes equality of opportunity very successfully and this contributes to the harmony within the academy's community.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  The governing body is extremely well led and managed. Governors are kept fully informed through detailed reports from the Principal linked to the academy improvement plan; their own frequent and systematic checks on the academy’s work. They regularly receive up to date and precise information on pupils' achievement and the quality of teaching. They make very good use of this information to hold leaders to account. Governors ensure that the academy's aims for the quality of learning are at the core of its work and the drive for the highest standards. They ensure that all safeguarding requirements are met in full and supported by excellent record keeping. Governors are fully involved and well informed in making decisions as to whether teachers and staff should be rewarded with salary increases and review targets for the Principal. The governing body manage finances very well and receive excellent support

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The leadership and management are outstanding

from the academy trust in securing additional funds. The governors ensure the budget is used to promote high achievement, evident in the effective use of pupil premium funding and establishing the structure of leadership throughout the academy.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 138443 Local authority Derby Inspection number 424937

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School details

Type of school Academy sponsor-led School category Non-maintained Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 306 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Phil Harrison Principal Angela O'Brien Date of previous school inspection N/A Telephone number 01332 571153 Fax number 01332 571153 Email address admin@wyndhamacademy.org guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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