Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Claire Addis Executive Headteacher Wellington Lions Primary Academy Oatway Road Tidworth Wiltshire SP9 7FP

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Primary Academy

Following my visit to your school on 7 May 2021, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the monitoring inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent section 5 inspection.

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Primary Academy

The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and has taken place because the school has received two successive judgements of requires improvement at its previous section 5 inspections.

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Primary Academy

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. I discussed the impact of the pandemic with you and have taken that into account in my evaluation.

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Primary Academy

Having considered the evidence, I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

in order for the school to become a good school.

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Context

You joined the school as executive headteacher in April 2019. The head of school and deputy headteacher were appointed in September 2019. The leader responsible for reading left at the end of the summer term 2020. The leader responsible for mathematics returned in November 2020. The school’s status has changed since the last section 5 inspection that judged the school to require improvement. The school became part of the Royal Wootton Bassett Academy Trust on 1 April 2020. A new local governing body was formed in September 2020. A new chair of governors was appointed in November 2020.

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Main findings

You have maintained the momentum to improve the school despite the impact of COVID-19. Leaders work effectively together. Pupils’ behaviour is calm and orderly, and they attend school regularly. Staff are diligent in keeping pupils safe. There are many ways that pupils can share concerns. The experienced team that supports the most vulnerable pupils has high standards.

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Main findings

You are very aware that the above-average mobility of staff and pupils is unavoidable because of the close proximity to the military base. You train staff to take on different roles so that replacements are seamless. This has been of benefit already.

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Main findings

Leaders in English and mathematics have structured the subjects so that pupils learn more and remember more over time. Pupils’ fluency in mathematics is weaker than it was before the impact of COVID-19. The difficulties of teaching some aspects of mathematics remotely have affected pupils’ progress. Leaders and other staff have made a concerted effort to make sure that pupils can catch up swiftly since their return in March 2021. In English, younger pupils have an effective understanding of the books that teachers read to them. You have appointed a phonics leader to check the impact of phonics teaching. Pupils are decoding words well as a result. You are restocking the library so that key stage 2 pupils have a greater choice of reading material.

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Main findings

You have made the planning of subjects in the wider curriculum a key focus. You have employed an external consultant to train senior and subject leaders. The implementation and impact of this work are not yet secure.

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Main findings

Governors and the chief executive officer (CEO) of the trust understand the strengths and the development needs of the school. In addition, they are aware of the sensitive context, with such high numbers of pupils leaving and joining the school continually. You focus on educational benefits for every pupil in your planning. A minority of parents and carers have concerns about some of the recent changes to class structures. Governors are working on improving communication with parents as a result.

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Additional support

Leaders receive effective training from the trust, both directly and within networks. The school is a member of the Department for Education’s hubs in English and mathematics. The day before the inspection, an audit into the teaching of mathematics was undertaken by a consultant. It provided the mathematics leader with manageable but important ways forward, such as using practical resources.

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Evidence

During the inspection, meetings were held with you, other senior leaders, the CEO, pupils, staff and the chair of governors to discuss the actions taken since the last inspection.

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Evidence

I visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work and other documentation. I looked at the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and the staff questionnaires.

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Evidence

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees and the CEO of the Royal Wootton Bassett Academy Trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Wiltshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

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