Waverley Academy

Inspection of Waverley Academy Douglas Road, Doncaster DN4 0UB

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 September 2022

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 14 and 15 September 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ vision is for pupils to develop their understanding of the school’s core values of tenacity, empathy, curiosity, scholarship and happiness. Leaders realise this goal. They have worked hard to improve the school. The school environment is well organised and welcoming. Classroom displays provide pupils with a range of useful information. Leaders have high expectations of pupils. Pupils respond well. They listen carefully to teachers’ instructions and concentrate in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders prioritise the development of pupils’ character. They promote the need to be resilient and to care for others. Pupils feel safe in school. They are not worried about bullying. Pupils are aware that bullying can happen, but this is rare. They are confident that staff would help them if they had any concerns. Pupils move around the school sensibly. They are supportive of one another. Adults encourage pupils to be independent from an early age.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders work hard to welcome families to the school, so that they feel part of the school community. Staff greet pupils and families each morning. Pupils enjoy taking part in a range of clubs, such as singing and computer clubs. Leaders have been careful to consider when these clubs take place. This ensures that clubs are well attended.

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better?

Leaders have improved the curriculum. In most subjects, the curriculum is well designed. Leaders have reviewed the curriculum and identified the most important things pupils must know. The curriculum needs to improve in a minority of other subjects in the wider curriculum. For example, in physical education (PE), important knowledge is not clearly identified. As a result, pupils do not get the opportunity to learn important knowledge in PE that they will need for future learning.

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better?

In mathematics, the well-sequenced curriculum helps pupils to build on what they already know and can do. Teachers check what pupils have learned and remembered each term. They discuss this with leaders to identify which pupils need extra help. Books show that pupils have a range of opportunities to develop their problem-solving skills.

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better?

Leaders have reviewed curriculum plans in the early years to ensure that children can build on what they already know. The early years environment is attractive and well organised. Activities are interesting and purposeful. Adults encourage children to take part in conversations. This helps children to improve their vocabulary and talk with more confidence. Children learn essential skills, such as turn-taking and sharing, from an early age.

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better?

Leaders ensure that reading is a priority across the school. Children learn to read as soon as they start the Reception Year. There is a consistent approach to the teaching of reading. Leaders provide staff with high-quality training to help them teach 14 and 15 September 2022

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reading. Staff receive weekly support from the reading leader. This helps them to keep improving their teaching. Staff check which sounds pupils know. They use this information to make sure that pupils who find reading difficult receive extra support. This helps them to catch up quickly.

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Pupils’ books show that they have opportunities to use their writing skills in a range of subjects. However, in key stage 1 and key stage 2, pupils do not get sufficient time to practise letter formation. Some pupils do not form letters accurately. This means that their work can be difficult to read.

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Pupils are well-behaved. They respond positively to the behaviour policy. They are enthused by the range of rewards that they can earn for good behaviour. Leaders plan opportunities for pupils to learn about the careers that they might pursue. Leaders are careful to promote equal opportunities and encourage pupils to raise their aspirations. Pupils learn about different relationships and what is important to people of different faiths. This work prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.

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There are effective systems in place to identify pupils who may need extra support. Staff work closely with professionals from external agencies to provide help for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders and teachers make regular checks to see how well pupils with SEND are doing. Staff receive regular training. Support plans help teachers to meet the needs of these pupils.

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Senior leaders have established a strong team culture. They take care to consider the workload of staff. Staff enjoy working at the school and feel well supported by leaders. Teachers who are new to the school welcome the help that they receive. Trust leaders and trustees share leaders’ ambition to continuously improve the quality of education. Trustees and the local committee provide effective support for school leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders carry out thorough checks to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. New staff receive relevant safeguarding information. Staff receive annual safeguarding training and regular updates.

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Safeguarding

Adults know how to identify signs that would indicate pupils may be at risk. There are clear systems for reporting any concerns. Leaders keep detailed safeguarding records. They are swift to act if they have any concerns. Staff share information efficiently and effectively. Pupils talk confidently about what they learn about online safety. Pupils say that if they are concerned, they can talk to adults, who will listen and take action to help them. 14 and 15 September 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not identified the precise knowledge that pupils should learn in a small number of subjects, such as PE. This means that some teachers do not teach some important information. Leaders should identify important knowledge that pupils should learn in all subjects.  Teachers do not spend enough time teaching children to form letters in key stage 1 and key stage 2. As a result, pupils are not forming letters well enough. The quality of handwriting across the school needs to improve. Leaders and teachers need to ensure that the school’s handwriting policy is followed and that teachers help pupils to produce neater, more legible work.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 14 and 15 September 2022

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above the national average.  The proportion of pupils identified as having SEND is below the national average.  The school uses one registered alternative provision provider.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 14 and 15 September 2022

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, the designated safeguarding lead, the special educational needs coordinator and curriculum leaders. Meetings also took place with members of the teaching staff and with teaching support staff.  Inspectors met with representatives of the board of trustees, members of the local committee and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors undertook deep dives in reading, mathematics, geography and PE. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke to pupils and reviewed documents relating to safeguarding, including records on the school’s recording system and the single central record.  Inspectors met with staff to discuss the training they have received, how leaders

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support them and how workload is managed.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, as well as responses to the Ofsted staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Jaimie Holbrook, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Angela Harper Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 September 2022

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regulates and inspects to 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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