Richard Wakefield CofE Primary Academy

Inspection of Richard Wakefield C of E Primary Academy Burton Street, Tutbury, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire DE13 9NR

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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 Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 17 and 18 January 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, and children in the early years, are safe, happy and eager to learn. Leaders and teachers have high expectations of behaviour and learning. The warm, caring environment encourages pupils to do their very best. The school’s values of ‘work hard, choose wisely and be kind’ are modelled by staff daily. Leaders have worked effectively in order to bring school values and Christian values together to promote a strong community ethos. Pupils, including the youngest children, are proud to show how they meet these values in the classroom and around the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that bullying is very rare in their school because they strive to be kind to each other. They talk with pride of the school’s ‘kindness crew’ and its mission to make sure that everyone has a friend. Pupils are very clear that bullying is not tolerated, by their teachers, or by them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a range of clubs available based on pupils’ interests. Pupils are very keen to take on responsibilities, including through the school council, ICT ambassadors and playground buddies. All Year 6 pupils have extra responsibilities. They take these very seriously and recognise that they are learning about helping and supporting others.

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better?

Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is well-organised and ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers know the pupils well. They ensure that any gaps or difficulties in pupils’ learning are identified and shared immediately. As a result, adaptations can be made rapidly. Regular checks make sure that if further support is needed, it can be put in place. In all subjects, the small steps of learning are identified and sequenced carefully so that pupils can move towards the agreed end points. The subject curriculums are inclusive and ensure that adaptations for pupils with SEND do not interrupt the sequence of learning.

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better?

A few areas of the curriculum have been very recently reviewed and restructured. In these cases, sometimes pupils do not learn as much as they could. This is because, occasionally, teachers need more support to consider the best learning activities to help pupils connect new learning with what they already know.

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better?

Teachers usually present and explain learning clearly and assessment is often well- utilised to identify pupils’ next steps. However, very occasionally, this is not the case and pupils, including those with SEND, are allowed to drift for too long without further support or challenge. Pupils then lose interest in what they should be learning.

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better?

Leaders work closely with local nursery schools to gather information about any learning needs that children may have. Leaders have established a very effective 17 and 18 January 2023 sequence of ‘taster’ visits. As a result, leaders know the interests and aptitudes of every child. This informs the choice of topics used to deliver the early years curriculum.

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better?

T here are strong links between early years and key stage 1 and beyond. This means that subject leaders know exactly what children learn in the early years and how they are prepared for the next stage. Where subject leaders are still formalising these links, they are well-supported by the early years leader.

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better?

Learning to read and learning to love reading is an integral part of school life. Early reading starts as soon as children join the school. Phonics is taught well and children who may need extra help are identified quickly and supported to catch up. As a result, nearly all pupils are fluent readers. Classrooms are full of books. Pupils love using the school library and choosing their own books. Reading is woven throughout the curriculum, from early years to Year 6, through the topics they follow and is a vehicle for success in writing too. The approach is that ‘we breathe in reading and breathe out writing’.

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better?

Pupils rapidly develop positive learning behaviours. From the early years, children learn quickly to share resources and to respect each other’s needs. As they move up the school, pupils increasingly develop their ability to be independent and self- motivated learners. As a result, learning is seldom disrupted.

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better?

Pupils play together happily. They try hard to be considerate and kind. However, the crowded playground occasionally contributes to upsets when boisterous games overlap.

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better?

Leaders are re-establishing wide-ranging opportunities for pupils to develop their understanding of the world around them. For instance, pupils will be visiting the Houses of Parliament later this term. They learn about different religions and have a range of visitors in school, such as poets. Pupils understand fundamental British values and can talk about how these relate to their daily lives.

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better?

Teachers say that leaders are considerate of their workload and well-being. They feel that they are included in decision-making and that their opinions are respected. As a result, teachers feel valued and supported.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a very strong ethos of safeguarding in the school. Leaders have ensured that all staff and governors have received appropriate training. All school staff know when and how to raise a concern. Concerns are quickly reported to leaders and, when appropriate, acted on swiftly. Leaders have established effective relationships with a range of external agencies. They know children and families very well and make sure that they receive appropriate support in a timely way. 17 and 18 January 2023 Pupils are taught about how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, teachers do plan activities which build on what pupils already know. This means that sometimes, pupils do not learn as much as they could because they fail to link new knowledge to their prior learning. Leaders should ensure that teachers have the support and training they need to implement the reviewed and improved curriculum plans effectively.  Informal assessment is not always used consistently in a few foundation subjects. This means that, sometimes, gaps, misconceptions and readiness to move on are not always identified rapidly enough. As a result, a small number of pupils disengage from their learning because they are frustrated. Leaders should regularly check that assessment information is used in a timely way to inform pupils’ next steps in learning.

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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. 17 and 18 January 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10256956 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Richard Wakefield C of E Primary Academy converted to become an academy in September 2018. When its predecessor school, Richard Wakefield C of E Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  Richard Wakefield C of E Primary Academy is part of the De Ferrers Trust.  The principal was appointed in September 2021.  Richard Wakefield C of E Primary Academy is an academy with a Christian ethos.  The school’s last section 48 inspection was in June 2018. Section 48 inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They restarted in September 2021. The next inspection will be within eight years of the last section 48 inspection.  Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 17 and 18 January 2023  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and inspectors have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the principal, vice-principal, the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator, the early years leader and subject leaders. They also met with the chair of the local governing body and a local foundation governor, plus the interim chief executive officer of the trust, teachers, parents and pupils.  Deep dives in reading and English, mathematics, science and history were carried out. Each deep dive included discussions with subject leaders, teachers, visits to lessons and scrutiny of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with pupils to discuss their learning in these subjects. Inspectors

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Information about this inspection

also listened to pupils read.  Inspectors spoke to leaders about the personal, social and health education curriculum and about relationships education.  Inspectors spoke to leaders about the wider development of pupils.  A range of documentation was reviewed, including leaders’ plans to improve the school, their self-evaluation of the school’s effectiveness, curriculum plans and minutes of governors’ meetings and the school’s website.  Inspectors also discussed records of attendance and behaviour logs.  As part of the inspection of safeguarding, the lead inspector considered the school’s procedures for keeping pupils safe, the checks made to ensure safer recruitment and staff training.  Inspectors spoke to parents at the beginning of both inspection days. The lead inspector also considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text comments, and responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Mel Ford, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tim Bassett Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 January 2023 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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