Welbourne Primary Academy

Inspection of Welbourne Primary Academy Goodwin Walk, Werrington, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE4 6NR

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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

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The principal of this school is Tracy Lawson. This school is part of Thomas Deacon Education Trust, which means that other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Scott Hudson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mark Potter. 3 and 4 October 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this school. They are safe and well-cared-for. The school provides an inclusive and nurturing environment. Relationships are strong and respectful, both between pupils themselves, and between pupils and adults.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand that leaders want them to do well. They enjoy their lessons and try hard with their work. There is a newly detailed, broad and interesting curriculum in place with a focus on basic skills. Pupils are keen to learn and participate well in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Well-established routines and high expectations support learning effectively. Most pupils behave well. They understand and follow the rules and know the difference between right and wrong. However, there are a small number of pupils who persistently leave lessons. When this happens, both they and pupils around them miss out on learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum is enhanced by a wide extra-curricular offer that includes, for example, music and physical education (PE), both delivered by specialists. Pupils appreciate and access these wider opportunities. Pupils can also access the daily breakfast and after-school clubs, where healthy food is provided alongside a range of engaging activities.

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better?

Leaders have reviewed the school’s curriculum using the information they have about how well pupils are achieving. Much thought and research have taken place to consider what changes are needed to ensure pupils’ knowledge and understanding throughout the curriculum are better. As a result, curriculum planning details what knowledge is needed, ensuring it builds on what pupils have learned before. Where necessary, teachers make appropriate adaptations, either to specifically support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), or to ensure pupils’ knowledge and understanding are deepened by the content of the curriculum.

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better?

Reading is a priority for the school. Children in Reception and pupils in Years 1 and 2 enjoy daily phonics sessions, using the school’s chosen approach. These sessions are delivered by skilled, well-trained adults. Those pupils at the early stages of reading receive daily support and practice. Pupils are positive about reading. As pupils become more confident and fluent, they develop a love of reading, which they use throughout the other areas of the curriculum.

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better?

Where the curriculum is put in place well, teachers introduce new ideas clearly. They make links to what pupils are learning in other subjects or what they already know. Teachers check what pupils know and have learned before. Staff provide extra catch-up sessions for some pupils, including pupils with SEND. All pupils get the opportunity to practise what they need to learn new skills. Consequently, over time, pupils achieve well. 3 and 4 October 2023

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The school supports staff well. Leaders regularly check the quality of the curriculum and how well pupils are learning. High-quality training is provided to ensure teachers confidently deliver the curriculum leaders intend.

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Children in early years benefit from a well-planned, appropriate curriculum that considers how young children learn best. Children develop a love of reading at an early age. The curriculum content includes a range of opportunities that focus on developing children’s language skills. This means children learn important vocabulary, which they are encouraged to use regularly across all curriculum areas. As a result, children are being well prepared for Year 1.

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Behaviour around the school and in lessons is generally managed well. Most pupils conduct themselves well. Teachers apply the agreed behaviour policy consistently. This means that pupils have a secure understanding of what is expected of them. While adults work effectively to ensure pupils have well-planned strategies, which pupils are using more frequently to manage their behaviour, pupils who struggle to manage their behaviour still leave lessons too frequently. This means both their learning and the learning of others are interrupted.

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Opportunities to develop pupils’ wider cultural development are included in the curriculum. Pupils understand similarities and differences and demonstrate care for one other. Leaders know their community well. Effective pastoral support extends to families. Pupils’ health and well-being are a high priority. The school provides a range of opportunities to enrich the curriculum through clubs and activities. Leaders engage with local charities to provide further learning in assemblies.

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The school and the trust work well together to promote the effective learning and welfare of pupils.

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Staff feel valued and their workload is considered.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A small number of pupils who struggle to manage their behaviour leave lessons too frequently. This has an impact on their learning and causes disruption to the learning of others. Leaders need to continue their work to further minimise any disruption in class, ensuring pupils remain in class. The school needs to make sure successful strategies are implemented for pupils to use that support them to manage their own behaviour. 3 and 4 October 2023

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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' is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 3 and 4 October 2023

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School details

Date(s) of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Welbourne Primary Academy converted to become an academy in May 2019. When its predecessor school, Welbourne Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school is part of the Thomas Deacon Education Trust.  The school includes a specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND. All pupils who attend this provision have an education, health and care plan.  The school uses one registered 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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 3 and 4 October 2023

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with school leaders, including the principal, the deputy principal, the special educational needs coordinator and subject leaders. They also held discussions with trust leaders, including the chief executive officer and the director of standards. Inspectors held a meeting with the local trust committee and the chair of trustees.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading and phonics, mathematics, physical education and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons with school leaders, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at examples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single

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central record and other safeguarding records, took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils, and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The results from Ofsted’s parent, pupil and staff surveys were considered. Free- text responses from parents were also considered. An inspector met with several staff and talked with a number of parents as they dropped their children off at school.  Inspectors considered a range of the school’s documents.  Inspectors visited the on-site specially resourced provision and spoke with the senior leader in charge.  A telephone call was made to the alternative provision the school uses.

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Inspection team

Jacqueline Bell-Cook, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Hughes Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 October 2023

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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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