Orchards Church of England Academy

Inspection of Orchards Church of England Academy Cherry Road, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire PE13 3NP

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 November 2024, and 11 December 2024

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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 Requires improvement

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The headteacher of this school is Sarah Cullen. This school is part of the Diocese of Ely multi-academy trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Adrian Ball, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Helen Jackson. 19 and 20 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this happy and welcoming school. They form positive relationships with adults and each other. Pupils are polite and well mannered. They know that the staff in school are there to help and support them. Pupils have someone they can go to if they have any concerns. This helps pupils to feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are benefiting from the recent changes the school has made to the curriculum. The school has raised its expectations of what all pupils can achieve. Pupils learn well across many subject areas. However, this improved learning is not fully reflected in published outcomes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the range of activities that they can take part in at playtime. They enjoy participating in a variety of outdoor learning sessions. The school caters for pupils’ interests through the wide range of clubs and activities on offer, such as choir and sporting activities.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have taken effective action to improve many aspects of the curriculum. With the support of the trust, the school has ensured that the curriculum makes clear what pupils need to know and when they need to know it. Pupils access a broad and balanced curriculum offer. This starts in the early years and builds well as pupils progress through the school. In reading and writing, improving provisional outcomes in external tests reflect the school’s increasingly effective approaches to the teaching of English. These improvements are spreading to other areas of the curriculum. Previous published outcomes do not reflect the good quality of education that pupils now receive. Older pupils, including previous cohorts of pupils, have had less time than other pupils to fully benefit from the improvements the school has made to the curriculum.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school is welcoming of all pupils. High numbers of pupils join the school midway through the school year. The school welcomes a significant number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language. The school has developed effective ways to identify the varying needs of these pupils, including support with language and communication. Staff identify the best ways in which pupils’ needs can be met. The school puts in place regular, bespoke support for these pupils. This helps these pupils to progress well through the curriculum.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Staff are trained well to teach the phonics curriculum. Pupils read books that are matched appropriately to their learning. Pupils who need extra support receive it quickly. However, some pupils at the early stages of reading and writing do not get enough additional opportunities to practise this learning independently. They are often expected to access more complex learning tasks before they are ready to do so.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

In the early years, children enjoy their learning. They excitedly speak to visitors, sharing what they are doing and what they have learned. The environment is developed in 19 and 20 November 2024

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response to pupils’ needs. For example, pupils who need support to develop their physical skills access a range of small and newly installed large equipment. Adults provide appropriate support to children. These interactions move children’s learning on. There is a strong focus on developing children’s language skills.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the full curriculum where appropriate. Their learning is supported through helpful adaptations made by well- trained staff. Some pupils follow a more personalised curriculum, with tailored support to meet their individual needs. Parents and carers contribute to regular reviews of the targets their children are working towards. The school works well with external agencies to provide comprehensive support for pupils. As a result, pupils improve their academic knowledge and wider social skills.

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The school is calm and orderly. Expectations and routines are well established from the start of children’s time in the early years. Leaders expect regular attendance from all pupils. The school checks attendance and punctuality closely. It uses these checks to work with families to improve attendance and to overcome barriers. Although absence remains higher than the school would like, increasing numbers of pupils are attending every day and on time as a result of the school’s actions.

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The personal development programme is well considered. Pupils learn about the importance of diversity and equality. They take part in discussion and debates as part of weekly assemblies. Pupils value each other’s thoughts and opinions. They have the opportunity to contribute to their local community, for example by collecting food for harvest, which is distributed locally.

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The school and trust work closely together in all aspects of school life. Through their cross-trust working, staff benefit from useful professional development and training. The trust and local governors provide a high level of challenge and support to the school. This ensures that improvements continue to drive the school forwards.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school does not provide some pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read and write with enough opportunities to practise and apply their learning. This means that these pupils do not develop some basic skills as well as they could. The school should work with staff to provide greater opportunities for these pupils to apply their skills with increasing fluency and independence before moving on to more complex learning. 19 and 20 November 2024

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How can I feed back my views?

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). 19 and 20 November 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 July 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Diocese of Ely multi-academy trust.  The school has provision for two-year-olds.  The school uses one unregistered provision.  This is a voluntary controlled Church of England school within the Diocese of Ely. The school is not due an inspection of its religious character, under section 48 of the Education Act 2005, this academic year. The last section 48 inspection of the school took place in October 2019.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given 19 and 20 November 2024

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an overall effectiveness grade. Inspectors returned on 11 December 2024 to gather additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence – GOV.UK

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s educational provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector spoke with members of the local governing body. The lead inspector also spoke with the CEO and hub directors from the trust.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, science, history and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also considered the curriculum in some other subjects, including geography.  Inspectors also spoke to other school leaders, including those responsible for SEND, behaviour, attendance and personal development.

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; 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.  Inspectors gathered and considered the views of pupils, parents and staff. This included considering the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Sarah Gordon, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Stephanie Innes-Taylor His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Hughes Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 November 2024

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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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