Spaldwick Primary School

Inspection of Spaldwick Primary School Royston Avenue, Spaldwick, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28 0TH

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 January 2025

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

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is Louise Worrell. This school is part of the ACES Academies 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 (CEO), Andrew Goulding, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Brian Message. 14 and 15 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Spaldwick is a happy and vibrant school. Pupils are proud of their successes and the Spaldwick School community spirit. They are confident as they welcome visitors and speak enthusiastically about their work. Parents are equally positive about the quality of education on offer, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school’s values are reflected in pupils’ attitudes to learning and in their support for each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils work hard to meet the high expectations set for their behaviour and achievement. Typically, they achieve well. In classrooms there is little disruption to learning. When a few pupils struggle to behave as well as they should, they are supported sensitively to improve. Pupils enjoy coming to school, so most attend regularly. In the Reception class, children settle into routines quickly, learning and playing sociably together. They especially like listening to stories and learning to read.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. They know that a trusted adult will help them if they are worried. Older pupils watch out for their younger peers. The wide range of pupil roles are sought after and appreciated. The junior leadership team ensures that everyone has a voice, including through the popular ‘Hoots’ pupil parliament.

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

The school’s ambitious curriculum is carefully designed. It caters for pupils’ personal development and well-being alongside their academic needs. Learning is sequenced in a logical order. Pupils enjoy applying their knowledge and skills in different situations. This helps them to remember more of the topics that they are learning and achieve well overall, including in reading and mathematics. Pupils with SEND learn confidently and successfully alongside their peers. Skilful adaptations and adult guidance help them to access the same curriculum as others.

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

In a few subjects, the school is still evaluating the effectiveness of its curriculum implementation. While ongoing improvement actions are more consistently applied, occasionally, learning activities are not matched well to pupils’ abilities. In these instances, pupils do not always learn as much as they could.

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

The school prioritises pupils’ reading accuracy and fluency. In the early years, effective and ongoing training means that adults teach phonics precisely. Children listen carefully and respond enthusiastically as they match letters to sounds. If they need extra help to keep up, targeted and successful support is put in place. Books and stories play a key role in daily school life.

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

The school and the trust act quickly to raise standards when pupils’ achievement does not meet the high expectations they set. Their changes to the way writing and spelling are taught are improving writing standards. In the early years, children start to learn the importance of pencil grip and careful letter formation. They continue to build their knowledge of grammar and writing styles across year groups. Teachers check for and act 14 and 15 January 2025

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on gaps in pupils’ learning. However, as pupils move through school, some gaps in how they apply their phonics knowledge results in inaccuracies in their spelling. These gaps are not always picked up quickly.

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Overall, pupils behave well. They know what is expected of them. Developing a positive attitude is at the heart of the curriculum. Pupils value the house points that reward hard work and acts of kindness. They especially enjoy the headteacher’s ‘hot chocolate Friday’, for going ‘over and above’. From the early years onwards, children learn to make safe choices. They speak out if they are worried.

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Pupils’ wider development is extensively supported. Their excitement is joyous as they describe their leadership roles, the application process and the positive impact their work has on the school community. This includes improving girls’ access to football. Warm relationships contribute to the welcoming environment. Pupils understand they have a right to be heard. Fundamental British values, such as tolerance and respect, are evident in their actions and throughout the curriculum. Pupil ‘Happiness Heroes’ and ‘Peer Mediators’ watch out for the well-being of others. Clubs, trips and outdoor learning are enjoyed. The ambitious curriculum, from the early years onwards, ensures that pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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This small school, working closely with the trust and governors, has managed the challenges of changes effectively over time, including staffing changes. It takes swift action to improve the quality of education when concerns arise. Staff value the regular training focused on continuous improvement. Their workload and well-being are considered when change is needed. Strong relationships, including with parents, are at the heart of the school’s success.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school is still evaluating the effectiveness of the implementation of its ambitious curriculum. This means that, occasionally, activities are not as closely matched as they could be to pupils’ abilities. In these instances, pupils do not achieve as well as they could. The school and the trust should ensure that ongoing evaluations, and any associated staff development, secure activities that are routinely well matched to pupils’ needs. This is so that pupils achieve consistently well across all aspects of the curriculum.  For some pupils, gaps in their ability to apply their phonics knowledge results in inaccuracies in their spelling. This impacts negatively on their writing. The school and the trust should ensure that all adults have the knowledge and skills to confidently support those pupils who need extra help to continue to improve their spelling. 14 and 15 January 2025

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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). 14 and 15 January 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16 May 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Spaldwick Primary School became part of ACES Academies Trust in April 2022.  The school does not use any 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. 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 an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 14 and 15 January 2025

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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 conducted deep dives in the following subjects: English, including early reading, geography, mathematics and science. To complete each deep dive, they discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, and spoke with teachers and other staff. They also spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  A wider sample of curriculum plans were considered beyond the deep dives across a range of other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors looked at safeguarding policies, the school’s record of pre-employment checks on new staff and a sample of child protection files. They took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils and

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considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector spoke with a group of governors, including the chair of governors. She met separately with the CEO of the ACES Academies Trust.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, the school’s other leaders, trust leaders, the school’s special educational needs coordinator, other school staff and groups of pupils.  Inspectors scrutinised behaviour logs, attendance records, minutes of governors’ meetings, school improvement plans and school policies.  Inspectors reviewed the responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View. These were considered alongside the free-text responses from parents. Inspectors also took account of responses to Ofsted’s questionnaires for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Christine Dick, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Benjamin Axon His Majesty’s Inspector 14 and 15 January 2025

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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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