East Wickham Primary Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: East Wickham Primary Academy Wickham Street, Welling, Kent DA16 3BP

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Outcome

East Wickham Primary Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The co-headteachers of this school are Jo Whiley and Maureen Moore. This school is part of The Kemnal Academies 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), Karen Roberts, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Gaenor Bagley.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff know the pupils extremely well at this school. Pupils are happy and feel valued by members of the school community. Staff develop very positive relationships with pupils. They have a range of trusted adults, including their ‘ACE’ mentors, to talk to if they have any worries. This helps pupils to feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils. They enjoy being challenged and are enthusiastic during lessons. Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) enables them to achieve the aims of the curriculum. As a result, pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site is extremely positive. They are confident, kind and take pride in looking after each other. Pupils enjoy the many opportunities they have to develop their character and contribute to the community. For example, each year group raises money for a designated charity and pupils can become ‘agents of change,’ where they work to improve the school and local area.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school helps to develop pupils’ talents and interests through a broad range of wider opportunities. Pupils take part in a variety of sports teams and clubs, including gardening, poetry, and British Sign Language. 1 and 2 April 2025

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

The school has developed an ambitious curriculum for pupils. In the early years, the school has carefully considered how children should progress through the curriculum across all areas of learning. This provides pupils with a secure foundation of knowledge for Year 1. Over time, pupils build new knowledge on what they have learned previously. The school identifies and meets the needs of pupils with SEND effectively. Staff use their skills and expertise to make adaptations where required to ensure pupils with SEND successfully access the curriculum and achieve well.

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

Teachers have strong subject knowledge and present information clearly. Sometimes, teaching does not identify and address pupils’ misconceptions. As a result, there are occasions where pupils do not retain knowledge securely or sometimes lack depth in their understanding. Staff in the early years check and develop children’s use of language and vocabulary effectively.

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

The school has a sharp focus on pupils’ learning to read from the start of Reception. Staff have the knowledge and skills to deliver the phonics programme consistently. Pupils who fall behind with early reading are swiftly identified. Well-matched interventions are put in place to support these pupils to catch up. This supports pupils to become fluent and confident readers. Staff work with parents and carers to help them to understand the purpose of the different books that pupils read. Pupils enjoy reading and access a wide variety of texts, both in school and to take home.

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

Pupils have extremely positive attitudes to their education. They produce high-quality work and enthusiastically contribute ideas during their lessons. The school ensures that systems to support pupils’ positive behaviour are clear and implemented successfully. Staff use an effective rewards system to recognise and praise the positive contributions that pupils make. Children in the early years follow routines sensibly and concentrate on activities. They share well with each other and play together harmoniously.

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

The school has put in place several measures to improve attendance. Pupils attend well as a result. The school works closely with parents to support pupils to attend regularly. There are a range of attendance incentives and rewards to encourage pupils not to miss school. Pupils contribute to this system and develop their leadership skills through their roles as attendance ambassadors.

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

The school has developed a thoughtful personal development programme. This is centred around the values of the school and helps to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. Pupils understand how to keep healthy and stay safe, including online. The school works to ensure that pupils have high aspirations. They benefit from a variety of external talks about different careers and attend trips, for example to a university laboratory.

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

Leaders at all levels, including governors and trustees, have a firm understanding of the strengths and priorities of the school. They have a clear, strategic vision. Governors and the trust provide appropriate support and challenge for leaders. The school has developed extremely positive relationships with parents and the local community. Parents are 1 and 2 April 2025

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regularly welcomed into the school to take part in activities, including attending the outdoor learning space along with their children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, teaching does not systematically identify and clarify pupils’ misunderstandings or ensure that pupils secure a deep understanding of some areas of the curriculum. This means that occasionally pupils are not fully ready to learn new content and apply their learning. The school should develop the expertise of all teachers so that they routinely identify and address any gaps in pupils’ understanding.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour, or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in May 2016. 1 and 2 April 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). 1 and 2 April 2025

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School details

Headteacher Jo Whiley and Maureen Moore (Co- Headteachers) Website www.eastwickham-tkat.org

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 26 and 27 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of The Kemnal Academies Trust.  The school uses one registered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the co-headteachers, members of the senior leadership team and a range of staff. They also met with members of the board of trustees and members of the local governing body. 1 and 2 April 2025

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 The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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.  The inspectors considered the views of parents, pupils, and staff, including through responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Simon Conway, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Allan McLean Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 April 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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