Abbey Farm Educate Together Primary

Inspection of Abbey Farm Educate Together Primary Diamond Crescent, Abbey Farm, Swindon, Wiltshire SN25 2SJ

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

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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 Emma Lindsay. This school is part of Educate Together 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), Sam Nowak, and overseen by a board of trustees, co-chaired by Kate Aldworth and Kathy Brown. 20 and 21 May 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming and inclusive school. The school’s vision, ‘Learn together, live together’, is at the heart of all the school provides.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ achievement and behaviour. Most pupils meet these well. Pupils enjoy school and attend regularly. They are happy and sociable. Pupils have positive attitudes. They work hard and achieve well, particularly in the early years.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides interesting opportunities, which ignite pupils’ enthusiasm for learning. For example, children in the Reception Year learn to print beehive patterns using paint and bubble wrap. A mobile farm visits the school so that pupils can learn about animals. Pupils have the opportunity to perform at the local theatre. They learn about different cultures, for example, when they learn about the Chinese New Year and Eid.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pastoral provision is strong. Staff forge supportive relationships with families. Pupils feel well cared for and safe at school. The school prioritises pupils’ well-being. Pupils can practise mindfulness and yoga. The school helps pupils to pursue their interests, through activities such as cookery club, dance and football.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers talk about the school in glowing terms. They typically comment that this is a ‘fantastic school’ that helps their children to thrive.

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

The school has designed an ambitious and interesting curriculum, which identifies the important knowledge and skills pupils must learn. The early years curriculum is particularly well designed and taught. As a result, outcomes for children in the early years are exceptionally strong.

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

Children get off to a good start in reading and begin to read as soon as they start school. Phonics is taught effectively, and most pupils do well. Pupils who find reading tricky are given extra practice. This improves their fluency and confidence.

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

The school provides a wide range of books for pupils to read for pleasure. Pupils thoroughly enjoy listening to texts that adults read to them. However, the teaching of the reading curriculum beyond phonics is not yet implemented consistently. This means that pupils do not routinely develop wider reading skills, such as comprehension, as well as they should.

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

The curriculum in other subjects is mostly implemented well. Interesting activities capture pupils’ curiosity and help them to develop their knowledge. For example, pre-school children create ‘snakes’ out of beads to develop their fine motor skills. They use mathematical language, such as ‘longer’ and ‘shorter’, to describe them. Year 2 pupils chat confidently about the cause of the Great Fire of London and how it spread. 20 and 21 May 2025

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Teachers explain carefully what they expect pupils to do. They check pupils’ learning to find out how they are doing. However, occasionally, they do not swiftly identify when pupils have made errors. This limits how well pupils can correct these and move their learning on. Consequently, some pupils have gaps in their learning.

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The school skilfully and swiftly identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school works closely with pupils, parents and external agencies. This ensures that extra pastoral and academic support for pupils is precisely focused on their needs. Pupils benefit from the help they get, which enables them to learn the same curriculum as others. Most pupils with SEND make good progress with their learning.

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Most pupils understand the school’s expectations of them and want to learn. As a result, they behave well and become fully involved in their learning. Thoughtfully planned teaching activities motivate pupils to sustain high levels of concentration, develop their imagination and explore. For example, children in the early years carefully select different animals to build a zoo. They roll a tyre down a ramp to find out how far it will travel. They measure water into containers and make ‘potions’ with mud and leaves.

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A minority of pupils with complex needs require extra help to manage their emotions appropriately. The school supports them well. Pupils find that going to ‘calm corners’ gives them the time they need to become calmer so that they can continue with their learning.

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The school supports pupils’ personal development well. Visits the school organises, such as trips to the supermarket, enable pupils to develop their understanding of road safety. Pupils can explain what makes a good friend. They have an awareness of human rights and of British Values. They know that discrimination is wrong.

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The school and trust are deeply committed to providing the best education they can for all pupils. Staff appreciate the training the school and trust provide to develop their subject knowledge. Staff morale is high. They feel very well supported to manage their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The teaching of reading beyond phonics is not yet implemented consistently. As a result, pupils do not yet develop the depth of knowledge and skills they should. The school and trust must support staff to deliver the curriculum as intended so that pupils gain deeper reading knowledge and skills. 20 and 21 May 2025

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 In some subjects, assessment strategies are not sufficiently well developed. As a result, misconceptions are not routinely picked up, so these persist. The school and trust must ensure that staff have the expertise to assess accurately what pupils know and to adapt their teaching to ensure that gaps in pupils’ knowledge are filled.

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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). 20 and 21 May 2025

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School details

Chair of trust Kate Aldworth (Co-chair of trustees) Kathy Brown (Co-chair of trustees) CEO of the trust Sam Nowak

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school opened in September 2022 and is still growing. It currently has pupils from pre-school to Year 2.  The pre-school provides education for three- and four-year-old children.  The school provides before-school care for pupils. The school uses an outside provider for after-school care.  The school does not use any alternative providers.

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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. 20 and 21 May 2025

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 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held several joint meetings with the headteacher and a phase leader, who is also the early years foundation stage leader. Inspectors also held meetings with other senior leaders, including the special educational needs coordinator.  The lead inspector held a meeting with two members of the local governing board. She also had a meeting with the CEO of the trust.  The lead inspector held a video meeting with two of the trustees.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and music. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a

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sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also discussed the curriculum in history and geography.  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 observed pupils’ behaviour at various times during the day, including breaktime, lunchtime and in breakfast club.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils and staff and spoke to some parents to gather their views. They reviewed responses to the online parent survey, Ofsted Parent View, along with free-text comments. Inspectors also took account of the responses to the online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Catherine Beeks, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Ken Buxton Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 May 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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