Wedmore First School Academy

Inspection of Wedmore First School Academy Blackford Road, Wedmore, Somerset BS28 4BS

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good

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The headteacher of this school is Shelley Kent. This school is part of Wessex Learning 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), Gavin Ball, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Paul Jacobs. 10 and 11 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending Wedmore First School Academy. Pupils know how the values ‘kindness, respect, curiosity, resilience, inclusivity’, make this school a happy place to be. For example, older pupils show kindness to the youngest children during ‘breakfast club’ to make sure they feel part of the school. Pupils move around the school sensibly and typically show positive attitudes to learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Since the previous inspection, the school has raised its ambition of what pupils can achieve. Staff are united in their shared vision and determination to improve the school. This work is starting to have an impact on how well pupils are learning. However, much of the school’s work is in its infancy. As a result, pupils are not learning the curriculum well enough.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are supportive of the school. Notably, they praise the impact of new leaders and the positive changes they have seen so far. They value the care and support provided by nurturing staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school offers a range of opportunities to develop interests. For example, pupils value outdoor learning as well as attending clubs, such as singing and yoga. The school adjusts the offer to ensure that disadvantaged pupils can benefit.

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

Under the careful guidance of the headteacher, the school has supported staff well to manage many changes since the previous inspection. Staff speak highly of the support for their well-being and workload. Leaders, including the trust, and those responsible for governance have an accurate view of the school. They celebrate the impact of the changes made so far and they know where there is further work to do to rapidly improve the school.

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

The school places a sharp focus on the design and implementation of the curriculum. Where subjects are further ahead in their development, the school has identified the knowledge that pupils need to learn. It has sequenced this carefully to ensure that it builds on what pupils know and can do. Staff have benefited from training to develop their expertise and understanding of these subjects. This helps them to be clearer about what to teach and by when. Where this is the case, pupils build their knowledge securely.

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

However, in some subjects, there is still more to do. This is because in these subjects, the school has not identified the knowledge pupils need to learn. As a result, staff do not consistently plan learning tasks to help pupils deepen their knowledge or to revisit what they have learned before. This includes in the early years. During independent learning, the precise knowledge the school wants children to know, remember and revisit across all areas of learning is not routinely identified. As a result, staff are not clear how well children are developing their knowledge. 10 and 11 June 2025

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The checks staff make on how well pupils are learning the curriculum are in their infancy. The school is not clear where pupils have gaps in their knowledge across subjects. As a result, pupils do not build their knowledge securely.

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The school has prioritised helping pupils to learn to read. This begins formally when children begin in the Reception Year. The school checks how well pupils are reading and provides support for those who need it. However, some pupils are not provided with all the help they need. They are not given enough opportunities to practise reading with books that are well-matched to the sounds they know. In addition, these pupils are given writing tasks that are too challenging for them to achieve success. This includes some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school identifies the needs of these pupils well. However, they do not consistently benefit from the precise support they need to learn the curriculum well.

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The school is calm and orderly. Routines are in place so that pupils know what is expected of them. They value the praise they gain for their successes. Warm relationships ensure that pupils feel well looked after by staff. This begins in the early years where children settle well. Pupils have no concerns about bullying and they know that adults will help them if they have any worries.

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The school teaches pupils how to look after themselves, such as the importance of a balanced diet. Pupils are supported to be active and responsible citizens through their many leadership roles, such as a school council member and lunchtime monitors. This helps pupils to know they can make a difference, such as school council purchasing new equipment for social times.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not sufficiently identified and sequenced the precise knowledge pupils need to learn across all subjects. As a result, pupils are not building their knowledge securely across the curriculum. The trust must ensure that across all subjects, the knowledge pupils need to know and remember is clearly identified and sequenced.  Some staff do not have the expertise needed to implement the curriculum effectively, including in the early years. They do not consistently plan work that deepens pupils’ knowledge or helps them to remember their learning. As a result, some pupils do not learn as well as they should. The trust must develop staff expertise to teach the intended curriculum so that pupils can progress well through the curriculum.  Some pupils who have fallen behind in reading and writing, including pupils with SEND, are not getting all the support they need to achieve well. This stalls progress for these

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pupils in becoming confident and fluent readers and writers. The trust needs to ensure that these pupils get the support they need to learn the English curriculum well.  The checks the school makes on how well pupils are learning the curriculum are underdeveloped. As a result, the school is not clear how well pupils are securing new knowledge and where pupils have gaps in their understanding. The trust should ensure staff have the expertise to identify any knowledge gaps and make appropriate adaptations to learning tasks to address these areas.

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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). 10 and 11 June 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 March 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Wessex Learning Trust.  The headteacher took up her post in December 2023. The deputy headteacher took up her post in March 2024.  The school has a nursery which admits children from 2-years-old.  The school runs its own before- and after-school provision.  The school does not currently make use of 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. 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 provision). Schools 10 and 11 June 2025

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receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school's education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke with school leaders, staff, parents, those responsible for governance including the chair of the trust board and trust executive leaders including the CEO.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  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

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, the inspectors spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff and spoke to some parents at the start of the second day.

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Inspection team

Esther Best, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Sophie Hillson His Majesty's Inspector 10 and 11 June 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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