Waddington All Saints Academy

Inspection of Waddington All Saints Academy Mere Road, Waddington, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN5 9NX

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding 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 Zoe Jepson. This school is part of L.E.A.D. 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), Diana Owens CBE, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Andy Buck.

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Ofsted has not previously inspected Waddington All Saints Academy under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged All Saints Primary School to be outstanding for overall effectiveness, before it opened as Waddington All Saints Academy as a result of conversion to academy status. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 10 and 11 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Waddington All Saints is an inspiring school where pupils flourish in a welcoming and inclusive environment. Pupils are proud to attend the school. They are respected and valued by staff as unique individuals. The school’s motto, ‘If they have wings, why make them walk?’ encapsulates everything that it does for the pupils in its care.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets the highest expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour. This starts in the early years where children are focused, show kindness to others and understand taking turns. Pupils across the school are confident, motivated learners. They embody the school’s core values of respect, kindness, determination, ambition and enthusiasm consistently. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary and they achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the school’s high-quality pastoral support. They feel safe in school. There is a very strong focus on building pupils’ character, resilience and well-being. Pupils know their worries are taken seriously. They trust staff to help them when needed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides pupils with an exceptional offer of wider opportunities. Pupils benefit from many educational trips. They also take on meaningful roles such as pupil parliament representatives, diversity ambassadors, art ambassadors and digital leaders. Pupils who act as librarians enjoy recommending books to their peers.

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

The school’s ambitious curriculum captures pupils’ interests and meets their learning needs. It is thought out carefully and delivered with skill. This allows pupils to build securely on what they know already. In a small number of cases, some pupils cannot recall some things that they learned before the school’s new curriculum was implemented. The early years curriculum supports children in becoming independent, resilient, knowledgeable learners.

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

Staff provide a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment, in which pupils learn well. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They are polite and well mannered. They take turns when talking and listening to each other, and love playing together. Pupils enjoy coming to school and attend well.

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

Reading is at the heart of the school’s curriculum. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the books they read and the stories they hear. The school provides a wide range of additional activities to develop pupils’ love of reading. Careful checks swiftly identify any pupils who may need support to catch up and keep up in phonics. The school’s ‘reading drive’ programme helps pupils to become fluent, confident readers. Links with a local university, as part of a research programme, helps the school to ensure that pupils read high-quality vocabulary. As a result of expert teaching, pupils experience rich, inspiring range of texts.

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

Well-thought-out teaching approaches allow every pupil to take part during lessons and succeed. Learning activities are well matched to pupils’ needs. The curriculum content is adapted well so that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) can 10 and 11 June 2025

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make good progress alongside their classmates. The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND quickly. Teachers often check how well pupils understand their learning and step in swiftly to correct any mistakes. Pupils produce high-quality work, using ambitious vocabulary to explain their ideas. They are confident making links between key concepts in different subjects and enjoy learning. This helps them to build strong knowledge across the curriculum.

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The school provides an extensive range of opportunities to support pupils’ personal development. These experiences are designed carefully to enrich the curriculum and are available to all. Pupils speak with enthusiasm about their project, ‘Where will my wings take me?’ This allows them to explore careers and life in the real world. Pupils are supported to develop character traits such as resilience, empathy and teamwork. They gain a strong understanding of diversity and important concepts such as respect. Pupils learn to apply the school’s values and fundamental British values to their everyday lives. They gain a deep understanding of what healthy relationships look like. Pupils are exceptionally well prepared to make a positive contribution to modern Britain.

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Staff benefit from high-quality training that improves their teaching and supports their well-being. They feel valued and well supported by the school.

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Trustees, governors, leaders and staff work together to uphold the school’s vision and values consistently. The school, supported by the trust, ensures that whole-school priorities are addressed quickly and with confidence. Trustees and governors use their expertise to provide appropriate support and challenge. The drive and ambition for all is consistent across the school. Trustees and governors check rigorously on the school’s work to achieve this ambition. Everyone is committed to pupils’ success.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small minority of subjects, the curriculum is still relatively new. In these subjects, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge. When this happens, these pupils cannot recall their prior learning as well as they should. The school should ensure that the delivery of its strong curriculum is consistently effective so that all pupils remember essential curriculum content. 10 and 11 June 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). 10 and 11 June 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the L.E.A.D. Multi Academy Trust.  The school currently uses one registered alternative provider.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2024.

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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. 10 and 11 June 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 held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, senior leaders, teachers and pupils. The lead inspector met with executive members of the trust and members of the local governing body, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and art. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work. The lead inspector listened to some pupils read to staff. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single central

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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 took account of a range of other documents, including improvement plans, policies, minutes of governing body meetings and evidence relating to behaviour, attitudes and personal development.  Inspectors took account of the views of pupils, parents and staff through discussions and responses to their respective Ofsted surveys.

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Inspection team

Ian Toon, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Adair Ofsted 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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