Wellfield AcademyOfsted report card, 15 Sept 2026

Wellfield Academy

Address: Yewlands Drive, Leyland, Lancashire, PR25 2TP Unique reference number (URN): 150434

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have strengthened their leadership of attendance and now review patterns with greater precision. They have established clear routines and a shared understanding among staff of their roles in promoting regular attendance. Pupils with additional needs or other barriers benefit from the school's coordinated support, and concerns are followed up promptly and appropriately. Although whole school attendance has been historically low, current evidence shows sustained improvement, including for disadvantaged pupils and those who join mid ‑ year. Persistent absence remains too high overall, but reductions for key pupil groups indicate that leaders’ actions are beginning to secure improvement.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

With support from trust specialists, leaders have focused on establishing a culture of high expectations of all pupils’ behaviour. This work is beginning to make a positive difference. Expectations are communicated clearly and reinforced well in lessons. This contributes to calm classrooms and pupils' generally positive attitudes to learning. Pupils value reward initiatives, such as the school’s ‘nothing but the best’ stickers, which reinforce their positive conduct. Raised expectations have also contributed to a reduction in suspensions over time. Most pupils report that bullying is rare and dealt with effectively. The school’s specially resourced provision continues to play an important role in helping pupils, particularly those with additional needs, to re ‑ engage with learning and access routines successfully.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have strengthened how they identify pupils’ needs since the school joined the trust. Leaders ensure that key details about pupils' reading skills or social needs are used by staff to plan learning and support. In most cases, staff apply this information with increasing consistency and impact.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have improved the information and professional learning provided for staff so they can support pupils with special educational needs and/or disability (SEND) effectively. Leaders work closely with trust specialists to strengthen the support for all pupils with additional needs or barriers to learning. This work has ensured that additional funding is used effectively so that disadvantaged pupils get the support that they need and achieve well.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND offer calm, targeted support that helps pupils to settle quickly and take part in learning. Leaders maintain effective oversight of pupils who are involved with social care. Leaders work with external partners to coordinate academic and pastoral support for pupils. Leaders monitor pupils’ progress when they attend alternative provision to ensure that placements meet pupils’ needs well. Leaders face ongoing challenges because many pupils move in and out of school and some have highly complex needs. Even so, their actions are now removing more barriers and improving pupils’ daily experience in school well.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders provide clear, long-term direction for pupils’ personal development and wellbeing. They have strengthened the personal, social, health and economic education and citizenship curriculum so that it is responsive to the school’s complex context. Pupils learn important knowledge that helps them to maintain healthy relationships, stay safe online and manage money with increasing confidence. They also develop a mature understanding of discrimination, prejudice and harmful language and this learning prepares them well for life in modern Britain. For pupils with complex personal situations, leaders ensure that additional workshops are delivered by external specialists so that these pupils explore sensitive issues in a safe environment and gain practical strategies for managing risks. For pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, the specially resourced provision further offers therapeutic support to help pupils manage their mental health and wellbeing.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school's wider enrichment offer is extensive and shaped by pupils' views. Pupils enjoy access to a broad range of clubs, leadership roles, trips and community projects. The uptake of these opportunities is improving, including by disadvantaged pupils and those with other additional needs. Leaders track participation closely and make adjustments so that pupils with barriers can take part meaningfully. Programmes such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s award, confidence building workshops and military school activities have been shaped carefully to help pupils to build resilience and strengthen their self-belief.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have designed a coherent programme that helps pupils to understand future careers and education pathways. Pupils benefit from experience in a wide range of ambitious destinations, including through work placements, college and university visits. Staff prioritise guidance for pupils with barriers so that they receive the support they need to build readiness for their next steps. This strengthened provision has contributed to a marked increase in pupils successfully moving on to education, employment or training.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils’ achievement across the curriculum is improving but remains uneven. In some subjects, published outcomes have improved to close to national averages. Furthermore, disadvantaged pupils achieve favourably compared with other schools. Even so, published outcomes continue to remain below national averages in many areas.

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Achievement Needs attention

Despite some progress being made in providing pupils with support to develop their fundamental skills, the impact of this is not evident across subjects. For example, there are still gaps in some pupils’ handwriting fluency and number facts. These weaknesses limit how well pupils access learning in some subjects. In lessons where tasks are not ambitious enough or lack opportunities to apply knowledge, pupils do not build subject understanding securely over time. As a result, pupils’ progress through the curriculum is not consistently secure.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

With support from the trust, leaders have strengthened the curriculum so that it is ambitious and clear about what pupils should learn and when they should learn it. In subjects where teaching is more effective, staff use this guidance well. They choose tasks and questions that help pupils to link new ideas to what they already know. However, this is not consistent across the curriculum. In some subjects, teachers do not design tasks that provide sufficient challenge or depth in learning. Pupils complete work that does not extend their thinking or help them to apply new knowledge well. Furthermore, in some subjects, teachers do not use checks on pupils' understanding well enough to identify gaps or misconceptions. This limits how well pupils achieve in lessons and in national examinations.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have introduced programmes to strengthen pupils’ reading, writing and mathematical skills. These are beginning to help pupils to access learning with greater confidence. Even so, some of the work to improve pupils’ fundamental skills is still in its infancy and therefore has not had time to become well established across all subjects. Targeted support, including in the specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), helps pupils to engage in learning. On the whole, teachers typically adjust learning for pupils with barriers, including those with SEND. However, this is not routine across subjects and therefore limits how well some pupils achieve over time.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Since joining the trust, the school's leadership has strengthened considerably. This change has brought greater clarity and purpose to the school’s long-term direction. Leaders now draw on a more accurate understanding of the school’s challenges, including historic instability, high levels of vulnerability and weaknesses in the curriculum and teaching. This has helped leaders to identify the areas that matter most for pupils and to set clear priorities for the school's continued development.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

At times, leaders do not analyse trends or evaluate the impact of their actions with sufficient precision. This leads to variable impact across different areas of the school's work. Leaders' work to improve attendance, behaviour, the identification of additional needs and curriculum structure is increasingly aligned to pupils’ needs. Even so, some actions have taken time to gather momentum and their impact have not been as effective or timely as intended. Despite this, there are early signs that leaders' increased skills and expertise are helping to improve pupils’ day ‑ to ‑ day experiences. For instance, classroom routines are more settled and expectations are applied more consistently than in the past.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Staff generally welcome the school’s direction and describe leaders as accessible and supportive. Most staff feel that their workload is manageable. They value the adjustments that leaders make to the school's work. The professional development that leaders provide is purposeful. Staff appreciate the guidance from trust specialists and external partners, which helps to build staff's expertise and confidence in their roles. Leaders’ work to strengthen relationships with parents and carers is ongoing. Although a small number of parents continue to express negative views about the school, there are emerging signs that overall confidence in the new leadership is beginning to build. Trustees provide long-term oversight and understand their statutory responsibilities well. Through strengthened ways to check on the school's quality assurance processes, such as ‘curiosity visits’, trustees and their local academy council now offer appropriate challenge,

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

particularly around safeguarding, attendance and pupils’ outcomes.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are generally happy in school and feel part of the warm, welcoming community. They value the positive relationships that they have with friends and staff. Many pupils are confident that staff respond appropriately when issues arise, including the rare occasions when bullying happens. This helps pupils to feel safe.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy many aspects of their learning. They benefit from an increasingly broad curriculum that reflects the school’s values and supports their future aspirations. Many pupils, including those who join with low starting points, arrive with gaps in their learning or limited prior success in education. Overall, staff adapt their work carefully to reduce barriers to learning for these pupils. However, some staff do this less successfully. Inconsistencies in how lessons are taught means that some pupils do not learn key content securely enough. This limits how well pupils achieve in national examinations.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils typically follow behaviour routines and respond to staff guidance well. When pupils find it hard to meet leaders’ high expectations staff give them the right support. This helps to reduce rates of suspensions over time. The trust has improved the support given to pupils to encourage them to come to school more often. Many pupils, including those who join during the year, now attend more regularly because of this help.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy a wide range of experiences that the school provide to help them to grow personally and socially. The increasing number of pupils who join mid ‑ year settle quickly into school because routines are clear and they are supported well. Pupils take part in wider opportunities such as sports, creative projects, military school, cultural events and workshops. These activities help them to build their confidence and awareness of life beyond school. Pupils learn how to stay safe and make informed choices. They are increasingly well prepared for their next steps.

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Next steps

Leaders should improve staff’s use of assessment strategies so that gaps in pupils' knowledge are identified early and addressed quickly so that pupils achieve more highly in lessons and national examinations. Leaders should ensure that teachers adapt tasks more precisely around pupils’ additional needs and starting points so that pupils access the curriculum confidently and develop a deep understanding of the subject content. Leaders should make sure that staff consistently support pupils to develop their fundamental skills so that routine practice in spelling, handwriting and number fact fluency helps them to embed core knowledge confidently across all subjects. Leaders should continue to build a culture where high expectations for pupils' attendance and behaviour are clearly promoted and understood by staff and pupils, so that the rate of suspensions and absences continue to decline and pupils benefit from regular and

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Next steps

positive routines. Leaders should further refine how they analyse trends and measure the impact of their actions so that improvement work is more rapid and effective across the school's work.

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About this inspection

This school is part of the Endeavour 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, David Clayton, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Dom Potter.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our updated inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

This inspection took place from 15 to 16 September 2026.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

There is a designated specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities for 10 pupils with speech, language and communication needs

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About this inspection

The school makes use of two alternative provisions, including one that is unregistered.

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About this inspection

The school has undergone substantial leadership changes since the last inspection, including a new headteacher, senior leaders and middle leaders.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the executive headteacher, trust and school leaders, school governors, the school improvement partner, representatives from alternative providers and the virtual school, during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspection team scrutinised information and documents that the school provided. Inspectors visited a range of lessons, evaluated the specialist resource provision, looked at pupils work and spoke to pupils. Inspectors also had discussions with staff and considered the responses to Ofsted's surveys for parents, staff and pupils.

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About this inspection

The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Team inspectors:

Derek Yarwood, Ofsted Inspector Niamh Howlett, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 15 September 2026

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational needs support at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English indices of deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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English and maths GCSE

Percentage of pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Attainment 8

A measure of pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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national average

2024/25 (final) 35.0 34.9 Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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