East Wickham Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The headteacher and leadership team have high expectations and are bringing about secure improvement.

The governing body and the Academy Trust both challenge and support the school effectively so that it continues to improve. Teaching is now good. Teachers plan work which pupils enjoy and this helps them to learn well.

As a result, pupils are now making good progress. The progress of different groups of pupils, such as those with special educational needs or those entitled to support from the additional funding, is also improving. The gaps in progress between these groups and their peers are closing.

The specialist 'Pathways' pro...vision for children with complex needs is outstanding. Children in the Nursery and Reception classes get a good start to their education. They enjoy coming to school.

Leaders regularly check the quality of teaching very carefully and make sure that teachers have good training to help them improve their skills. Pupils' attendance has improved considerably and this supports both their learning and their personal development. Pupils behave well in lessons and around school.

They are polite and show respect for each other and adults. The curriculum gives pupils a wide range of experiences, which broadens their horizons and helps them to aim high. These help to promote pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.

Pupils say that they feel safe and know how to stay safe. They and their parents do not think bullying is an issue. It is not yet an outstanding school because : The school assessment policy is not used consistently enough to ensure pupils write accurately and know what to do to improve their work.

Sometimes teaching assistants do not give pupils enough time to work things out for themselves. The outdoor areas in the early years foundation stage are not used as effectively as the classrooms to support learning.

Information about this school

The school is much larger than the average-sized primary school.

The school has more girls than boys in most year groups. Around 40% of pupils are known to be eligible for additional support through the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children looked after, those eligible for free school meals and the children of service families. This figure is above the national average.

Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. Other pupils come from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds. Around a quarter of the pupils speak English as an additional language; this proportion is above the national average.

The proportion who are at an early stage of learning English is relatively small but rising. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is similar to the national average. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress.

The early years foundation stage and Key Stage 1 have additional special educational needs provision known as Pathway 1 and Pathway 2 for children who have high levels of additional needs. The senior leadership team has been expanded to include three assistant headteachers with responsibility for different phases in the school and for Inclusion. A middle leadership team of year heads has been created.

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