Spalding Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Spalding Primary Academy is a friendly, nurturing and welcoming school. Pupils are happy and kept safe. One pupil, typical of many, said, 'Our school is like a big family.'

The school has created an atmosphere where everyone shows respect, trust, curiosity, pride and determination.

The diversity of the school community is celebrated, threaded through the curriculum and represented in the books that pupils read. Pupils know the school values well and demonstrate these in their interactions.

There is a culture of support and kindness to others, which all the school models well.

The school has high expectations of pupils' learning and behaviour. Pupils... meet these expectations and understand, appreciate and respect difference.

They report, 'In this school, everyone should be treated the same. You don't know what they have been through in life.'

Pupils benefit from a wide range of trips and visitors that enrich the curriculum.

Pupils contribute to their local community, for example by visiting the local care home and decorating the Christmas tree in the local church. They enjoy positions of responsibility, including their roles as school councillors and being 'Wombles', as litter pickers.

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

The school has developed a curriculum that is relevant and ambitious.

The curriculums for most subjects, including English and mathematics, are well sequenced. The knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn in these subjects are identified clearly. However, the changes to the curriculum did not have sufficient time to impact on the outcomes of previous cohorts.

Historic published outcomes do not reflect how well current cohorts of pupils are doing. Leaders continue to make further pertinent refinements to some subjects to ensure they are equally well-designed.

Pupils revisit learning often and link this knowledge to new ideas and concepts.

This helps them to deepen their knowledge and understanding. Where this is successful, the school uses information about what pupils know and can do to build their knowledge further. However, in some subjects, learning is not adapted to enable some pupils to develop a deeper understanding.

As a result, some pupils do not build their knowledge as well as they could.

Reading is prioritised across the school. The school has implemented an effective reading programme.

This starts in the early years and continues into key stage 2. Teachers check pupils' progress regularly to ensure that they build their phonics knowledge well. They use this information to provide extra support to pupils who need it.

Pupils become fluent readers. Staff are well trained to deliver phonics effectively. Pupils enjoy the books their teachers share with them.

The school has developed a reading list to widen pupils' cultural understanding.

The school quickly identifies the additional needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff work with parents and carers and external agencies to secure appropriate support for pupils.

Pupils with SEND are supported well to learn and progress through the curriculum alongside their peers.

Children in the early years get off to a flying start, where their interests help to shape the curriculum. There is a focus on communication and language development as soon as children begin school.

They learn to be ready for reading in the Nursery by recognising sounds and singing songs. Staff are skilled at developing children's language, knowledge and social skills through their play. As a result, children grow in confidence and are happy, curious learners.

Staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils love to earn 'stars' and 'sparks' for trying their best. Pupils typically behave well and respect each other.

They show positive attitudes to learning and conduct themselves well around the school. The pastoral support for pupils is a strength of the school. Pupils value their time in 'the nest' where they receive support from skilled adults.

The school places pupils' wider development at the heart of what it does. The curriculum, along with wider opportunities, supports pupils to develop a strong moral code. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe and understand the importance of keeping themselves physically and mentally healthy.

They benefit from a range of after-school clubs. These include football, netball and reading clubs.

Staff care about pupils and their families.

They work hard to engage with parents. The school recognises that this could be further strengthened, to ensure that parents are clear about the improvements and changes made recently.

The trust knows the school's strengths and areas for improvement well.

It provides a wealth of effective support and challenge to the school. The trust and the school continue to drive improvements with great determination. Staff are proud to work at the school.

They feel well supported to manage their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the range of subject knowledge that pupils should learn is too broad.

The most important knowledge and skills are not always clear. This means that pupils struggle to secure the knowledge they need for the next stage in their learning. The school should refine the subject knowledge and vocabulary they want pupils to remember and identify the small steps of learning that will help pupils embed this knowledge.

• In some subjects, curriculum plans are not consistently adapted well to meet the needs of all pupils. As a result, pupils sometimes do not get the opportunities to apply their learning in depth, and so achieve less well. The school should continue to develop staff expertise to implement and adjust the curriculum as required.

• Some parents feel that the school does not communicate with them well enough. As a result, some parents do not have clarity around the changes and improvements in the school. The school needs to ensure that it has effective communication with all stakeholders so that parents and carers are fully informed about school improvements and changes.