Wallscourt Farm Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Wallscourt Farm Academy continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be part of Wallscourt Farm Academy. They are polite, courteous and friendly to staff and visitors.

They enjoy learning and are keen to do well.

Staff have high expectations of pupils. The promotion of individual rights and responsibilities has a positive impact on behaviour.

As a result, the school is calm, orderly and learning is rarely disrupted. Pupils feel happy, safe and well looked after. Pupils say that bullying is rare but when it does happen, adults deal with it quickly.

Pupils appreciate the many opportunities they are given. Pupils ...speak with pride about their role as 'Future Leaders'. This gives them a sense of purpose and helps them to understand what democracy means.

Most parents and carers speak positively about the school. One parent said that the school's innovative approach to teaching and learning had inspired their children to be engaged with their learning.

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

Pupils receive a good quality of education.

Leaders provide a well-organised and ambitious curriculum. Subjects are well planned and sequenced. This starts in the Reception Year, where children show high levels of curiosity, concentration and enjoyment.

In mathematics, for example, children in the early years use their understanding of number to create and share number sentences with one another. This strong start prepares older pupils to use their knowledge of number to tackle more complex problems successfully.

Leaders have identified the key knowledge that pupils need to know in each subject.

For example, in history, pupils have a good understanding of what life was like in an Anglo-Saxon village and of what they can learn from artefacts. However, at times, pupils are not confident in making links between their current learning and what they have learned before. Additionally, pupils do not use key subject-specific vocabulary to communicate their understanding in depth.

Leaders ensure that reading is a priority. Phonics is taught well. Books are matched to the sounds that pupils know.

Younger pupils get off to a positive start and develop a love of reading. Teachers identify pupils who start to fall behind. They provide extra help so that pupils become confident, fluent readers and catch up quickly.

Older pupils enjoy reading a wide range of authors and genres. They speak enthusiastically about the books they read.

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils with SEND enjoy school and follow the full curriculum. Teachers use assessment information well to adapt the curriculum and regularly review the best strategies to support pupils. As a result, pupils are fully involved in learning.

Pupils with SEND, therefore, learn alongside their peers successfully and make good progress towards their individual targets.

Leaders provide a well-organised and carefully planned curriculum that develops pupils' resilience, independence and strength of character. As a result, pupils' behaviour in lessons is good.

There is an atmosphere of mutual respect. Pupils enjoy the opportunities they are given through the school's 'Being a Citizen' curriculum. They take part, for example, in the school brass ensemble, art and sport clubs.

This helps them to understand how to be responsible, respectful and active citizens.

Trust and school leaders have a clear vision for the school and have a shared commitment. They know the school's strengths and weaknesses well.

Leaders have created a purposeful environment where pupils and staff are keen to learn. Staff, including early career teachers, say that leaders fully support their development and well-being. Staff appreciate the consideration of leaders, which they say helps them to manage their workload effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and staff ensure that the safety of pupils is at the forefront of their work. They understand their safeguarding responsibilities.

Staff are well trained to recognise the signs of abuse or neglect. This enables them to quickly identify children and families who are in need of help. Records are detailed and well organised.

The school's curriculum helps pupils to know how to keep themselves safe. Pupils learn how to stay safe online and talk confidently, for example, about the potential dangers of fake news.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, pupils are not confident in making connections between their current learning and what they have learned before.

They do not always remember what they have been taught in the longer term. Leaders need to ensure that pupils can draw on their previous knowledge to develop a deeper understanding of the subjects they learn.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in April 2016.

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