Waycroft Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils work hard in the classroom and participate in lessons with enthusiasm. Pupils learn in a calm and purposeful way. They are reflective and identify areas they can improve.

The quality of education has improved greatly since the previous inspection and is now in line with the strong pastoral support that pupils receive. Pupils enjoy attending school.

The school has reflected on the 2023 published pupil outcomes and has prioritised the curriculum.

There has been huge impact. The school has improved teaching and made improvements to how pupils learn over time.

The school values of 'Ready, Respectful and Resilient' are understood by all.

P...upils behave well around the school and live up to the high expectations set by staff. Bullying, when it occurs, is dealt with swiftly. Those who struggle to behave appropriately are supported with kindness and understanding.

Pupil leadership opportunities such as the school tech team or school council let pupils play an active part in improving the school. Members of the pupil led well-being team welcome other pupils into school and support the mental health of their peers. The selection process for these roles is designed to help pupils to understand the importance of democracy and prepare them for life in modern Britain.

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

The school's curriculum is ambitious and covers the full breadth of the national curriculum. Subjects are well planned and sequenced from Nursery to Year 6. The school has identified the small steps of knowledge pupils need to learn and when this should happen.

For example, in mathematics, staff give children in early years opportunities to develop their understanding of number to recognise odd and even numbers. Older pupils build on this as they learn about finding the proportions of numbers and exploring fractions by learning about dividing recipes into thirds.

In English and mathematics, assessment is used well to identify gaps in learning.

For example, in reading, staff use assessment to precisely identify any gaps in pupils' phonics knowledge. Staff provide extra support to help pupils catch up if needed. The school's phonics programme is effective.

Children begin to learn to read as soon as they start Reception. Pupils read books that match the sounds that they know. This helps them become fluent and accurate readers.

Story times, a well-stocked library and special events like the school reading café or mystery staff readers, further help to promote reading.

In some wider curriculum subjects, assessment is not as impactful because it does not identify enough information about what pupils have learned and remembered. While pupils can discuss their current learning, they struggle to make links to what they have learned before.

Children in the early years, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), benefit from warm and nurturing relationships. The school ensures that in the provision for two-year-olds, the Nursery and Reception classes there is a sharp focus on developing children's communication and language skills. Specific vocabulary is clearly chosen and taught.

Adults guide and question children to help them to think about the world around them and deepen their learning. The school has invested in the outdoor provision. Activities are carefully chosen to engage children's interest, developing children's sense of awe and wonder about the natural world.

Staff use adaptations and support to ensure that pupils, including those with SEND, have opportunities to learn alongside their peers. Where this is strongest, for example in the early years, children with SEND receive the tailored support they need to do their best. However, some adaptations to learning do not precisely match pupils' needs, or they are too broad.

Some staff lack the training needed to support pupils with SEND to maximise their achievement.

The rich and varied curriculum for personal development is a strength. Older pupils show a mature understanding of healthy relationships, power imbalance and discuss important and relevant issues such as the impact of social media on body image.

High-quality pastoral support helps pupils manage and understand their feelings. Trips and visits are deliberately planned, enhancing many areas of the curriculum. Pupils learn to play musical instruments or take part in musical theatre and Christmas productions.

There are a wide range of sports clubs, however parents and pupils would appreciate more opportunities that develop pupils' interests beyond sport.

The school has recently joined a new multi-academy trust. The expertise and experience available in the trust has supported the school to strengthen its curriculum and provide the right level of challenge and support to school leaders.

Staff are well supported by leaders who are considerate of their workload and well-being. As a result, staff support each other well, there is a strong team ethos and they are proud to work at the school.

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 school's approach to assessment does not provide enough information about what pupils have learned and remembered. As a result, staff cannot efficiently use this information to plug gaps in pupils' knowledge. The trust and the school should modify this approach, so that checks on pupils' learning are efficient and helpful to inform future teaching.

• Some of the support for pupils with SEND lacks a clear measure by which to assess progress against the curriculum. This limits the ability of staff to evaluate this support effectively. The trust and the school should ensure that the progress of pupils with SEND through the curriculum is evaluated more effectively.