Wellington Eagles Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is emerging from a turbulent time. The trust, the governors and the school have an ambitious vision for all pupils, but this is yet to be fully realised in practice. Expectations have not been high enough, so pupils do not receive a good quality of education.

The school has made some improvements to the curriculum, but many aspects remain underdeveloped.

There is a renewed focus on attendance, so most pupils attend well. Pupils know that if they have any worries or concerns, staff will help them sort these out.

Pupils learn about life beyond their immediate environment. They enjoy finding out about other cultures. The school has a high proportion o...f pupils who come from the families of service personnel.

Therefore, pupils sometimes join the school mid-year. They are welcomed by all and settle into the school quickly.

Pupils socialise happily.

However, within the classroom, staff do not establish behaviour expectations that are commonly understood. As a result, some pupils do not have positive attitudes towards their education.

Pupils are enthusiastic about the clubs available to them, such as Lego and football club.

Such opportunities help them to develop their skills and talents. Pupils take part in wider experiences to build leadership responsibilities, such as being a member of the school council.

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

The school has begun to make improvements to the curriculum.

For example, the school has introduced a strengthened curriculum in mathematics. Pupils are beginning to benefit from this. However, this work is in its early stages.

In many subjects, the curriculum is not yet fully developed.

In some subjects, the curriculum is not taught in a way that supports pupils to build up their knowledge securely. Some staff do not have sufficient knowledge to meet the needs of pupils.

Consequently, this hinders the learning of some pupils. Staff do not have high enough expectations of pupils' behaviour. They do not ensure pupils follow appropriate routines.

Therefore, some pupils do not engage well with their learning.

Children in Nursery make a strong start. The curriculum maps out the important knowledge children need.

This builds progressively over time. There is a sharp focus on developing children's oracy skills. Children enjoy listening to stories and joining in with rhymes.

Staff hold high-quality conversations with children which supports them to broaden their vocabulary. Staff encourage children to take managed risks and strengthen their physical development. For example, children use space hoppers to build their core strength.

Children develop mathematical knowledge at an appropriate level. Some of the youngest children know the value of a small set of numbers without counting them. This helps prepare them for mathematics in Year 1 and beyond.

The school has taken steps to prioritise reading. Pupils begin to learn to read as soon as they start school. Pupils read books that are matched well to the sounds they know.

However, some staff do not have the knowledge they need to teach reading well. They do not routinely check that pupils understand what they are taught. Consequently, some pupils move through the curriculum with ongoing gaps in their reading ability.

This means that they struggle to read in other curriculum areas.

The school identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils' targets are precise and targeted.

Staff make suitable adaptations which support pupils to follow the curriculum. A small number of pupils with SEND follow a curriculum which is tailored to their needs.

The personal development of pupils is a strength of the school.

The curriculum is carefully planned. It begins in the early years and continues at an age-appropriate level as pupils get older. Pupils have a secure understanding of how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

They understand the importance of not sharing personal information.

Pupils make visits to places of interest, such as the science museum and the theatre. Through such opportunities, they learn about the wider world.

Pupils appreciate the focus placed on their mental health and the introduction of the mental health ambassadors. They have opportunities to reflect in 'the place to be.' This helps prepare them for further learning.

The trust understands the school's context. The improvements that have been introduced are beginning to make a difference to pupils. Staff appreciate the attention paid to their workload and wellbeing.

The trust has taken steps to strengthen governors' skills and knowledge, so that they can challenge and support leaders effectively. However, this work is at an early stage.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has not ensured that the curriculum is fully developed or implemented as they intend in all subjects. Consequently, pupils are not supported well enough to build up their subject knowledge. The school needs to ensure that the curriculum and the way in which it is taught supports pupils to build a depth of understanding in all subjects.

The use of assessment is not fully developed. As a result, gaps in pupils' knowledge of important curriculum content are not identified and rectified. The school needs to ensure that it accurately highlights gaps in pupils' understanding, so that these can be remedied.

• Some staff do not have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. As a result, some pupils do not display positive attitudes to their learning. The school needs to ensure that all staff insist that pupils demonstrate a positive commitment to their learning.

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