Wickhambrook Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Community is key at this small, rural school. Pupils value the fact that the school's size means they make friends across year groups.

Pupils of all ages mix happily at breaktimes, as well as at breakfast or after-school club. A well-established buddy system builds lasting bonds between the oldest and youngest pupils. Attendance is high because pupils are happy to come to school.

Children get off to a flying start in the early years. They settle quickly, thanks to strong routines and attentive adults. Throughout the school, there are warm relationships between pupils and adults.

Pupils are proud to earn learning badges for hard work, or class points for showi...ng the school's values of respect, resilience, responsibility, commitment and achievement. These rewards motivate them to meet adults' high expectations. Classrooms are calm and provide an environment conducive to learning.

In the core areas of reading, writing and mathematics, many pupils achieve highly.

There is an extensive range of high-quality, extra-curricular activities. These introduce pupils to new skills, including archery, gardening and Sudoku.

Numerous roles and responsibilities help to strengthen pupils' character. Wellie monitors keep the environment tidy, class greeters welcome visitors and trust councillors represent the school at whole trust council meetings.

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

From early years through to Year 6, the school's ambitious curriculum sets out a clear sequence of learning.

At each stage, pupils build on what they have learned before and are prepared for future learning. Vocabulary is a high priority. This starts in the Reception Year, where there is a laser-sharp focus on language acquisition.

Pupils throughout the school systematically learn, practise and apply subject-specific vocabulary.

The school and trust ensure that teaching staff receive effective training. This equips them to teach subjects confidently.

Teachers introduce new learning clearly. They recap previous learning and check pupils' understanding often. This enables them to identify any gaps or difficulties, which they address by adjusting their teaching.

Occasionally, teachers miss opportunities to move pupils' learning forward. In some instances, they do not provide activities to deepen learning for those pupils who are ready to move on. In others, teachers do not always provide pupils with effective feedback.

The school makes highly effective use of technology to support learning. Hand-held tablets promote pupils' independence. In the Reception Year, for example, children photograph their achievements and upload these to their digital learning journals.

In key stage 2, pupils use digital quizzes to test their knowledge. Digital tools support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively. Adapted tasks, additional resources or help from skilled adults enable pupils with SEND to access the same curriculum as their peers.

Pupils with SEND achieve well in relation to their various starting points.

The school's 'literature spine' is central to the curriculum. From the Reception Year onwards, pupils are exposed to a richly diverse range of high-quality texts.

Reading is a priority. Children receive daily phonics lessons as soon as they start in the Reception Year. These continue throughout key stage 1.

The adults who teach phonics are experts. They identify and support pupils who need extra help swiftly. By the end of Year 1, almost every pupil has the knowledge and skills they need to read fluently.

If any pupils in key stage 2 remain in the early stages of reading, the school gives them the support they need to catch up.

Pupils behave well. After a period of challenging behaviour, the school introduced a new behaviour policy.

This has had a significant impact. Pupils appreciate the familiar routines and clear expectations. Adults consistently manage any poor behaviour.

Strong pastoral support ensures that pupils who struggle to meet expectations receive the help they need to improve.

Provision for pupils' personal development is exceptionally well planned. The school is determined that as many pupils as possible access enrichment activities.

This includes disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND. These activities often take pupils beyond the school, on trips that broaden their horizons and enhance the curriculum. The school's sporting achievements have been recognised with a national award.

Pupils learn about other cultures and the major world religions. They show tolerance and respect for difference in all its forms.

The trust and governors provide high-quality support and challenge to the school.

They are very well informed and regularly check the school's performance against its objectives. After an unsettling period, the relatively new leadership team has stabilised the school. Leaders' actions have positively impacted on staff well-being, parental engagement and pupil achievement.

They are relentless in their drive for continued improvement.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Occasionally, teachers miss opportunities to move pupils' learning on.

This is either through the design and timing of lesson activities or through weaknesses in the use of feedback for improvement. Consequently, some pupils may not progress as well as they could. The school should ensure that teachers are supported to plan appropriately challenging activities, make best use of lesson time and use feedback effectively, so that all pupils achieve the aims of the school's ambitious curriculum.