Spalding Primary Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 20 February 2024

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 the school should improve

• 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.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)