The Wells Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 13 January 2026

Pupils value the warm and welcoming environment at school. They appreciate how staff greet them every morning at the school gates and throughout the day in corridors and lessons. Leaders and staff have created an inclusive culture. Pupils, regardless of their diverse backgrounds and learning needs, feel a sense of community at the school. Leaders ensure that pupils have access to high-quality pastoral support. This ensures that the many pupils who join the school after Year 7, including those from overseas, quickly build friendships and integrate within the school. Pupils understand and live up to leaders’ high expectations of their behaviour within what the school refers to as its ‘warm strict' culture. Pupils demonstrate the learning habits that the school expects. Staff quickly and effectively correct pupils if they misbehave. When this happens, misbehaviour stops. Pupils feel safe and valued. They know that if they have any worries they can secure effective support through the school’s ‘I want to talk…’ and similar support schemes. The school ensures that any concerns about bullying are dealt with quickly and effectively. Pupils attend regularly because they value their school and know that education is important. Pupils generally achieve well. They work with determination and take pride when they achieve the school’s ambitious goals. Leaders swiftly ensure that the many pupils who join the school with turbulent experiences in education catch up on any missed learning. Similarly, disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities typically learn the curriculum well and make appropriate progress. As a result of improvements made to teaching, pupils’ performance in public examinations improved in 2025. Pupils benefit from the many extra-curricular activities available to them. These activities support pupils to develop their interests across the curriculum.

What the school should improve

• Leaders and trustees should ensure that adaptations in teaching are sufficiently precise to ensure that pupils who need support with foundational knowledge, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve well from their starting points across the curriculum.

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