Wedmore First School Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 June 2025

Pupils enjoy attending Wedmore First School Academy. Pupils know how the values 'kindness, respect, curiosity, resilience, inclusivity', make this school a happy place to be. For example, older pupils show kindness to the youngest children during 'breakfast club' to make sure they feel part of the school. Pupils move around the school sensibly and typically show positive attitudes to learning. Since the previous inspection, the school has raised its ambition of what pupils can achieve. Staff are united in their shared vision and determination to improve the school. This work is starting to have an impact on how well pupils are learning. However, much of the school's work is in its infancy. As a result, pupils are not learning the curriculum well enough. Parents and carers are supportive of the school. Notably, they praise the impact of new leaders and the positive changes they have seen so far. They value the care and support provided by nurturing staff. The school offers a range of opportunities to develop interests. For example, pupils value outdoor learning as well as attending clubs, such as singing and yoga. The school adjusts the offer to ensure that disadvantaged pupils can benefit.

What the school should improve

• The school has not sufficiently identified and sequenced the precise knowledge pupils need to learn across all subjects. As a result, pupils are not building their knowledge securely across the curriculum. The trust must ensure that across all subjects, the knowledge pupils need to know and remember is clearly identified and sequenced.
• Some staff do not have the expertise needed to implement the curriculum effectively, including in the early years. They do not consistently plan work that deepens pupils' knowledge or helps them to remember their learning. As a result, some pupils do not learn as well as they should. The trust must develop staff expertise to teach the intended curriculum so that pupils can progress well through the curriculum.
• Some pupils who have fallen behind in reading and writing, including pupils with SEND, are not getting all the support they need to achieve well. This stalls progress for these pupils in becoming confident and fluent readers and writers. The trust needs to ensure that these pupils get the support they need to learn the English curriculum well.
• The checks the school makes on how well pupils are learning the curriculum are underdeveloped. As a result, the school is not clear how well pupils are securing new knowledge and where pupils have gaps in their understanding. The trust should ensure staff have the expertise to identify any knowledge gaps and make appropriate adaptations to learning tasks to address these areas.

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