East Wickham Primary Academy, located in Welling, Kent, has been recognized as a good school following its inspection on November 26-27, 2019. The school fosters a safe and happy environment where pupils feel part of the East Wickham family. Staff members are dedicated to ensuring that all pupils, regardless of their backgrounds, feel included and valued. The leadership team is committed to providing every pupil with opportunities to succeed, keeping parents informed about their children's education and progress.
Teachers employ engaging methods to help pupils learn about various cultures, such as exploring life in different Spanish-speaking countries. Pupils retain important lessons from school events and understand the significance of supporting one another and their community. The school promotes positive behavior, with pupils treating each other kindly and requiring minimal reminders from adults. Staff members model respectful communication, which pupils emulate in their interactions. The school has established clear behavior rules, and pupils believe that adults handle poor behavior fairly, contributing to a conducive learning environment.
Leaders actively work to prevent bullying, with pupils expressing confidence in the adults' ability to identify warning signs before issues arise. This proactive approach helps create a safe atmosphere where pupils feel comfortable being themselves. If any concerns arise, pupils know they can trust an adult in the school to listen and provide support.
The school has prioritized improving reading achievement, which has yielded positive results. Pupils are well-prepared for future educational stages, starting phonics instruction in Reception Year. Engaging activities are set up to support reading practice, and teachers effectively implement a structured phonics teaching sequence. However, some early years and Year 1 pupils occasionally struggle with reading the words in their assigned books.
Leaders recognize the need for older pupils to enhance their ability to articulate their thoughts on the books they read. Teachers have improved reading lessons by refining their questioning techniques, leading to pupils providing examples to support their opinions. Pupils enjoy selecting books from the school library and feel encouraged to explore new titles.
In mathematics, teachers ensure that pupils build on prior knowledge and frequently practice calculation methods. Leaders emphasize the importance of teaching mathematical vocabulary from early years, resulting in pupils being able to discuss their mathematical reasoning effectively.
The school supports pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, ensuring they succeed across all subjects. Recent changes in how teachers record the progress of these pupils are showing promise, although a full review of the impact is still pending. Pupils' work in other subjects, such as history and Spanish, demonstrates consistently high quality, with engaging lessons that connect learning to real-world contexts.
Pupils enjoy their lessons and are generally well-behaved, with minimal disruptions to learning. The school offers a variety of enriching activities, such as outdoor learning experiences. Leaders manage staff workload effectively, allowing teachers to focus on impactful teaching strategies while monitoring the well-being of senior leaders.
The safeguarding arrangements at East Wickham Primary Academy are effective, with staff trained to identify and report concerns. Leaders stay informed about potential risks affecting pupils and tailor activities to support their emotional well-being. While the school has many strengths, leaders are working to ensure that staff consistently assist pupils in selecting appropriately challenging reading materials to enhance fluency. Overall, East Wickham Primary Academy continues to provide a supportive and effective educational environment for its pupils.