Staff and children at Wainwright Primary Academy are thrilled to be celebrating an exciting milestone in the school’s history, following a judgement of ‘outstanding’ in four of the five areas of inspection, including leadership and management.
The Mansfield-based school was inspected on 18 and 19 July 2023, with Ofsted hailing that ‘the school is a beacon’ and ‘a school for the community to be proud of.’
Inspectors commented that ‘leaders take the responsibility of serving the community extremely seriously’ and praised the academy for its ‘ambition, warmth and happiness’, stating the ‘environment for learning is stunning.’ Overall, the academy was given a ‘good’ rating.
Since joining Diverse Academies, the academy has undergone an incredible transformation. Staff have invested their passion and expertise for education into creating an academy that supports all children to succeed – not only academically, but as a well-rounded, confident and resilient individuals, with a bright future ahead of them.
In the report shared with parents and carers this week, Ofsted highlighted the importance of inclusion, diversity and equality. Children ‘show each other tolerance, kindness and respect’ and their ‘behaviour is exemplary’, supported by staff who want ‘pupils to succeed, no matter their personal circumstance or culture.’
The inspectors also commented that ‘pupils are proud of their school’, that they ‘have a sense of privilege’ and that they ‘know that teachers have incredibly high expectations of them.’ In relation to extra-curricular activities, Ofsted cited the ‘countless wider experiences’ that children have access to, and that leaders ‘resolve the barriers faced by some pupils’ so that ‘there are no limits.’ Ofsted summed-up the team’s findings with a quote from one child, who had told an inspector that ‘the school gives me many extra learning opportunities’ and that this had brought them ‘a lot of joy.’
In terms of teaching and learning, Ofsted found that ‘pupils speak about their learning with authority, pride and confidence’, and went on to highlight the expertise of staff, describing teachers as ‘knowledgeable’, with ‘a strong moral purpose’ and delivering ‘exemplary’ work. The report outlined that ‘subject leadership is a strength’ and that leaders are ‘specialists’, with pupils expressing their ‘gratitude for the richness’ of the opportunities they are exposed to.
Inspectors also reported on the provision for children with special needs and disabilities (SEND), noting the expert support they receive and which ‘is overseen by knowledgeable and skilled professionals’, so that children with SEND ‘achieve well’.
Commenting on the successful Ofsted outcome, Jon Chapman, principal, said he: “I am truly humbled by Ofsted’s report, and I am also immensely proud of our whole academy community. We have a fabulous team of people here at Wainwright, who are all driven to do the very best for our children – and for that I am incredibly grateful, it really is a team effort. Our children are wonderful to teach and have such a fabulous attitude to learning and school life. For Ofsted to recognise our work in the way they have is really wonderful news.”
Executive principal, Lucy Spacey, added: “This is a huge milestone for the academy. As a team, we are passionate about making a difference in our community, and this reports highlights many great examples of how we have put our vision to inspire, to raise aspirations and to create brighter tomorrows into action. We take great pride in seeing our children thrive and succeed in life, and look forward to continuing our transformative work and sharing our insights with others.”
Cat Thornton, chief education officer at Diverse Academies Trust went on to add: “We are delighted that the significant improvements at Wainwright Primary have been reflected in this outcome. Thanks to the dedication, commitment and hard work of everyone involved, the academy is now recognised as providing the highest quality of education, care and support for every child, and is a school that the community can rightly be proud of.”
Dave Cotton, chief executive officer of Diverse Academies Trust, summed up the celebrations: “Across our Trust, we are incredibly ambitious for all our children and young people, and at Wainwright Primary Academy this shines through in abundance. It is a wonderful place of learning, with articulate and enthusiastic children who look ahead in life with an infectious level of optimism. I would like to give my thanks and express my gratitude to the whole team for placing children, in the words of the Ofsted inspector, ‘at the heart of all decisions.’”
