Large South Bristol primary turns around poor Ofsted into 'Good' rating in two years

Staff, parents and pupils at a South Bristol primary school which received a shock Ofsted report which said it ‘required improvement’ two years ago are celebrating now after inspectors returned and said every area of the school was now rated as ‘good’.

Waycroft Academy had been rated ‘outstanding’ for more than ten years so it wasn’t inspected by Ofsted throughout the 2010s, but when they did arrive in late 2021, they found the school required improvement. But now, that improvement has been made, and the school, which is part of the Cabot Learning Federation, is back with a positive Ofsted report.

The school in Stockwood is one of the biggest primaries in South Bristol, with 459 pupils on roll. The two day inspection was carried out in early June and the result has now been published. Lead inspector Gavin Summerfield praised Waycroft’s ‘ambitious’ and ‘well-planned’ curriculum, with the focus of the inspection days on carrying out a ‘deep dive’ into the teaching standards at the school.

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Ofsted said the school was ‘greatly improved’ from the January 2022 report, and the school now offers a ‘calm and purposeful’ learning environment where children are ‘supported with kindness and understanding’, the inspectors said.

“Throughout the inspection we were incredibly proud of our children, and of their behaviour, attitudes and understanding of our school values,” said Waycroft’s headteacher, Adam Smith.

“Staff are obviously delighted our school was judged as ‘Good’ in all areas, as it reflects the dedication and hard work that has gone into making improvements since the previous inspection in 2021.

“We are especially pleased with the inspectors’ commendation of our strong team ethos and the way our staff are proud to work at the school, support each other and support the children. It is fitting recognition of our efforts to provide the very best education that we can,” he added.

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Ofsted inspector Gavin Summerfield said the previous inspection, which was carried out in November 2021, with the report published at the start of 2022, found the quality of the education required improvement, and that was a focus for the latest June 2024 inspection.

“The quality of education has improved greatly since the previous inspection and is now in line with the strong pastoral support that pupils receive,” he said. “The school has reflected on the 2023 published pupil outcomes and has prioritised the curriculum. There has been huge impact,” he added.

“Pupils work hard in the classroom and participate in lessons with enthusiasm. Pupils learn in a calm and purposeful way. The school values of ‘Ready, Respectful and Resilient’ are understood by all. Pupils behave well around the school and live up to the high expectations set by staff,” he said.

Leadership and management at the school was also found to require improvement in 2021, but now it has also been rated as ‘Good’. Waycroft Academy joined the Cabot Learning Federation earlier this year.

“The school has recently joined a new multi-academy trust,” said Mr Summerfield. “The expertise and experience available in the trust has supported the school to strengthen its curriculum and provide the right level of challenge and support to school leaders.

“Staff are well supported by leaders who are considerate of their workload and wellbeing. As a result, staff support each other well, there is a strong team ethos and they are proud to work at the school,” he added.