Ditton: Once 'Inadequate', Now Hailed by Inspectors

Ditton Primary Academy reaps its rewards after recent Ofsted inspection, taking their grade from 'Inadequate' to 'Good'.

The head of Ditton Primary Academy has spoken of her pride after inspectors hailed the huge improvements it has made. The school in Widnes was rated as 'Inadequate' by Ofsted back in 2018.

But following its latest visit from the education watchdog over two days in October, the Liverpool Road school is celebrating after it was now judged to be 'Good'. The turnaround in fortunes comes after the school became part of Warrington Primary Academy Trust in the summer of 2019.

Ditton Primary Head of School Janette Pyne pictured with proud pupils (back, from left) Caitlyn Cornes, Neive Corby and Zachary Wan, (front) Cooper Kelly, Isabella Twigg, Alfie Twigg and Ada Black.

The recently-published Ofsted report states: "Pupils are happy and enjoy coming to school. They receive a warm welcome from staff each day. Pupils value the caring relationships that they have with staff. Pupils trust that staff will help them with any concerns. This makes pupils feel safe at school.

"The school has high expectations for what pupils should know and be able to do. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils want to do well. They take great pride in their learning. The corridors around school reflect the high standard of work produced by pupils. This is mirrored in their books.

"Pupils typically achieve well. Pupils behave well during lessons and around the school. They are kind to each other. This includes children in the early years who cooperate, support and care for their classmates well. Pupils appreciate the vast array of after-school clubs on offer to them."

The report goes on to say how parents trust staff to deal with any issues "quickly and effectively", while staff "value working at this school". It also notes areas where the school can continue to improve.

"Since joining the multi-academy trust, the school has acted decisively to address previous weaknesses in the curriculum, attendance and behaviour," the report states. "The school has established a new, coherent curriculum from the early years to the end of Year 6. The curriculum supports pupils to build their knowledge in a logical order.

"In the main, staff are clear about the knowledge that pupils should learn and when curriculum content should be taught. Pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well in most subjects. However, in some subjects, the school has not identified the most important knowledge that pupils should learn. This prevents some pupils from gaining the depth of knowledge that they should.

"Teachers check what pupils know and can remember. Teachers then use this information to shape future teaching. They choose appropriate activities to help pupils to learn curriculum content. However, in some subjects, teachers do not revisit the most important knowledge regularly enough.

"This means that key concepts are not embedded in pupils’ memories. This makes it difficult for them to recall what they have been taught when they encounter new learning.

"The school makes sure that pupils attend school regularly and arrive on time. Staff respond instantly, consistently and persistently when pupils do not arrive at school. However, there are still some pupils who are absent too often. This means that they do not achieve as well as they could.

"Parents and carers appreciate the school’s approach to communication. For example, many parents are positive about staff’s willingness to listen and act on concerns. This means that, typically, parents feel confident to ask questions and trust that any issues will be dealt with quickly and effectively.

"Staff value working at this school. They appreciate that leaders’ actions help them to carry out their roles effectively. For example, through investing in high-quality professional development staff feel that they can make a difference in school."

Head of school, Janette Pyne, said: "This report is testimony to the sheer commitment of our staff and colleagues across Warrington Primary Academy Trust, as well as the support of our fantastic parents and wider school community. I’m sure everyone is as proud as I am of the improvements that have been made since the last inspection."