Willows Primary Academy

Overview

Willows Primary Academy is a school where leaders place inclusion at the centre of their work, ensuring pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils achieve well. The report highlights that pupils are “happy, kind and caring” and feel a “genuine sense of belonging” within a calm and respectful environment. While achievement in core subjects is exceptional, the school is working to deepen knowledge across the wider curriculum.

Strengths

• Inclusion is “deeply embedded,” with early identification of needs and “personalised support” helping SEND pupils make “notable progress.”
• Personal development is a strength, with a “clear and well‑sequenced programme” that builds empathy, resilience, and understanding of modern Britain.
• Pupils “achieve exceptionally well in reading, writing and mathematics,” with disadvantaged pupils making particularly strong progress.
• Leadership and governance are impactful, with “evidence‑informed” professional learning and a strong focus on staff wellbeing.
• Behaviour is positive, with “warm and caring” relationships and effective systems to manage attendance and reduce persistent absence.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should refine the implementation of wider curriculum subjects to ensure pupils develop a “deeper understanding” and can explain learning in detail.
• Leaders should continue focusing on developing fine motor skills in the early years to improve writing outcomes at the end of Reception.

Safeguarding

The safeguarding standards are met, with leaders establishing an “open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility” and concerns being actively identified and managed.