Staff and children are celebrating a milestone in the history of Mansfield’s Wainwright Primary Academy.

Ofsted rated the school Outstanding in four of five areas of its inspection, saying Wainwright — part of the Diverse Academies Trust — is a beacon and a school for the community to be proud of. Overall, the academy was given a Good rating.

Inspectors said leaders took the responsibility of serving the community extremely seriously and praised the academy for its ambition, warmth, and happiness, stating the environment for learning was stunning.

In the report, Ofsted highlighted the importance of inclusion, diversity, and equality. It said children showed each other tolerance, kindness and respect, and their behaviour was exemplary.

Principal Jon Chapman said: “I am humbled and 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 — 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 wonderful news.”
Inspectors said pupils were proud of their school and knew teachers had high expectations of them. They praised extra-curricular activities and how leaders resolved barriers faced by some pupils.

The report found that pupils spoke 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. It said children with special needs and disabilities (SEND) achieved well.

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 the trust, added: “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, trust chief executive, added: “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.”