New town school is Outstanding

A new school in Spalding has been rated as Outstanding across the board after its first inspection.

The Springwell Alternative Academy has pupils aged from four to 16 and is a school offering alternative provision.
It opened in 2019 in the former South Holland Sixth Form centre, Matmore Gate.
An Ofsted inspection was carried out in September and the glowing report published this week.
Four key areas – quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership were all awarded Outstanding.
“Staff at Springwell Alternative Academy make a difference to pupils’ lives. Pupils receive care, guidance and support in a warm and nurturing environment. Pupils who attend this school often have difficult previous school experiences, or have significant challenges in their lives,” it said.
Executive principal Lisa Ashcroft-Day said: “Since opening in 2019, the Springwell Spalding team has worked tirelessly to create something for our pupils and community. We’re incredibly proud to now have that recognised in this fantastic first Ofsted report.
“Our students often have had difficult experience with education and we work hard to ensure that we turn that around when they come to us. We focus on developing a deep understanding of each student and giving them the support and compassion they need to thrive.”
The school has 41 pupils on its current role, but can accommodate 63 pupils.
“Staff know pupils exceptionally well. They carefully guide pupils to understand their behaviours and give them the strategies to learn how to self-regulate well. Pupils feel safe and understood,” the report says.
The inspection highlighted the fact reading is prioritised and when pupils join, they are assessed.
“Pupils who are in the early stages of reading receive lessons in phonics. All pupils receive regular timetabled reading lessons where they explore a wide range of articles and texts.
All pupils at the academy have an identified Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities.
It is for students who have been permanently excluded from mainstream school or those at high risk of permanent exclusion.
The school is an academy free school and is operated by the Wellspring Academy Trust.