Whitburn Village Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this respectful and welcoming school. There are positive relationships between pupils and staff.

Pupils understand why staff expect pupils to aim high and behave well. Pupils rise to those expectations. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about how much the school has improved over the past two years.

Pupils say they 'work harder', 'learn more' and 'behave well'. As a result, they achieve high-quality outcomes.

Pupils say that bullying is 'very uncommon'.

This is because staff create an environment where bullying is not tolerated. Pupils learn how to recognise bullying behaviour and how to deal with it should it occur. They say the...re are no unsafe places in the school.

Instead, there is a strong culture of mutual respect.

Pupils are eager to take on leadership positions. Pupils are proud to be reading leaders or members of the anti-bullying group.

They receive training for some roles, such as sports leaders or eco warriors. There is a wide range of opportunities for pupils to develop their interests or talents. Pupils and parents appreciate the high-quality extra-curricular activities.

Pupils particularly enjoy choir, sports activities and cookery club.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The quality of education is now good. Senior leaders have worked hard to improve this school since the previous inspection.

Leaders have provided staff with high-quality professional development. As a result, staff have secure subject knowledge. The executive headteacher makes sure that staff have high expectations of pupils.

As a result, pupils now achieve well in English and mathematics.

The curriculum leader has made many improvements to foundation subjects. Teachers are clear about what they have to teach, and in which order, from Reception to Year 6.

The curriculum is well established for mathematics, English, science, geography and history. In art and design, music, and design and technology the curriculum is not as well developed. Leaders are still in the early stages of developing their plans in these areas.

Leaders' long-term plans include end points for pupils to reach. In English and mathematics, these goals are set for expected and higher standards. In wider curriculum subjects, the goals set are to meet expected standard only.

This means that some pupils are not challenged in these subjects.

Children get off to a swift start when learning to read in the early years. Pupils in Year 1 build on the strong phonics knowledge that they gain in Reception.

An above-average proportion of pupils enter Year 2 with the expected phonic skills. Adults ensure that pupils' reading books match their reading ability. This means even pupils in the earliest stages of reading read with confidence.

The leader of mathematics has inspired teachers' interest, through her enthusiasm and knowledge. Leaders' plans identify where pupils will revisit previous learning. Pupils practise different ways to calculate.

Pupils use strong problem-solving skills. Pupils apply their mathematical skills in other subjects. For example, pupils could plot different temperatures on a line graph in geography.

Pupils do not revisit some aspects of mathematics such as 'time' or 'measures' on a regular basis. As a result, pupils do not practise or refine their skills in these areas often enough.

Leaders sequence long-term plans for geography well.

As a result, pupils build upon what they already know or can do. Pupils have a good understanding of how to read maps. This helped them to learn about the mountain ranges in different countries.

Leaders use the local area well to allow pupils to learn about beaches, rivers and land.

The leader of early years and her team of staff have a clear understanding of how young children learn. Children are happy, safe and confident and behave well.

They access inviting opportunities to learn, both inside and outdoors. This includes activities to develop their early writing and mathematical skills. Children manage risks through the use of real experiences, for example taking care when cooking in the firepit or using real tools in the woodwork station.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do well. Within the classroom, they receive effective support from adults. The vast majority of pupils with SEND access a demanding curriculum.

A small proportion of pupils with SEND do not access the full curriculum. This means that they have limited curricular experiences. A small proportion of parents expressed concerns about the support their children receive.

Leaders are working with parents to improve this.

Staff morale is high. They told us that leaders help them to balance their workload.

The vast majority of parents and carers praise the school. One wrote, 'It's evident that the teachers want the best for every child.'

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The designated safeguarding lead provides relevant training for staff and governors. Staff have a strong awareness of pertinent risks, such as child criminal exploitation. Staff all know that safeguarding is the responsibility of everyone.

Staff plan a curriculum which includes ways to help pupils know the importance of safety.

Pupils say that they feel safe. They trust staff to keep them safe.

They know how to be careful when using the internet. Pupils say that they have someone that they can talk to if they have any concerns.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Leaders have designed a curriculum with creative content.

However, the school's curriculum is not yet coherently planned and sequenced in all subjects. It is clear from the actions that leaders have already taken to plan the curriculum and train staff in how to deliver it that they are in the process of bringing this about. For this reason, the transition arrangement has been applied in this case.

. Leaders plan sequential units of work for expected, and higher, standards in English and mathematics. In subjects other than English and mathematics, leaders do not identify the end points for pupils to reach higher standards.

This means that some pupils are not challenged sufficiently. Leaders should ensure that these end points are planned for all subjects, so that teachers are able to use them to set ambitious work across the whole curriculum. .

Leaders have improved mathematics since the last inspection. The mathematics curriculum offer is strong, for example in calculation, fractions, decimals and percentages. Some areas of mathematics are revisited more often than others.

As a result, some pupils are not getting sufficient practice to refine their skills. Leaders should continue to embed all aspects of the mathematics curriculum in all year groups. .

A small number of pupils do not have access to the full curriculum in the school. This means that the curriculum is narrowed for them. Leaders should tighten up on systems and procedures to ensure that pupils facing difficulty have access to the full curriculum and are reintegrated into mainstream education as swiftly as possible.

Also at this postcode