White Rock Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

White Rock Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

This school is in the heart of the community.

Close bonds between staff and families contribute to pupils feeling safe and cared for. The positive behaviour of pupils reflects the school values of teamwork, belonging, leadership and innovation.

School leaders have high expectations for all pupils and staff.

Throughout the school, pupils have positive attitudes to learning. School leaders meet regularly with groups of pupils to understand the impact of leadership decisions. As a result, pupils say they feel the...ir ideas are valued.

Pupils learn to be independent and are trusted to carry out important roles around the school. They act as junior librarians, digital leaders and sports leaders. Pupils are also responsible for caring for the school's goats and take their responsibility seriously.

Pupils are proud of their roles and carry out their duties diligently. This means that the school is able to offer a range of experiences that provide all pupils with a broad and rich curriculum.

Pupils talk positively about the range of extra-curricular activities, such as netball, football and Mandarin club.

The school choir also performs for the local residential home. These clubs help to develop pupils' interests as well as build confidence.

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

The culture of learning is established as soon as children start in the early years.

There is a strong focus on developing children's communication and language from an early age.Staff read to children in a way that brings stories alive. Children learn new words, which they then repeat in role play activities.

For example, children in nursery learn to use the word 'swooping' when they retell a story about owls. This helps them to develop their language successfully.

The early reading curriculum is well structured.

Staff have been trained to teach phonics to a high standard. Staff present sounds clearly to pupils. They continually check pupils' understanding.

Those pupils who are not secure in their learning are swiftly provided with extra support to ensure they do not fall behind. As a result, pupils develop fluency and become fluent readers.

The school's curriculum is ambitious.

Key knowledge and skills build progressively from the early years through to Year 6. The school has identified opportunities to link learning across subjects. For example, as part of physical education, pupils develop dance routines that represent seeds growing, which connects to the science curriculum.

In Spanish lessons, pupils learn vocabulary that describes cultural events from around the world. This helps to deepen pupils' understanding of different subjects and cultures.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported.

They work alongside their peers and learn the full curriculum. The school works closely with families and outside agencies to identify needs promptly. As a result, pupils with SEND develop well from their starting point.

In some subjects, however, assessment is not always used effectively in order to check what pupils know and remember. This means that some pupils develop gaps in their knowledge. Furthermore, some pupils do not always move on to more complex work when they are ready to.

This prevents them doing as well as they could.

Pupils across the school behave to a high standard. Older pupils act as role models and look to help younger children when they can.

Pupils talk with pride about the importance of demonstrating 'White Rock Manners'. As a result, low-level disruption is rare. Attendance is a high priority for school leaders.

The school works closely with families to ensure that those pupils who are absent are supported to improve their attendance.

The programme for pupils' personal development is a strength of the school. Pupils develop an understanding of fundamental British values and other cultures through visitors to the school, such as the police and African drummers.

Younger children also learn about their local environment on 'Round Robin' days out when they experience travel by rail, bus and boat. Older pupils are encouraged and supported to raise money for charities of their own choosing. This helps pupils to understand what it means to be an active member of the community.

Staff are proud to work at this school. They feel supported by leaders and appreciate the training they receive to develop in their careers. Staff say that their workload and well-being are considered when leaders make decisions.

Governors have a clear understanding of the school's strengths and areas for development. As a result, they provide effective level of support and challenge to school leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, assessment is not used effectively in order to check what pupils know and remember. This means that some pupils develop gaps in their knowledge, while other pupils do not move on to more complex work when they are ready to. The school should ensure that staff use assessment effectively in order to check what pupils know and to respond swiftly to ensure that gaps in knowledge are quickly addressed and learning is suitably adapted to meet the needs of all pupils.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in July 2015.