Whittington CofE (VA) Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school that sits at the heart of the local community. The school's values of love, honesty, courage, quality and community run through the school. Staff are nurturing and have good relationships with pupils.

Pupils state that they are happy at school.

The school has set high expectations for pupils' behaviour. This high expectation is matched by staff.

Pupils behave well. They feel safe and know who to talk to if they have a worry.

The school is passionate about widening opportunities for all pupils.

Pupils take part in a wide range of after-school activities, including cookery club, debating and chess. In Year 4 and Year 6, pupils... attend residential visits to outdoor activity centres. They appreciate and value the annual visits to the seaside and the theatre.

Pupils especially love the outdoor woodland learning that they regularly take part in.

In previous years, some pupils did not achieve high enough standards in reading and writing. The school has redesigned parts of the curriculum and set ambitious targets for pupils to achieve.

As a result, pupils have started to achieve higher standards in reading and writing.

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

There have been several noticeable improvements to the curriculum. The school has focused on improving pupils' reading, writing and mathematical knowledge.

For example, the mathematics curriculum is carefully thought through and well designed to meet the needs of all pupils. This is making a difference as pupils are increasing their confidence with number and problem-solving.

Staff are well trained.

They teach the content of the curriculum effectively. Staff make sure that the most important curriculum content is revisited regularly so that pupils remember what they have learned. They make accurate checks on pupils' learning.

When pupils make mistakes, they are readily addressed. Pupils demonstrate positive behaviour towards their learning.

The school ensures that pupils learn to read quickly.

Staff implement the school's phonics programme with fidelity. The new books work well. They are well matched to pupils' reading abilities.

Pupils gain confidence as they practise the sounds they know. Where gaps in phonics knowledge are identified, pupils receive targeted support to help them. Across the school pupils enjoy reading widely and often.

Over time, pupils read with increasing fluency and accuracy.

The early years curriculum has been recently reviewed and developed to ensure that children are well prepared for Year 1. The curriculum is well sequenced with a focus on ensuring that children learn to read from the very start as well as gain fluency in number.

Staff have identified that children need more opportunities to develop physically. As a result, they have increased curriculum time to improve pupils' physical development. The school has invested in new resources to improve children's physical development.

Children are climbing, balancing and jumping with confidence. These changes have a positive impact on how well pupils achieve in the early years.

The school is committed to inclusion.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are accurately identified. Staff are ambitious for what all pupils with SEND can achieve. They work closely with parents and external agencies.

Pupils attending the school's specialist SEND hub receive lots of individual care and attention. They are supported to attend mainstream lessons when appropriate. Complex behavioural needs are well managed.

Pupils with SEND achieve well.

Leaders and staff know families well and work with them to promote pupils' attendance. There are a range of systems in place to follow up and reduce absence.

Despite this, attendance remains low for some pupils.

There are a wide variety of extra-curricular clubs and educational visits for all ages. Pupils are proud to represent the school in frequent sporting competitions, including football and tag rugby.

Pupils understand about the rule of law and recite the school rules of 'be ready, respectful and safe' and understand what this means. They understand the importance of helping to support charities, including a local hospice.

Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the leadership of the school.

They appreciate that leaders make sure that their workload and well-being are well managed.

Governors are very supportive of staff. They understand their roles and responsibilities.

Some governors attend school meetings regularly but do not always follow up on information they receive. Governors find it difficult to hold the school to account fully for the quality of the curriculum and pupils' achievement.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Governors do not always hold leaders to account for the quality of the curriculum and how well pupils achieve. This means that they do not always follow up on information provided to them and do not have an accurate view of the school. Governors should ensure that they use the information provided to hold leaders to account fully for the quality of the curriculum and the standards that pupils achieve.

• Some pupils miss too much time from school. As a result, they do not achieve as well as they could. The school should continue to identify the barriers to pupils' attendance so they can be successfully addressed, enabling pupils to reach their full potential.

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