Windwhistle Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Pupils' achievement has improved significantly since the previous inspection. All groups of pupils now make good progress and achieve well.

When children start school in Nursery their skills are much lower than normally expected. By the time they leave they have caught up considerably and standards are average because adults provide them with high quality support. Pupils' positive attitudes to learning make a strong contribution to their achievement.

Pupils take pride in their school and work. Teaching is typically good and some is outstanding. In the best lessons, teachers listen carefully to pupils' responses and reshape activities to ...match their learning needs very well.

Pupils' behaviour is well managed. Pupils act and feel safe in school. Determined action by the headteacher and senior leaders has brought about improvements to leadership, teaching and pupils' achievement since the previous inspection.

Senior leaders, all staff and governors share a common, ambitious purpose to provide the best for pupils in the school. The care of pupils, particularly those whose circumstances make them vulnerable, is effective and helps them prepare well for learning. Adaptions to the curriculum are meeting the academic and personal needs of pupils well.

Teaching assistants and other adults contribute strongly to the school's success. They support pupils well who need extra help, additional sessions, and at play and lunchtimes. Governors are knowledgeable about the school.

They check its performance regularly and provide a good level of support. It is not yet an outstanding school because : A small minority of teaching still requires improvement. Whilst pupils' academic standards by the end of Year 2 have improved, they remain below the national average.

Information about this school

Windwhistle Primary School is a larger than the average-sized primary school. It became part of a cooperative trust in September 2013 with four other local schools. Each school retains their own headteacher and governing body.

The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is well above average. The proportion supported at school action plus, or with a statement of special educational needs, is above average. The proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding is well above average.

This is additional government funding provided to schools to support pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, those in local authority care and those with a parent in the armed services. Since the previous inspection the school has received support from a national leader of education (NLE) from Waycroft Academy. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in two Nursery and Reception classes.

There is a children's centre on the school site which is not managed by the governing body. This provision was not inspected as part of this inspection. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' standards and progress.

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