Whitefield Primary School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Whitefield Primary School Boundary Lane, Liverpool, Merseyside L6 2HZ

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Outcome

Whitefield Primary School continues to be an outstanding school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils embody the school’s motto of ‘Be here, be you, belong’. They refer to the school as a place of hope where everyone is part of the Whitefield family. Pupils celebrate and champion difference. They are proud of the diversity that exists in their school and community. Pupils’ understanding of equality is exceptional.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ conduct in lessons and at playtime is impeccable. They more than rise to meet the high expectations that the school has for their behaviour, academic achievement and personal development. Relationships between staff and pupils are exceptionally strong. Pupils approach their work with great pride and resilience. They talk confidently about their learning and have a real thirst to learn more every day. They achieve remarkably well and make very strong progress from a low starting point.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy spending time with their friends and care deeply for one another and for the wider world. They thoroughly enjoy the extended play sessions that include activities such as silent discos, mud kitchen and hockey. These carefully constructed adult-led sessions promote high-quality, enjoyable social interactions among pupils of all ages. Pupils have a high level of respect for adults. They feel safe and they know that there is someone in the school who they can go to if they have a worry.

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

The school’s aspirations for pupils are exceptionally high and nothing but the best will do. Pupils live up to these expectations and become confident and highly articulate learners. Across the school, including in the early years, they make excellent progress through the curriculum. They are extremely well prepared for the next stage in their education.

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

The school has developed a vibrant and extremely ambitious learning journey, which broadens pupils’ horizons and expands their minds. It has clearly and precisely identified the key knowledge that pupils will acquire from the beginning of early years to the end of Year 6. The school makes sure that pupils, including pupils with special educational needs 7 and 8 February 2024

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and/or disabilities (SEND), learn new content in a logical way. This enables pupils to build firm foundations for future learning.

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Highly trained staff teach the curriculum with expertise and enthusiasm. Their passion for learning is infectious. They skilfully design learning activities that help pupils to make strong connections between what they already know and the new learning. Pupils develop detailed knowledge across all areas of the curriculum. They discuss their learning with great confidence and a maturity beyond their years.

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The early years curriculum gives children an excellent start to their education. It is extremely well designed. Indoor and outdoor areas are well organised with exciting activities that help children to develop an enquiring mind. The school manages children’s transition into school exceptionally well. Staff get to know the children as individuals. They use this knowledge to tailor activities that maximise children’s engagement. As a result, children develop high levels of concentration and resilience. They build seamlessly on these as they move into key stage 1.

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The school recognises the importance of teaching pupils to read. Right from the very start, children in the Nursery class develop a love of nursery rhymes and stories. Children enjoy voting for their favourite book at the end of the school day. In the Reception Year and Year 1, staff teach the phonics curriculum with fidelity. They make sure that the books that pupils read are carefully matched to the sounds that they know. This helps pupils to gain the secure phonics knowledge that they need to be successful readers. Highly trained staff give pupils who fall behind prompt help. This helps these pupils to catch up quickly.

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The school has equally high expectations for pupils with SEND. Pupils’ needs are quickly and accurately identified. Staff adapt the delivery of the curriculum and the extra- curricular activities on offer so that pupils with SEND can thrive and achieve alongside their peers. Equality of opportunity is at the core of the school’s work. Consequently, these pupils make excellent progress through the curriculum and participate fully in school life.

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The curriculum to promote pupils’ personal development is very well thought out. It is carefully designed to ensure that pupils have the knowledge and skills to become successful citizens of modern-day Britain. Staff provide pupils with a wide range of enrichment activities that broaden their horizons. They nurture and develop pupils’ talents and interests in drama, sport and music. Pupils learn about potential careers and are inspired by members of staff who themselves have once been pupils at Whitefield School.

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Staff are extremely well supported by leaders. Their morale is high. They are very proud to work at the school. They know that leaders, including governors, look after their workload and well-being when decisions are made about the school. For example, changes to the curriculum have benefited staff greatly.

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Governors understand and fulfil their statutory duties with diligence. They provide highly effective support and challenge the school to improve continually the quality of education that pupils receive. 7 and 8 February 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. 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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in November 2017.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 7 and 8 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.whitefieldprimaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 15 and 16 November 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs a before-school club for pupils.  The school makes use of one registered alternative provider for some pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders and members of staff. She met representatives of the governing body, including the chair. She also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and computing. For each deep dive, she held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 7 and 8 February 2024

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 The inspector observed pupils from Reception and Year 1 read to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector reviewed a range of documents, including records of governing body meetings, leaders’ evaluation of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement, and documents relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  The inspector spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school and observed their behaviour at playtime. She considered the views of pupils shared through Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  The inspector spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. She considered the views of staff shared through Ofsted’s online survey.

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 The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Sue Dymond, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 7 and 8 February 2024

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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