Whitehill Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Whitehill Primary School Whitehill Street West, Heaton Norris, Stockport, Cheshire SK4 1PB

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Outcome

Whitehill Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils in Whitehill Primary School are safe and happy. They are eager to attend each day as they enjoy their lessons. Relationships between staff and pupils are positive, starting with the warm welcome that the pupils receive each morning. Pupils reported that they have lots of grown-ups that they can talk to in school about any worries that they might have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils’ learning. In the main, pupils achieve well. Classrooms are calm and purposeful. In lessons, pupils are eager to share their ideas and they follow teachers’ instructions well. They live up to leaders’ high expectations and they are proud of the rewards that they receive for their efforts.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive on their opportunities to learn outdoors. This helps them to work as a team, learn about the environment and it improves their mental and physical health. In addition, pupils have a wealth of opportunities to take part in extra-curricular clubs and visits. These include singing, coding, drama and dodgeball. Pupils value their busy lunchtimes when they spend time playing giant games and sports or spending time in the music area, where dancers and cheerleaders practise their routines.

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

The school has designed a curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This begins in the nursery, where staff prioritise the development of children’s communication and language skills. Children gain a secure start on which to build as they progress through the school. Most pupils achieve well, although there remain some differences between subjects in the depth of knowledge that pupils know and remember. 8 and 9 February 2024

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In most subjects, the school has identified the knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and enthusiasm for the subjects that they teach. They present information clearly and they design activities that help pupils, including those with SEND, to build their knowledge and understanding. However, in some subjects, the curriculums have been recently updated and they are not fully implemented. As a result, in these subjects, pupils have some gaps in the subject vocabulary that they know.

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In most subjects, teachers carefully check the knowledge that pupils know and remember. Teachers identify and correct misconceptions before moving on to new learning. However, in a small number of subjects, teachers do not check specific subject knowledge sufficiently well. As a result, in these subjects, misconceptions are not addressed quickly enough.

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The school has prioritised the teaching of reading throughout the school. The phonics programme begins in the early years and staff deliver the programme effectively. The school has ensured that the books that pupils read are well matched to the sounds that they know. Teachers regularly check pupils’ phonics knowledge and they ensure that less confident readers receive the support they need to catch up quickly. Pupils of all ages value the range of books available for them. Most pupils have developed a love of reading and they read regularly.

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The school has effective systems in place to identify the needs of pupils with SEND. The school secures appropriate additional support for those pupils that need it. Teachers receive the information and training that they need to adapt their teaching to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. As a result, most pupils with SEND learn well.

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Throughout the school, including in the early years, pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning. Pupils show respect for each other and disruption to learning is very rare. There is a harmonious atmosphere throughout the school.

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The school has designed an extensive curriculum and a programme of experiences to help pupils to develop their understanding of the wider world. Pupils are ambitious for the future jobs that they could have. Pupils have learned about a range of topics, including how to keep themselves safe online, healthy relationships and how to be respectful of the differences that exist between people. Leaders incorporate a range of trips that are designed to enhance the learning across a range of curriculum areas.

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Members of the governing body understand the school well and they are ambitious for the pupils and the community they serve. They support and challenge the work of leaders effectively. Parents hold the school in high regard and appreciate the plentiful opportunities they have to communicate with staff about their children. Staff value the time and support they are given by leaders so that they can carry out their roles. Staff are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 8 and 9 February 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, teachers do not use assessment strategies effectively to accurately identify the precise knowledge and vocabulary they want pupils to know. As a result, some pupils struggle to make deeper connections between earlier knowledge and new learning. The school should ensure that they implement the changes to these curriculums well so that pupils develop deeper knowledge and understanding of key concepts and vocabulary over time.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. 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 good in December 2018.

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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 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). 8 and 9 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Co-Chairs of Governing Body Ceri Blackmore and Helen Timperley

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 December 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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Information about this inspection

 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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult.  The inspector spoke to pupils about their experiences of school and their views about behaviour and bullying. She also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktimes. 8 and 9 February 2024

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 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 spoke with the headteacher, other senior leaders and members of staff.  The inspector met with members of the governing body.  The inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority and a school improvement partner.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The inspector also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and for pupils.

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Inspection team

Eleanor Overland, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 8 and 9 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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