Whittington CofE (VA) Primary School

Inspection of Whittington C of E (VA) Primary School Station Road, Whittington, Oswestry, Shropshire SY11 4DA

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 1 and 2 October 2024

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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.

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What is it like to attend this 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.

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What is it like to attend this school?

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.

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What is it like to attend this school?

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.

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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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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 1 and 2 October 2024

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(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.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 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. 1 and 2 October 2024

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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). 1 and 2 October 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6 November 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school makes use of alternative provision.  The school is part of the Church of England Diocese of Lichfield.  The school’s last section 48 inspection was in February 2023. The school’s next inspection will be within eight years of the previous section 48 inspection.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

n Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 1 and 2 October 2024

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n This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. n Inspectors met with the governing body. They held meetings with the executive headteacher, the headteacher, other senior leaders, subject leaders, teachers and pupils. They also talked informally to pupils and staff to gather general information about school life. n Inspectors held discussions with a representative from the Church of England Diocese of Lichfield and a representative from Shropshire local authority. n Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, history, and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors 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. They also looked at other subjects to

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check how they are planned and taught. n To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: 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. n Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents. These included information about behaviour, attendance, the school curriculum and improvement planning. The school website was also checked. n Inspectors observed informal times of the day to evaluate safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour. n Inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and free- text comments. They also considered responses to Ofsted’s survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Emma Titchener, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Johanne Clifton Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 October 2024

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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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