Whittle-le-Woods Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Whittle-le-Woods Church of England Primary School Preston Road, Whittle-le-Woods, Chorley, Lancashire PR6 7PS

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 5 and 6 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy being at school. They find their learning interesting and fun. Children begin to develop resilience and independence as soon as they join the school in the early years. Pupils strive to live out the school’s vision by being strong in mind, body and spirit.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a nurturing and welcoming community that celebrates diversity. Pupils carry out an impressive array of leadership roles with diligence and enthusiasm to support the school’s work. They develop highly attuned skills in noticing when and how to help others. For example, pupils’ contributions through acting as ambassadors for mental well-being or being eco-councillors, enhance the school’s calm and well-ordered atmosphere.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the strong friendships that they develop. They cooperate well in class and play together happily at breaktimes. Pupils behave well. They trust adults to sort out any minor worries or problems that might arise. Strong and positive relationships across the school enable pupils and staff to focus on learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high aspirations for all pupils. It ensures that pupils access additional support when they find learning difficult. This is especially true for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils typically achieve well across the curriculum.

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

The school has a well-embedded and ambitious curriculum. There is a clear and logical order in which the school expects pupils to learn key information as they progress from the Nursery Year to Year 6. The skilful delivery of this and the ‘Wider Whittle’ curriculum enhances and deepens pupils’ learning. Pupils develop a secure body of useful knowledge as a result. They are well prepared for the secondary phase of their education by the time they reach Year 6. Teachers are clear about the most important aspects of the curriculum that they need to focus on with their classes. Teachers usually check that pupils’ knowledge is secure before moving on to new learning. They make effective links with what pupils have learned previously. This helps pupils to make sense of new information and strengthens their understanding. At times, for pupils with SEND, however, this is not consistently the case. The school ensures that teachers know how to identify and support pupils with additional

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

needs, including those with SEND. It provides useful information to help teachers adapt the delivery of the curriculum to meet these pupils’ needs. Despite this, sometimes, teachers do not consistently make effective use of this information. At times, some pupils with SEND repeat learning unnecessarily. Occasionally, their misconceptions or specific needs are not addressed as well as they could be. This affects how well some of these pupils achieve. Reading and developing an understanding of a wide range of vocabulary has a high priority within the curriculum. Pupils benefit from the high-quality texts that the school provides. Most are competent readers by the end of Year 6. This begins in the Nursery Year, where children enjoy sharing much-loved stories, songs and rhymes with their 5 and 6 November 2024

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teachers. Adults in the early years skilfully support children’s developing understanding of language by providing strong role models. Consequently, children benefit from a firm foundation on which to begin to learn to read, including making effective use of phonics in the Reception Year. The school makes sure that teachers are well equipped to deliver its chosen phonics programme. In the Nursery Year, children begin to recognise different types of sounds. Skilled staff provide ample support for pupils as they develop and strengthen their early reading knowledge. Pupils quickly become fluent and accurate readers in Years 1 and 2. Pupils who find reading more of a challenge receive effective support. They build up their confidence in reading by practising regularly with books that contain the sounds that they know. Pupils benefit from the high priority that the school places on their personal development.

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This supports pupils to develop into well-rounded individuals. They respond with impressive maturity when they reflect on local and global issues that affect themselves and others. The positive attitudes that pupils develop about themselves, and others, contributes extremely well to their success at school. They learn not to be fazed by making a mistake, but to learn from it. This stands them in good stead for their next stage of education. The school is committed to ensuring that all pupils benefit from the highest quality of education possible. It reflects and adapts its practice when initiatives are not working as well as it would like. Governors work closely with staff to ensure that they are well- equipped to manage their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, teachers do not use the information they have about pupils with SEND well enough. When this happens, teachers do not support these pupils as well as they could in what they most need to learn next. This affects how well some pupils with SEND achieve. The school should make sure that teachers meet the differing needs of pupils with SEND consistently well.

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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. 5 and 6 November 2024

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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). 5 and 6 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 2 and 3 February 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Diocese of Blackburn. The last section 48 inspection of the school’s religious character took place in September 2017. The school has not been informed when its next section 48 inspection will take place.  The school does not currently make use of alternative provision for pupils.  The school provides a before- and after-school club for pupils.

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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. 5 and 6 November 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s educational provision.  This was the second routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the continuing impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and other leaders in the school. An inspector also spoke with a group of governors, including the chair of the governing body.  An inspector spoke with representatives of the local authority and of the diocese.  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.  Inspectors observed pupils from Years 1 to 3 reading to a familiar adult.

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, science and history. They spoke with the leaders of these areas of the curriculum. Inspectors also visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and talked with pupils.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about their learning in other areas of the curriculum. They also looked at samples of pupils’ work in these subjects.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktimes and lunchtimes and when they moved around the school. An inspector scrutinised leaders’ records of pupils’ behaviour.  An inspector visited the school’s breakfast club.  Inspectors spoke with parents and carers as they dropped off their children at school. They also considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and for pupils.  Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school.

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Inspection team

Claire Cropper, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Cath Cooke Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 November 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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