West Cornforth Primary School

Inspection of West Cornforth Primary School High Street, West Cornforth, Ferryhill, County Durham DL17 9HP

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Inspection dates: 16 and 17 September 2025

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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 Outstanding 16 and 17 September 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to this school. They are safe, happy, and cared for. Staff know the pupils and their families well. There are many trusted adults that pupils can talk to. Relationships are warm and respectful. This helps to create a strong sense of belonging. Parents and carers speak highly of the support the school offers. They enjoy events such as ‘grab a grown up’ and appreciate the chance to join in and celebrate learning together with their children.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils conduct themselves well in and out of the classroom. Bullying occurs very rarely. Pupils know that if they have concerns, staff will respond promptly. Pupils, parents, and staff say that behaviour is good.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets high expectations for pupils’ achievement. It encourages pupils to aim high and work hard. Pupils rise to this challenge. They enjoy their lessons, take pride in their work, and typically achieve well. Staff help pupils to believe in themselves and celebrate their successes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The wider curriculum provides a vast range of exciting enrichment opportunities. Pupils enthusiastically attend clubs such as cookery, art, and sports. They enjoy trips to museums and local landmarks that bring learning to life. Pupils understand how they can make a difference. They are proud to play an active role in their school through a range of leadership roles and are keen to get involved in wider community initiatives.

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

The school offers a broad and ambitious curriculum. Leaders are clear about what they want pupils to learn and why. In all year groups, pupils benefit from learning that builds knowledge over time. Pupils revisit previous learning regularly. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same curriculum as their peers. Pupils with SEND are identified early and with precision. They receive tailored support in class, which helps them make secure progress through the curriculum.

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

Children in the early years get off to a strong start. Staff design activities that help children to develop early reading and mathematical skills. In Nursery, children learn rhymes and sounds to help them prepare for phonics lessons in Reception. Staff follow the school’s chosen phonics programme carefully. They quickly spot pupils who fall behind and help them to catch up. Pupils enjoy reading and regular visits to the local library. Many pupils really look forward to their teacher reading stories aloud.

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

In mathematics, pupils build knowledge through regular practice. Teachers check understanding and revisit areas where pupils are less secure. This helps pupils apply their skills with confidence. Across the wider curriculum, regular opportunities for pupils to discuss their learning using subject-specific vocabulary supports them to remember what they have been taught. 16 and 17 September 2025

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Teachers’ checks of pupils’ learning are used well in certain subjects, such as mathematics. However, in some subjects, the activities chosen to check pupils’ understanding are not precise enough. They do not consistently help teachers understand how well pupils are learning and remembering. This then means that subsequent learning does not always address gaps in learning or, on occasion, provide sufficient challenge. As a result, some pupils do not always build or deepen their knowledge well.

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In the early years, children learn expectations and routines. Staff help children to be able to talk about and understand their feelings. From the early years, the school is a calm and harmonious environment in which to learn. Low-level disruption is very rare and does not impact on how well pupils learn the intended curriculum. The school’s behaviour management approach is applied consistently by staff, and pupils respond well.

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Attendance is improving gradually for some pupils. The school has worked hard to support these pupils and their families. However, for a significant number of pupils, attendance is still too low. This means they miss important learning and valuable enrichment opportunities.

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Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They have a developing knowledge of fundamental British values taught through a well-considered wider curriculum offer. For example, pupils have a growing understanding of concepts such as the rule of law and why we have rules in place. Pupils learn how to keep themselves and others safe, including online.

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Leaders share a strong vision and knowledge of the school’s work. They are clear about the next steps for sustained improvement. Governors support and challenge the school well. Staff feel supported and say their workload is considered. The school develops staff’s knowledge effectively. As a result, subjects such as early reading are taught with confidence.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the use of assessment is not informative. The assessment checks do not routinely provide helpful information about how well pupils have learned the curriculum, nor do they clearly support teachers to identify the most appropriate next steps. The school should make sure that assessments check how well pupils have learned and remembered the curriculum content and support teachers to identify the most appropriate next steps.  Despite recent improved attendance for some pupils, the school’s strategies are not having the intended impact for others. As a result, too many pupils still miss out on 16 and 17 September 2025

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important learning. The school must refocus its approaches to attendance to reduce absences for these pupils.

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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). 16 and 17 September 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 February 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a nursery that children can attend from the age of two.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school offers childcare at the start and end of each day. This is managed by the governing body.

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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 provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 16 and 17 September 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the second routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher and deputy headteacher, who is also the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator. The lead inspector also met with members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography, and computing. 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. Inspectors also discussed the

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curriculum in some other subjects.  Pupils were observed reading to familiar adults.  The school’s programme for pupils’ wider development was considered.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school was observed.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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.  The responses made by parents to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including any free-text comments, were considered as part of the inspection. The inspectors also considered the responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Tracy Duffy, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Deborah Ashcroft Ofsted Inspector 16 and 17 September 2025

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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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