Whaley Bridge Primary School

Whaley Bridge Primary School

Address: Buxton Road, Whaley Bridge, High Peak, Derbyshire, SK23 7HX Unique reference number (URN): 112647

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils value being part of the welcoming school community and this contributes to frequent attendance. Families appreciate the school's nurturing approach and pupils enjoy coming to school. As a result, pupils, including those whose circumstances can make attendance more difficult, attend often. Staff work closely with families to understand individual needs and provide appropriate support, helping many pupils to develop positive attendance habits over time.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Calm, respectful relationships characterise daily life across the school. Pupils understand the school's behaviour expectations and demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. They describe the school as a place, where people are kind, inclusive and supportive of one another. Pupils feel safe and trust staff to help them if concerns arise. Bullying is rare and pupils are confident that any concerns will be resolved quickly and effectively.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Staff seek to understand the reasons behind incidents of poor behaviour and provide support that helps pupils succeed. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the help they need to participate fully in school life. Across classrooms, social times and transitions, pupils conduct themselves well and show consideration for others. Older pupils volunteer to support younger children and demonstrate empathy towards those who need additional help. As a result, pupils show care and respect for one another and contribute positively to school life.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Inclusion is at the heart of this school's work. Staff know pupils well and make sure that barriers to learning and wellbeing are identified early and addressed carefully. This is particularly important given the high proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), pupils who are disadvantaged and those who are known, or previously known, to children's social care. Support is planned thoughtfully and reviewed often, helping pupils to participate fully in school life and learn successfully alongside their peers.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Effective support is evident across the school. Staff adapt learning well to meet individual needs and help pupils succeed. Pupils who attend the enhanced resource provision receive specialist support, while also learning, playing and socialising alongside their peers. The school's belief that every child should have 'a chance to shine' is reflected in the way that help is tailored to pupils' individual circumstances.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Disadvantaged pupils are supported well. Additional funding is used thoughtfully to strengthen communication, improve reading and help these pupils access wider school opportunities. Vulnerable pupils are monitored carefully so that support can be adapted when needs change. As a result, these pupils develop confidence, resilience and a strong sense of belonging. The school's work makes a substantial difference to vulnerable pupils' experiences and opportunities.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

A highly inclusive vision shapes the school's work and ensures that pupils remain at the centre of decision-making. Staff, governors, parents and carers and pupils all speak positively about the school's commitment to helping every child succeed. This shared commitment is reflected in the school's culture, where pupils are known well and supported to achieve, belong and thrive.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The school's context is understood very well. Increasing levels of need, including a high proportion of pupils with special educational needs and or disabilities, and those requiring specialist provision, have been considered carefully when determining priorities for improvement. Writing, inclusion and early years development have been identified accurately as key areas for ongoing work. Monitoring systems provide leaders with a very secure understanding of strengths and areas for refinement, and improvement activity is focused appropriately on pupils' best interests.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Staff value the support they receive and speak very positively about opportunities to develop expertise. Early-career teachers benefit from high-quality mentoring, while more experienced staff are encouraged to share best practice and lead improvement work. Staff wellbeing is prioritised and contributes to high morale, stability and positive professional relationships across the school.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Governors know the school well and are committed advocates for both pupils and staff. Their understanding of the school's context enables them to provide effective support and challenge. Safeguarding, inclusion and school improvement receive close scrutiny. Partnerships with families, external agencies and the local authority further support the school's work. While governance could sharpen its evaluation of the measurable impact of some improvement initiatives, leadership and governance contribute significantly to the school's inclusive culture and positive outcomes for pupils.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils thrive because personal development is given a high priority and is woven thoughtfully through school life. The programme extends far beyond the taught curriculum and helps pupils develop confidence, resilience and a strong sense of belonging. Pupils are proud to be part of the school community and speak enthusiastically about their experiences.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

A carefully planned personal, social, health and economic education curriculum helps pupils understand relationships, wellbeing, online safety and healthy lifestyles. Pupils develop a secure understanding of fundamental British values and people's characteristics that are protected by law. They speak confidently about respecting people from different backgrounds and faiths. Educational visits to places of worship, themed weeks and wider cultural experiences broaden pupils' understanding of the world beyond their rural community.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The school's commitment to ensuring that every child has a chance to shine is reflected in the breadth of opportunities available. Pupils participate in residential visits, enterprise projects, music events, performances, sporting activities and as well as taking on leadership

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Expected standard

roles. Pupils with additional needs and vulnerabilities are supported to access these opportunities successfully. Clubs are popular and staff work hard to remove barriers to participation whenever possible.

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Expected standard

Meaningful leadership opportunities help pupils develop responsibility and confidence. Roles, for example, as mental health ambassadors or house captains, mean that pupils make valuable contributions to school life. Pupils take these roles seriously and demonstrate genuine care for one another. Pastoral support helps pupils overcome difficulties and develop confidence, resilience and positive relationships. As a result, pupils feel valued, included and well prepared for life beyond primary school.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils, including many who face significant barriers to learning, make positive progress from their individual starting points. Staff know pupils well and provide support that helps them develop important knowledge and skills. Pupils without additional needs generally achieve well, while those with more complex needs make steady progress towards their individual targets.

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Achievement Expected standard

Published outcomes do not fully reflect the progress and achievement of current pupils. Outcomes are heavily influenced by the significant number of pupils with complex needs within small cohorts. Pupils' work shows that they build knowledge and skills securely over time and are increasingly well prepared for the next stage of education. Reading and mathematics outcomes are typically stronger than writing outcomes. Although current pupils are writing with greater confidence and success than published outcomes suggest, writing remains less secure than other areas, but is improving.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The curriculum has been strengthened since the previous inspection and provides pupils with clear pathways through their learning. Carefully sequenced knowledge and skills help pupils build understanding over time, while a strong emphasis on vocabulary, revisiting prior learning and reading supports pupils' learning across subjects. The school's curriculum 'drivers' successfully promote pupils as 'amazing individuals', 'caring and green citizens' and 'lifelong learners'.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Across the school, pupils engage positively with learning and understand classroom routines well. Reading is prioritised effectively and phonics is taught consistently. In many lessons, staff use resources and support strategies thoughtfully to help pupils learn successfully. Pupils speak confidently about their learning and can recall important knowledge from previous lessons and topics. Those pupils with additional needs are supported well to access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Recent work to improve writing is beginning to have a positive impact. Pupils are producing increasingly fluent and independent writing, and their books show clear progress over time. However, there is some variation in how effectively gaps in pupils' understanding are identified and resolved during lessons, resulting in some pupils not making as much progress as they could.

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Early years Expected standard

Children quickly settle into the warm and purposeful early years environment, where they develop confidence, curiosity and independence. Warm relationships, clear routines and a strong focus on communication help children feel safe, valued and ready to learn.

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Early years Expected standard

Learning environments in both the Nursery and Reception Years provide purposeful opportunities for children to develop knowledge, skills and independence. Communication, language and early literacy are prioritised effectively. Children engage well with phonics, benefit from high-quality interactions with staff and have frequent opportunities to develop vocabulary through carefully planned play and discussion. Inclusive practice ensures that children with additional needs participate successfully alongside their peers.

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Early years Expected standard

The early years curriculum provides children with the foundations that they need for future learning. Positive transition arrangements help children settle smoothly into the Reception Year and, subsequently, into Year 1. Children behave well, share resources sensibly and demonstrate growing independence during daily routines.

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Early years Expected standard

Children achieve well and are prepared appropriately for the next stage of learning. Assessment information identifies children's next steps accurately and helps staff provide additional support when needed. However, this information is not always used precisely enough to ensure that learning builds consistently on what children already know and can do.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy being part of this friendly school community, where they are known well by staff and supported to do their best. The school's values of being ready, respectful and safe are evident during lessons and playtimes and in the ways that pupils interact with one another. Pupils understand these expectations and say they feel safe in school. Those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are involved fully in school life and learn alongside their peers.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Learning is an important part of pupils' daily experience. They talk confidently about what they know and remember, particularly in reading, which is valued across the school. Pupils enjoy exploring new ideas across a broad range of subjects and activities. Many make positive progress from their starting points, including those who face significant barriers to learning, and they develop the knowledge and confidence they need for the next stage of their education.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Life at the school extends well beyond the classroom. Pupils take part in residential visits, sporting events, performances, clubs and enterprise activities. Leadership opportunities,

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Team inspector:

Steven Champion, Ofsted Inspector including acting as reading buddies and school council representatives, help pupils develop responsibility and confidence. Pupils value these opportunities and take their roles seriously.

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Team inspector:

Relationships between pupils are warm and respectful. Older pupils support younger children and show empathy towards those who need additional help. Pupils say that bullying is rare and they trust staff to deal with concerns quickly if they arise. Pupils feel safe in school and know who to turn to when they need help. Frequent attendance and positive attitudes to learning help pupils make the most of the opportunities available to them.

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Next steps

Leaders should continue to develop staff expertise in checking pupils' understanding and using assessment information to inform pupils' next learning steps, including in the early years, so that this effective practice is embedded consistently across all subjects and year groups.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Ian Bingle.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

This inspection took place from 14 July to 15 July 2026.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with pupils, parents and carers, staff, senior leaders and governors during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The school includes provision for 15 pupils in a specially resourced provision.

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About this inspection

The school uses no alternative provision.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 14 July 2026

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years. National average: 26.3%

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational needs support at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English indices of deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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What does this mean?

The type of Special Educational Needs provision provided at the school (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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average

2022/23 (final) 56% 60% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2023/24 (final) 76% 74% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 75% 73% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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average

2022/23 (final) 66% 71% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2023/24 (final) 76% 73% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2024/25 (final) 67% 63% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 63% 62% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 57% 60% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2024/25 (final) 56% 61% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 63% 59% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 71% 59% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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