The Weatheralls Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 18 October 2023

Many pupils enjoy coming to school. They develop positive and warm relationships with staff. Pupils know staff are there to support and care for them. From the early years upwards, pupils learn how to keep themselves safe and who to turn to if they have any worries. Younger children identify their 'palm pals'. Pupils understand what bullying is. They know this is rare. Should it occur, staff deal with it promptly and effectively. Pupils are happy and feel safe at school. The school has high ambitions for pupils to succeed. However, turbulence in staffing has slowed these improvements. Over time, pupils have experienced inconsistencies in the quality of education. This means pupils have gaps in their knowledge and do not routinely reach the high expectations the school has of them. Most pupils behave well. They understand the school's approach to managing their behaviour. Pupils show positive attitudes to their learning, which they enjoy. They understand the school rules of being ready, respectful, and safe. Pupils strive to embody the school values of pride, positivity, and perseverance. Many parents and carers expressed satisfaction with how the school supports their child. However, a minority do not feel the school communicates with them well enough.

What the school should improve

• The way the school has previously checked how well pupils have understood the curriculum has lacked rigour and precision. This means the school has not routinely identified gaps in pupils' knowledge to put in place the right support to help pupils catch up. Consequently, gaps have remained, and pupils have not achieved as well as they should, particularly in English and mathematics. The school should ensure that assessment identifies gaps in knowledge, so that pupils receive the support they need to close these gaps rapidly.
• A significant minority of parents who responded to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire do not feel the school communicates well with them. This means they do not have a clear enough understanding of how well their child is doing at school. The school should review their systems for communicating with parents. This is so parents have the information they need about their child's learning and wider development.
• The school's extra-curricular and enrichment offer is not as broad or varied as it might be. This means pupils do not routinely get the opportunities they might to develop their talents and interests. The school should ensure they implement their existing plans to broaden the wider offer available to pupils.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)