Walkeringham Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 31 January 2024

Pupils are great ambassadors for this small village school. They are courteous, friendly and welcoming. They know the importance of the 'Walkeringham Ways'. Pupils are nurtured by staff to be 'resilient, responsible, curious, truthful, independent and respectful'. Pupils are very well cared for. There is a strong family feel. Relationships are positive and respectful. Pupils get on well with each other. Older pupils play with, and look out for, younger children. Pupils are proud of their school. Pupils are safe and happy. Behaviour is good. The school is calm and focused. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They work hard in lessons. They are keen to learn and do well. The school provides many opportunities and experiences to develop pupils' personal development. For example, they can enjoy the gardening and sports clubs. They have happy, lasting memories of friendships, staff and the annual pantomime visit. They are supported to develop a deeper understanding of right and wrong. Pupils are supported to gain self-confidence, independence and resilience. Many parents and carers value the school. One parent, whose comment was typical of several, said, 'Walkeringham is a wonderful school. It feels like one big family. My children have loved attending. The smaller classes allow children to gain close friends of all ages, and they look after each other.'

What the school should improve

• The school has not ensured that all aspects of the well-planned early years curriculum are implemented consistently. As a result, children do not gain as much from the non-structured activities for learning and play, as they do from the more structured adult-directed sessions. The school must ensure that non- structured opportunities for play and learning are purposeful, thus enabling children to gain from all aspects of the planned curriculum.
• The school has a coherent and ambitious curriculum for PSHE that supports pupils' personal development. However, the school has not clearly set out the range of opportunities that it wants pupils to experience to build and consolidate pupils' personal development over time. As a result, not all pupils benefit from structured opportunities and experiences. The school should ensure that it coordinates and consolidates the planned range of opportunities that pupils should experience during their time at the school. Thus strengthening pupils' personal development.

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