Wardley Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 6 January 2026

Pupils at Wardley Primary are cheerful and happy. They feel safe here. They embody pride in their school, blossoming in the very inclusive environment that leaders have crafted over time. The school's commitment to creating a highly supportive place for pupils to be the best they can be is clear. Pupils speak warmly about the school and the staff. Positive relationships abound. The pastoral support for pupils has significant impact, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, pupils who benefit from the 'Star Suite' provision love to welcome visitors into their setting and enjoy every opportunity to succeed. Pupils enjoy learning. From low starting points in many cases, pupils generally achieve well. Pupils eligible for the government's pupil premium funding achieve particularly well in reading and mathematics by the end of key stage 2. Leaders and staff seek to identify pupils' barriers to learning and minimise these wherever possible. However, some pupils do not achieve as well as they might in writing before they move to secondary school. In line with the school's values, behaviour is typically respectful. Younger children in early years, for example, investigate 'potions' together. They share resources and collaborate well in their play. Bullying is exceptionally rare. Attendance is high. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. There are a number of wider opportunities for pupils to benefit from. Over a number of years, groups of pupils have travelled abroad to compete in a robotics competition, for example. Others develop their surfing skills at Tynemouth. These experiences foster a sense of belonging and inclusion. Leaders are aware that they can improve this offer further so that more pupils benefit from these rewarding experiences.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that they continue to embed highly effective teaching of writing to secure key foundational knowledge so that the overall quality of writing improves and pupils are better prepared for the next stage of education.
• Leaders should further tailor the personal development curriculum so that all pupils have access to, and participate in, a wide range of high-quality experiences beyond the taught curriculum.

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