Whitfield St James' CofE (VC) Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 18 July 2023

Pupils are proud of Whitfield St James' school. The school's values of 'wisdom, achievement, hope, friendship, thankfulness and forgiveness' are lived out daily. Pupils are happy and feel safe. They are welcoming, polite and respectful. They value the staff and appreciate the care that they receive. An older pupil echoed the thoughts of many, saying, 'The staff are lovely. They make the school; it's like a family.' Leaders have established high behavioural expectations. These are met. Pupils have positive attitudes. Many have improved attendance this school year. Pupils believe that the staff would deal with bullying quickly and supportively were it to happen. Bullying is rare. Pupils mix well with each other. Older pupils take their 'buddying' responsibilities of younger children seriously. Pupils care for each other. Opportunities for pupils' personal development are positive. Pastoral care is strong. Leaders successfully focus on developing pupils' characters, resilience and self- confidence. Pupils recall many memorable experiences, including their positive experiences on trips and visits and their positive relationships with staff. Parents and carers overwhelmingly value the school. As one parent commented: 'My children really do love this school; nothing is too much. It's a home away from home, where they feel looked after and are pushed to achieve their highest potential.'

What the school should improve

• Some foundation subjects are not as ambitious as they could be. Pupils are not consistently challenged in all aspects of these subjects. Leaders must ensure that all foundation subject curriculums are suitably ambitious and that they are implemented to meet high expectations, enabling pupils to know and remember more in all subjects.
• Leaders have developed effective approaches to assessment in the core and some foundation subjects. However, they have not established secure approaches to assessment in all foundation subjects. In these subjects, teachers do not fully check pupils' learning. Leaders should ensure that effective approaches to assessment are in place in all foundation subjects, enabling teachers to identify what pupils have learned and what they need to learn next.

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