Whitmore Park Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 24 September 2024

Pupils speak positively about Whitmore Park Primary. This is because the school is nurturing and ensures all pupils are welcome and valued. Adults know the pupils well, and place value on supporting them to succeed and be happy. This means, as one pupil said, 'we learn lots and have fun'. Pupils speak highly of the junior leadership positions in the school. They also enjoy the many clubs and trips which the school offers. The school is ambitious for the pupils and has reviewed the curriculum to ensure a more consistent approach for all pupils. This has had some success, but there remain inconsistencies. Pupils speak highly of the books that teachers read to them in class and the opportunities they have to select high-quality books to take home. Although pupils' attendance is not as high as it should be, they generally behave very well at Whitmore Park. This is because pupils understand the school's expectations about how they should treat each other. They know that adults will listen to them if they have concerns. At social times, pupils enjoy the activities on offer to them as well as the new benches the school has installed. Some pupils do find it harder to meet the school's expectations for them.

What the school should improve

• There remain too many pupils who are absent from school too often, especially more vulnerable pupils. This means these pupils miss too much school and learning. The school should continue to implement its strategic approach, working closely with parents and external agencies, so pupils' attendance improves.
• The school has not ensured that pupils with SEND receive effective support to achieve well. Teachers do not use the information provided to them to make appropriate adaptations to the curriculum, meaning these pupils do not achieve as well as they should. The school should ensure that staff make effective adaptations to their delivery of the curriculum so that pupils with SEND make good progress.
• There is inconsistency in the teaching of early reading, including for the pupils who need extra support. This results in some pupils, especially weaker readers, not reading as well as they should. The school should ensure that there is a consistent approach to the teaching of early reading, particularly for those pupils who need extra support to become confident, fluent readers.
• Teachers do not check pupils' understanding consistently well. This means that misconceptions are not spotted and addressed. The school should ensure that teachers identify gaps in pupils' knowledge and then adapt the tasks selected to ensure key knowledge is secure.
• The school is not accurately evaluating the impact of its work in various aspects of its provision, including some curriculum areas, SEND and behaviour. This means that inconsistencies persist, and leaders and governors do not have clear oversight. The school should ensure that there is clarity around expectations, and the impact of its work is systematically evaluated.

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