Whitefriars Church of England Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The headteacher, staff, governors and trustees share high aspirations and ambition for pupils' academic achievement and their personal development. Collectively, they are purposeful in addressing any identified weaknesses.

The achievement of disadvantaged pupils is a high priority in the school's plan for improvement. Pupil premium is spent wisely and with good results. Disadvantaged pupils are making similar progress to other pupils, as are pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.

The school's strong values for life promote pupils' spiritual, moral, social, cultu...ral, mental and physical development exceedingly well. Pupils' behaviour, attitudes to learning and understanding of how to keep themselves safe are outstanding. Their conduct is impeccable and contributes hugely to their good achievement.

The school's safeguarding arrangements are robust. Effective leadership in the early years ensures that children quickly learn how to take responsibility and develop independence. They make good progress from their different starting points, especially in learning to read.

Leaders have taken incisive action to address weaknesses in teaching and learning that led to the underachievement of Year 6 pupils in reading and mathematics in the 2016 national tests. Teaching is consistently good. It is improving current pupils' progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

The contribution of teaching assistants in promoting good learning is variable in its quality and effectiveness. Pupils are not challenged enough by the level of difficulty of tasks and in the application of their knowledge, skills and understanding in writing and mathematics, especially the most able. The school is in the process of revising its systems for assessing how well pupils are learning.

This is work in progress and not fully established and embedded so that it is accurate and reliable.

Information about this school

The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website. The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.

This school is larger than most primary schools. The number of pupils on roll has increased by a quarter since the previous inspection. The school converted to academy status in September 2014.

It is a member of a multi-academy trust, namely, the Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust. The school meets the government's floor standards for pupils' attainment and progress. The proportions of disadvantaged pupils, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and pupils who speak English as an additional language are above average.