Whitehill Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their time at school. They are proud to belong, polite and helpful. Children settle into the early years quickly and thrive.

Staff care deeply about pupils. One said, 'It is all about the children.' Pupils say they feel safe and that staff help them to sort out their concerns, including about bullying.

During lessons, inspectors noted that the school was calm, and pupils behaved well. However, at social times, a number of key stage 2 pupils are boisterous. A small minority of the school community has concerns about pupils' behaviour.

The curriculum is not broad enough or ambitious enough about what pupils will learn. It is not planned sufficientl...y well to enable pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to acquire the knowledge they need for their next steps in education. This academic year, the curriculum has been narrowed for some pupils and they have not learned subjects such as music and modern foreign languages.

Turbulence in leadership in recent times has meant that many planned developments did not take place. The recently appointed headteacher has an accurate view of the school's strengths and areas to improve. She has already begun to secure improvements.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have not established a sufficiently coherent and ambitious curriculum. The recently appointed headteacher recognises that the curriculum lacks scope and ambition.

In mathematics and English, teachers are clear about what pupils are expected to learn and remember.

The curriculum in these subjects is designed to build pupils' learning sequentially towards identified endpoints. Teaching staff deliver the mathematics and English curriculum competently and assess pupils' progress regularly. Most pupils do well in reading and mathematics.

The wider curriculum is less well developed than in English and mathematics. Leaders have not provided advice on how to use teaching materials to support pupils' learning in the wider subjects, including science, arts and humanities. Consequently, teaching does not build on pupils' previous knowledge and skills well enough.

Teaching staff are not yet finding out exactly what pupils have previously learned to identify and close any gaps in knowledge. Consequently, the current wider curriculum does not prepare pupils sufficiently well for their next stage of education.

Pupils with SEND are not being supported well enough, especially in key stage 2.

Staff have not identified or provided the exact support pupils need to make successful next steps in learning. However, leaders have made SEND provision a priority for improvement. Teachers have had recent training to help them adapt their teaching to support pupils with SEND.

It is too early to see the impact of this work.

The early years foundation stage is a strength of the school. It is a nurturing and welcoming environment.

The curriculum is ambitious and stimulating. Skilful teaching staff provide a positive learning experience for children. Children grow in their independence and skills.

They have a joyful experience in the early years and learn well.

The early reading curriculum is planned well. Effective staff training in the teaching of phonics ensures consistency across Reception Year and key stage 1.

Pupils have plenty of opportunities to practise their skills by reading books that match the sounds they know. Most pupils at key stage 2 enjoy reading and visit the well-stocked library regularly. Weaker readers in key stage 2 are less enthusiastic about reading.

This is because staff are not as adept at supporting pupils in key stage 2 who fall behind in reading.

The recently appointed headteacher has worked with the school community to raise expectations for pupils' behaviour and conduct. This work has already had an impact on improving pupils' behaviour, especially during lesson times.

Leaders still have work to do to ensure that all staff are supported in managing pupils' behaviour consistently, including during social times.

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe and healthy. The school provides a range of clubs and extra-curricular activities.

Regular assemblies help pupils to understand right and wrong and to reflect on the consequences of their actions. Leaders are currently improving the personal, social and health education curriculum with more emphasis given to teaching pupils about fundamental British values and the promotion of equality issues.

Until recently, weaknesses in governance and leadership meant that statutory requirements have not been met consistently.

For example, leaders have not consulted with parents about the school's relationships and sex education policy. However, governance has strengthened considerably in recent months. The trust and local governing body members are determined to provide helpful challenge and support to school leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Regular training ensures that staff know how to identify signs that pupils are at risk. The designated safeguarding leads have good links with agencies, such as children's services.

They make sure that pupils that are a cause for concern are supported well. Leaders keep detailed records of safeguarding issues and any actions taken.Leaders make sure that all required safeguarding checks are completed when recruiting staff.

Some of the suitability of management checks on the governing body were not in place fully. This was rectified easily during the inspection.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The current curriculum is not planned and sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before.

The endpoints that the curriculum is building toward are not clear. Pupils need to know more and remember more of the intended curriculum. Leaders have started to revisit the vision for the curriculum, although it is in its infancy.

Leaders should ensure that there are clear curriculum plans to support teaching. ? Teaching does not identify or meet the needs of pupils with SEND well enough. Staff have not received sufficient training to enable them to support pupils' learning effectively.

Leaders should make sure that pupils' additional needs are identified accurately. They should ensure that actions required to help pupils with SEND are shared with teaching staff and parents. In this way, pupils with SEND will be helped more effectively and communication with parents will improve.

• Not all pupils' behaviour at social times is yet as it should be. Consequently, some of the school community report that pupils' behaviour is a concern. Leaders are currently relaunching the behaviour policy.

Leaders should make sure that all staff are supported to manage behaviour consistently so that the behaviour of pupils continues to improve. This is so that all the school community have every confidence that pupils' misbehaviour is tackled well. ? The trust and the local governing body have not yet developed a reliable system to find out whether all statutory requirements are met or how well the wider curriculum is covered.

Governors should establish a robust and reliable system for holding leaders to account for the school's work. This should include the use of a clear improvement plan showing the intended outcomes of leaders' actions. This is so that governors are kept well informed and can challenge and support leaders appropriately.