Chesterfield primary school 'wasting no time' in tackling issues found in 'Inadequate' Ofsted report

Whitecotes Primary School. Pic: Google Images.

Whitecotes Primary School, in Walton, met the regulator's lowest standard following an inspection in June.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment and outcomes for pupils were rated as 'Requires Improvement', but effectiveness of leadership and management and personal development and welfare were found to be 'Inadequate'.

Early years provision at the school, which is part of the Cavendish Learning Trust, was rated as 'Good'.

The report found that the level of pupil absence at the school was 'far too high'.

"Currently, one in five pupils misses at least the equivalent of a whole day of education every two weeks," the report reads.

"For disadvantaged pupils, this rate is worse still, with one in four of these pupils absent from school regularly. School data shows that this is not improving."

The report also found children with behavioural issues were 'not supported sufficiently', and that school's pupil exclusion rate was 'well above that seen nationally'.

It reads: "Checks made by inspectors on the school’s processes and procedures for excluded pupils revealed that registers and letters home did not always match. Also, when pupils have needed to be physically restrained for their own and other’s safety, records do not show that parents have always been informed."

But the report also found that pupils were 'polite, work well together and try their best to succeed' and that leader present at the inspection demonstrated 'the skills and expertise to help improve the school'.

A spokesperson for Whitecotes Primary School said: "The issues raised in the report are ones we are aware of and we have wasted no time in addressing them.

"Despite some challenges presented at the time of the inspection, our outcomes this year across all phases show an improving trend and this echoes the team's analysis of pupil books.

"We are confident that the school’s new leadership team is well-placed to build on this good progress.

"We are very much aware of the work still needed but we are particularly pleased to note that leaders who were present at the time of the inspection ‘demonstrated the skills and expertise to help improve the school’.

"Inspectors also noted ‘the pupils are polite, work well together and try their best to succeed’ and ‘They have positive attitudes to learning’.

"We are pleased that the team noted that ‘The school's curriculum provides a broad and balanced range of learning opportunities."

The spokesperson added that the Cavendish Learning Trust has provided the school with a 'range of supportive partnerships' that are 'beginning to bear fruit' in the development of staff and pupil outcomes.

"The co-headteachers are acknowledged to have the capacity to continue to improve the school and the Trust will do what is necessary to support them," they added.