School in High Peak vows to correct areas Ofsted rated as '˜requires improvement'

The education watchdog visited Whaley Bridge Primary and found three of the five elements assessed needed more attention and were given the second to lowest rating.

Fay Walton headteacher said: “The report, being based on a more stringent inspection framework and the first for the new curriculum, highlights that both our mainstream children and also our children with special needs, are achieving results in a school which clearly has not stood still.

“Whilst indeed there are a lot of positives, we are not complacent and are working hard to ensure the areas Ofsted noted hadn’t yet improved sufficiently under the new guidelines, are quickly addressed.”

Lead inspector Paul Weston said: “Although teaching is improving strongly, it is not yet consistently good across all classes and year groups.

“On occasions, teachers do not match work well enough to the range of ability in the class.”

The report stated pupils are not yet making ‘consistently strong progress’ in all classes and throughout key stage 2, attainment in mathematics ‘lags behind’ that of reading and writing.

Both the early years provision and the management team were praised by Ofsted and rated as ‘good’.

Mr Weston said: “Good leadership by school leaders and governors is strongly improving the quality of teaching and speeding up pupils’ progress, particularly in writing.

“The early years is well led. Children thrive in the stimulating environment provided.”

To further improve the school must now strengthen curriculum planning for mathematics in key stage 2 so it identifies how investigative and problem-solving work will develop systematically and provide a range of opportunities to deepen pupils’ understanding to help them think and reason mathematically.