Whitley and Eggborough Community Primary School provides a nurturing and safe environment for its pupils, who feel well cared for by the staff. The school emphasizes its values of caring, helping, and sharing, which contribute to the development of mature individuals. Pupils exhibit good behavior, and lessons are rarely disrupted, fostering respectful and warm relationships between adults and students. Since the last inspection, the quality of education has significantly improved, with pupils expressing enjoyment in learning and achieving well, preparing them effectively for their future educational steps.
The school offers various opportunities for broader pupil development, including leadership roles such as school councillor and eco-committee member. Pupils take pride in these roles and are committed to positively contributing to the school community. The eco-committee, for instance, is actively involved in developing the school's well-being garden. Additionally, pupils participate in extracurricular activities, including sports and performing arts, with leaders tracking participation to enhance future planning.
Leaders have made substantial improvements to the curriculum, clearly defining the knowledge and skills pupils should acquire. The curriculum is well-sequenced, building in complexity as pupils progress. Teachers understand the learning objectives and prioritize essential knowledge, facilitating discussions that deepen understanding. They effectively support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities in lessons.
However, the school's approach to assessing pupils' knowledge and retention is still developing. Assessment information is not consistently used to adapt teaching, leading to some misconceptions and knowledge gaps remaining unaddressed. Leaders also do not consistently utilize assessment data to inform curriculum changes.
In the early years, children in Reception make a positive start, quickly settling into established routines. The curriculum focuses on language and reading development, with purposeful activities linked to weekly reading themes. During the inspection, children engaged in activities related to the book Room on the Broom, exploring themes through creative projects. Adults effectively support children's learning by asking enriching questions.
Reading is a priority at the school, with staff well-trained in the phonics scheme, enabling pupils to read with increasing accuracy and confidence. Those struggling with reading receive appropriate support to help them catch up. The school fosters a love for reading, providing opportunities for pupils to meet authors and engage with literature.
Personal, social, and health education lessons, along with assemblies, teach pupils about life in modern Britain. While pupils demonstrate knowledge of safety and health, their understanding of other faiths and beliefs is less robust. Attendance is high, with leaders promoting a culture of regular attendance and addressing barriers effectively.
The governing body has undergone significant changes, bringing a range of professional skills. However, the information they receive about the school's performance lacks detail, limiting their ability to hold leaders accountable effectively. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, but the school's records of actions taken to safeguard pupils are not sufficiently detailed, impacting the identification of patterns and trends.
To improve, the school must enhance the detail and maintenance of safeguarding records to better identify pupil support needs. The governing body should ensure they receive comprehensive information about school performance to provide effective support and challenge. Additionally, the school needs to establish robust systems for checking pupils' knowledge to inform lesson adaptations and interventions effectively.
