Whitegate End Primary and Nursery School

Whitegate End Primary and Nursery School is a welcoming, nurturing school where pupils are happy and relationships are strong. The curriculum has been redesigned to be ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and recent improvements mean many pupils now achieve well. Reading is a priority, behaviour is good, personal development is broad, attendance is mostly regular, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. The school has a new headteacher appointed in 2022, and this was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic. Published 2024 data showed some attainment, including mathematics at the end of key stage 2, was significantly below the national average. Inspectors recognised this reflected pandemic-related gaps and weaknesses in the previous curriculum, and found the school has taken appropriate action, with many current pupils learning well. The school is not yet fully clear about the essential knowledge and sequencing in a small number of subjects, including some early years areas, and occasionally staff do not check that pupils’ prior knowledge is secure before introducing new learning. Overall, the school continues to provide a good standard of education. Its notable strengths include a caring ethos, effective support for pupils with SEND, strong phonics practice, positive behaviour, and a wide range of opportunities that develop pupils personally. The main areas for further work are refining curriculum thinking in the remaining subjects and making sure staff consistently build on what pupils already know.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy and thrive in a welcoming, nurturing environment.
• Strong relationships mean pupils know adults will listen and help.
• The curriculum has been redesigned to be ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• Pupils with SEND are identified accurately and teaching is adapted to support them well.
• Reading is a priority, with well-trained staff and effective phonics catch-up.
• Pupils behave well, are polite and typically stay focused on learning.
• Personal development is broad and helps pupils understand diversity, democracy and responsibility.
• A wide range of trips and clubs helps pupils develop new interests and talents.
• Attendance is mostly regular, and families needing support receive effective help.
• Staff are happy and proud to work at the school, and governors support it well.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• In a small number of subjects, including some early years areas, essential knowledge and sequencing are not fully defined.
• Occasionally, staff do not check that pupils’ prior knowledge is secure before introducing new learning.
• Published 2024 mathematics attainment at the end of key stage 2 was significantly below the national average, although action is underway.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Whitegate End Primary and Nursery School attended 95.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Whitegate End Primary and Nursery School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Whitegate End Primary and Nursery School had 27.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 35.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 13.9% of pupils at Whitegate End Primary and Nursery School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Whitegate End Primary and Nursery School received £8,571 and spent £8,328 for each of its 212 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £194,000 (£913 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

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All schools in Oldham · Oldham local authority: places and applications

What is Whitegate End Primary and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Whitegate End Primary and Nursery School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Whitegate End Primary and Nursery School last inspected by Ofsted?

Whitegate End Primary and Nursery School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Whitegate End Primary and Nursery School have?

Whitegate End Primary and Nursery School has 208 pupils on roll.

What age range does Whitegate End Primary and Nursery School cover?

Whitegate End Primary and Nursery School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Whitegate End Primary and Nursery School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 39% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Whitegate End Primary and Nursery School?

Whitegate End Primary and Nursery School is at Butterworth Lane, Chadderton, Oldham, Greater Manchester, OL9 8EB.