Whitchurch Church of England Primary School

Whitchurch Church of England Primary School is a good school. Inspectors judged the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision all to be good. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it remains a voluntary controlled Church of England primary school in Hampshire with 441 pupils on roll. Pupils are confident, caring and know the school's values of love, courage and respect. They learn the curriculum well, feel safe, and benefit from strong support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Reading and phonics are prioritised effectively, and children in the early years are enthusiastic learners who engage well in carefully planned activities. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils and have designed a curriculum that builds knowledge logically. Staff have secure subject knowledge, and in most subjects they check pupils' understanding and adapt their teaching appropriately. Governors know the school well, support and challenge leaders effectively, and staff appreciate the support they receive with workload and professional development. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. Pupils benefit from a wide range of trips, visits and clubs, and they learn to be respectful and responsible. There are two main areas for improvement. At times, some pupils are not clear about what behaviour is expected, and some lessons are not as purposeful as they could be. In a small number of subjects, assessment is not used effectively enough to check how well pupils are learning, which means a small proportion of pupils do not build securely on prior knowledge and have gaps in their understanding.

Strengths

• Pupils are confident, caring and model the school values of love, courage and respect.
• Pupils learn the curriculum well and staff have high expectations of what they can achieve.
• Pupils with SEND have their needs identified quickly and provision is adapted expertly.
• Pupils feel safe and know they can turn to trusted adults if they are worried.
• Most pupils behave well and attitudes to learning are positive.
• Governors know the school's strengths and areas for development and support and challenge leaders effectively.
• Staff appreciate support with workload and professional development.
• The school works effectively with external agencies and the local authority to support pupils.
• The curriculum is ambitious and lessons connect logically to help pupils build knowledge.
• Reading and phonics are prioritised well, with systematic teaching and strong catch-up support.
• Early years activities are carefully planned and children are enthusiastic, engaged learners.
• A wide range of trips, visits and clubs supports pupils' confidence and resilience.
• Pupils learn about different cultures and beliefs and are encouraged to debate challenging issues respectfully.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils are not always clear about expected behaviour, and behaviour in some lessons does not meet the school's high expectations.
• The newly developed behaviour policy is not yet implemented consistently and effectively.
• In a small number of subjects, assessment strategies are not used effectively enough to check how well pupils are learning.
• A small proportion of pupils do not build securely on prior knowledge and have gaps in their understanding.

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 Whitchurch Church of England Primary School attended 95.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.9% 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, 2.0% of pupils at Whitchurch Church of England Primary 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 Whitchurch Church of England Primary School had 22.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.6% 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, 13.6% of pupils at Whitchurch Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.4% 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 Whitchurch Church of England Primary School received £6,714 and spent £6,516 for each of its 405 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £219,000 (£540 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).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Basingstoke And Deane · Hampshire local authority: places and applications

What is Whitchurch Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Whitchurch Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Whitchurch Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Whitchurch Church of England Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Whitchurch Church of England Primary School have?

Whitchurch Church of England Primary School has 405 pupils on roll.

What age range does Whitchurch Church of England Primary School cover?

Whitchurch Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Whitchurch Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Whitchurch Church of England Primary School?

Whitchurch Church of England Primary School is at Daniel Road, Whitchurch, Hampshire, RG28 7LS.