Walverden Primary School

Walverden Primary School continues to be rated as a good school, characterized by a caring and welcoming environment where pupils, including those with SEND, thrive both socially and academically. The leadership team has effectively shaped a curriculum that meets the needs of its diverse student body, particularly focusing on communication and language to bridge gaps exacerbated by the pandemic. Although the school shows strength in many areas, there are subjects where the curriculum lacks clarity regarding how pupils can build on their existing knowledge, which presents some challenges in knowledge retention. The dedication of the staff to foster a love for learning and the active engagement of pupils in community service and leadership roles are commendable aspects of the school's culture. Nonetheless, attendance remains a concern, with some students not attending regularly, though leaders take action to address individual cases. The effectiveness of formative assessments is also an area that requires improvement to enhance teaching outcomes.

Strengths

• Staff and pupils foster a caring and welcoming school environment.
• Leaders prioritize support for pupils' communication and language development.
• Curriculum shaped to meet pupils’ interests and foster academic success.
• Strong subject knowledge and training among teachers.
• Effective phonics instruction in early years and key stage 1.
• Pupils show motivation and abide by school rules, leading to minimal disruption in learning.
• Leaders ensure safeguarding is a high priority, resulting in an effective system for identifying and supporting at-risk pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects lack clarity in connecting new learning with prior knowledge.
• Teachers' checks on learning are not always effective in identifying gaps.

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 Walverden Primary School attended 94.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.0% 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, 0.4% of pupils at Walverden 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 Walverden Primary School had 20.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 10.0% of pupils at Walverden Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.3% 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 Walverden Primary School received £7,028 and spent £7,045 for each of its 435 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £258,000 (£594 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 Nelson · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is Walverden Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Walverden Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was Walverden Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Walverden Primary School was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Walverden Primary School have?

Walverden Primary School has 448 pupils on roll.

What age range does Walverden Primary School cover?

Walverden Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Walverden Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 65% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Walverden Primary School?

Walverden Primary School is at Bracewell Street, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 0TL.