Whalley Church of England Primary School

Whalley Church of England Primary School is a happy, inclusive and well-led school where pupils feel safe and are well cared for. The school is judged to be performing at the expected standard across all areas, with inclusion identified as a particular strength. Leaders know the school well and have built strong relationships with families and external agencies, ensuring that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive timely and effective support. Disadvantaged pupils are well supported and achieve better than disadvantaged pupils nationally, particularly in mathematics, although the gap between them and their peers within the school is not yet narrowing. Attendance is above the national average, and behaviour is generally calm and respectful, with bullying being rare. The quality of education is strong in English and mathematics, where outcomes are consistently above national averages. Reading and mathematics are taught well, and the curriculum is broad and balanced. However, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge in subjects beyond English and mathematics, and occasional low-level disruption in some classrooms means that not all pupils can focus as well as they should. In the early years, expectations for some children are not high enough, particularly in writing, so some children do not achieve as much as they could. The school's Christian ethos is visible in its caring community, and pupils benefit from a wide range of personal development opportunities, including leadership roles, educational visits and clubs. Leaders and governors share a clear vision and are committed to continuous improvement. The next steps for the school are to ensure that staff address gaps in pupils' knowledge beyond English and mathematics, and that expectations for all children in the early years, especially in writing, are consistently high enough.

Strengths

• Inclusion is a strong standard, with pupils with SEND identified quickly and supported effectively.
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve well and take a full part in school life.
• Attendance is above the national average, with leaders tackling concerns promptly.
• Pupils feel safe and bullying is rare; behaviour is generally calm and respectful.
• Outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6 are consistently above national averages.
• The curriculum is broad, balanced and well sequenced, with strong teaching in reading and mathematics.
• The early years curriculum is well planned, with a strong focus on personal, social and emotional development and language.
• Leaders and governors have a clear vision and know the school well; staff are well trained and supported.
• The school's Christian ethos and values are evident in the way leaders engage with pupils, staff, families and the community.
• Pupils benefit from a well-structured personal development programme, including leadership roles and a wide range of experiences beyond the classroom.

Areas for Improvement

• The gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers at the school is not narrowing.
• Some pupils have gaps in their knowledge in subjects beyond English and mathematics.
• Occasional low-level disruption in some classrooms means not all pupils can focus on their learning.
• In subjects beyond English and mathematics, staff do not always address pupils' misunderstandings effectively, so some pupils do not progress as well as they might.
• Expectations for some children in the early years are not high enough, particularly in writing, so some children could achieve more.

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 Whalley Church of England Primary School attended 96.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 4.9% 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, 1.6% of pupils at Whalley 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 Whalley Church of England Primary School had 21.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.2% 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, 13.7% of pupils at Whalley Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.2% 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 Whalley Church of England Primary School received £6,417 and spent £6,366 for each of its 315 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £82,000 (£262 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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What is Whalley Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Whalley Church of England Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

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

Whalley Church of England Primary School was last inspected in July 2026.

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

Whalley Church of England Primary School has 315 pupils on roll.

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

Whalley Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

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

In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Whalley Church of England Primary School?

Whalley Church of England Primary School is at Church Lane, Whalley, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 9SY.