Walpole Highway Primary School

Walpole Highway Primary School has made commendable progress since its last inspection, moving from a 'Requires Improvement' grade to 'Good' in all areas assessed. The school is characterized by a warm and respectful environment, where pupils are happy, engage well with their learning, and exhibit commendable behavior. The ambitious curriculum supports pupils' educational growth and is well supplemented by dedicated staff who focus on pupils' individual needs, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Parents express strong satisfaction with the school, highlighting its caring environment.

Strengths

• Strong relationships between pupils and staff create a positive learning atmosphere.
• Pupils enjoy their learning and are eager to engage with educational activities.
• Effective use of an ambitious curriculum that meets students' educational needs.
• High-quality reading program that supports early reading development.
• Robust support for pupils with SEND, ensuring their successful curriculum access.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum planning is less developed in a few subjects, leading to unclear teaching content.
• Some staff lack sufficient training in certain subjects, affecting their ability to deliver lessons effectively.

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 Walpole Highway Primary School attended 92.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 34.0% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Walpole Highway 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 Walpole Highway Primary School had 17.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 66.7% 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, 17.9% of pupils at Walpole Highway Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.7% 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.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Wisbech · Norfolk local authority: places and applications

What is Walpole Highway Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Walpole Highway Primary School is Good, from an inspection in December 2022.

When was Walpole Highway Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Walpole Highway Primary School was last inspected in December 2022.

How many pupils does Walpole Highway Primary School have?

Walpole Highway Primary School has 39 pupils on roll.

What age range does Walpole Highway Primary School cover?

Walpole Highway Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Walpole Highway Primary School?

Walpole Highway Primary School is at School Road, Walpole Highway, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, PE14 7QQ.