Walesby CofE Primary School

Walesby CofE Primary School is a small Church of England primary school that has undergone significant improvement since its previous inspection, driven by the headteacher's return in September 2023 and a determined focus on school development. Leaders have substantially reshaped the curriculum, strengthened early years provision, and improved teaching quality through a well-planned staff training programme. Pupils typically learn well, read fluently from an early age, and leave Year 6 ready for secondary school. Inclusion is central to the school's ethos, with disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND supported effectively so that they achieve in line with their peers. Behaviour is strong, bullying is rare, and pupils demonstrate the school's values of love, friendship and kindness. Safeguarding standards are met.

Strengths

• Pupils learn to love reading from the early years and become fluent, confident readers
• Leaders have established an ambitious and well-organised curriculum that builds knowledge logically over time
• Inclusion is fundamental to the school's ethos, with robust identification and swift support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND
• Leaders' focus on disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND ensures they make positive progress and typically achieve in line with their peers
• Attendance has improved and continues to rise, with leaders taking precise, swift action to remove barriers to regular attendance
• Pupils' behaviour is excellent: they are focused, sensitive to others, and bullying is rare
• Early years provision has improved markedly, with a well-planned curriculum that prepares children well for key stage 1
• Leaders routinely evaluate provision and make swift improvements when something is not working well enough
• Governors have the expertise and drive to hold leaders to account and keep the school moving forward
• Staff are very positive about the school and appreciate leaders' support with reasonable workload
• A well-developed personal development programme prepares pupils for life in modern Britain, including spiritual, moral and health education
• Enrichment and extra-curricular opportunities, such as learning musical instruments and residential trips, benefit all pupils including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND

Areas for Improvement

• Occasionally, teachers' choice of activities and learning resources are not completely effective, meaning some pupils, including those with SEND, do not learn as well as they could
• Some pupils still need further support to attend school regularly
• National test outcomes in mathematics have been below national averages in recent years, though current pupils are now learning number facts more fluently
• Leaders should ensure staff receive effective training to adapt and use the most effective teaching strategies and resources to further support pupils' achievement

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 Walesby CofE Primary School attended 92.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 21.3% 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, 2.1% of pupils at Walesby CofE 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 Walesby CofE Primary School had 17.2 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 Walesby CofE 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 Walesby CofE Primary School received £9,386 and spent £9,190 for each of its 90 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £46,000 (£507 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 Newark · Nottinghamshire local authority: places and applications

What is Walesby CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Walesby CofE Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Walesby CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Walesby CofE Primary School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Walesby CofE Primary School have?

Walesby CofE Primary School has 90 pupils on roll.

What age range does Walesby CofE Primary School cover?

Walesby CofE Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Walesby CofE Primary School?

Walesby CofE Primary School is at New Hill, Walesby, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG22 9PB.