Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School

Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School is a large, inclusive primary school serving a disadvantaged intake, with a strong commitment to inclusion and a purposeful learning environment. Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and priorities, and recent actions have improved attendance and curriculum delivery. Pupils benefit from a broad, ambitious curriculum, high-quality pastoral support, and effective provision for those with SEND. Pupils behave well and feel safe.

Strengths

• Leaders have an accurate understanding of curriculum and teaching quality
• The curriculum is broad and ambitious and adapted for all pupils, including those with SEND
• Effective training has ensured consistent delivery of the phonics programme
• The early years provides a settled, warm and well-sequenced start to school
• Inclusion is a notable strength, with strong support for vulnerable pupils and those with SEND
• Governors are visible, supportive and effectively hold leaders to account
• Pupils behave well and benefit from a positive, calm and nurturing environment
• High-quality pastoral support helps pupils feel safe and valued

Areas for Improvement

• National test results in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 have been below average for three years
• Phonics screening check outcomes for Year 1 pupils remain below national figures
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve less well than their peers
• A significant minority of older pupils have gaps in earlier knowledge
• Attendance remains below national averages and persistent absence is too high
• Staff do not consistently maximise high-quality interactions in the early years
• Parent partnership work is not consistently recognised by parents

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 Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School attended 93.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 21.9% 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, 3.1% of pupils at Whitley Park Primary and Nursery 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 Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School had 19.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.7% 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, 33.7% of pupils at Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.5% 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 Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School received £8,816 and spent £8,882 for each of its 484 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £10,000 (-£21 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
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What is Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School is Needs attention, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School last inspected by Ofsted?

Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School have?

Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School has 511 pupils on roll.

What age range does Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School cover?

Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 53% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School?

Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School is at Brixham Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG2 7RB.