Whitelands Park Primary School

Whitelands Park Primary is a calm, welcoming school where pupils feel safe, behave well and are well supported. The inspection found strong practice in early years and in leadership and governance, with safeguarding standards met. Leaders have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities, and since the previous inspection there has been significant leadership change, including a headteacher appointed in September 2024. The school is part of Equinox Learning Trust, and trust leaders and governors are closely involved in holding leaders to account. Early years provision is a notable strength: children benefit from warm relationships, well-planned vocabulary teaching and precise support that prepares them well for the next stage. Inclusion is central to the school’s work, and pupils with SEND or who are disadvantaged are generally supported well to access the curriculum alongside their peers. Pupils’ behaviour is positive, attendance is improving, and the wider personal development offer—including music, trips and pastoral support—is a real strength. Reading and phonics outcomes are consistently above average. Other areas are broadly in line with expected standards but still developing. Some gaps in pupils’ foundational knowledge remain, teaching approaches vary so tasks are not always precisely matched to need, and pupils’ PSHE knowledge is not yet consistently deep. Attendance has improved and is close to national averages, but leaders need to keep focus on persistent absence and on groups whose attendance is improving less quickly. Overall, the school is well led and moving in the right direction, with clear next steps to secure consistently strong provision.

Strengths

• Early years provision is strong, with well-planned vocabulary teaching and precise support for children’s next steps.
• Leaders have a precise understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities and have taken swift action to improve teaching and behaviour.
• Inclusion is central to decision-making, and pupils with SEND or disadvantage are well supported to access the full curriculum.
• Pupils behave well, treat each other respectfully and say bullying is rare.
• Phonics outcomes are consistently above average, and pupils read fluently with confidence.
• The personal development offer is broad, including trips, residentials, assemblies and an extensive music programme.
• Pastoral support is highly responsive and helps build pupils’ self-esteem and resilience.
• Trust leaders and governors know the school well and provide appropriate challenge and support.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture of safeguarding.

Areas for Improvement

• Some gaps in pupils’ foundational or basic knowledge remain.
• Teaching approaches vary, so some tasks are not always precisely matched to what pupils need.
• Pupils’ understanding of PSHE content is not yet consistently secure and detailed.
• Attendance requires continued focus, especially for persistently absent pupils and groups improving less quickly.
• Disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes in writing and mathematics remain below national averages, and the disadvantage gap persists.

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 Whitelands Park Primary School attended 93.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.2% 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, 3.8% of pupils at Whitelands Park 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 Whitelands Park Primary School had 22.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 26.7% 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, 12.1% of pupils at Whitelands Park 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 2024–25 Whitelands Park Primary School received £6,351 and spent £6,154 for each of its 390 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £84,000 (-£216 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of Equinox Learning Trust, income was £7,496 and spending £7,299 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Thatcham · West Berkshire local authority: places and applications

Whitelands Park Primary School is part of Equinox Learning Trust, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

• Kennet School Thatcham
• Francis Baily Primary School Thatcham

What is Whitelands Park Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Whitelands Park Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Whitelands Park Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Whitelands Park Primary School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Whitelands Park Primary School have?

Whitelands Park Primary School has 372 pupils on roll.

What age range does Whitelands Park Primary School cover?

Whitelands Park Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Whitelands Park Primary School?

Whitelands Park Primary School is at Sagecroft Road, Thatcham, Berkshire, RG18 3FH.