Whittington Primary and Nursery School Review 2026: High-attaining village primary with an ambitious play programme

Two things stand out here. First, the results. Key Stage 2 outcomes place the school well above England averages in the latest published data, with a local reputation to match. Second, the age range, pupils can start in Nursery from age three and stay through to Year 6, which matters for families who want continuity from the earliest years.

The setting also shapes the feel. The school describes itself as rural, on the outskirts of Whittington village and around 2 miles from Lichfield. That tends to mean a mix of village families and those travelling in from nearby areas, with school-life rhythms influenced by local transport and work patterns. Since November 2022 the school has been part of the John Taylor Multi Academy Trust, which brings central policies alongside the day-to-day identity families experience at the gate.

Leadership is stable. Mrs Nichola Leeson writes that she was appointed headteacher in January 2018. For parents, that matters because consistent leadership usually shows up in coherent routines, curriculum continuity, and a steady approach to behaviour expectations.

The school’s values are organised around the STAR framework, reinforced through house points and weekly recognition. Pupils can receive a Star of the Week award in celebration assembly, and staff also use “superstar” postcards to recognise pupils who consistently show the STAR qualities. That blend of frequent feedback and visible celebration tends to create a culture where expectations are clearly signposted, especially for younger children who rely on routine and predictable responses.

There is also a strong emphasis on personal development as something planned rather than incidental. The school’s vision statement describes an enriched curriculum with a focus on building knowledge and skills over time, plus a deliberate approach to responsibilities and experiences that shape character. In practice, families can expect this to show up in structured opportunities for pupil roles, themed initiatives, and a consistent language used across classrooms and assemblies.

An important part of the atmosphere sits in how the school frames early years. It describes “awe and wonder” as integral to Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), with a play-based approach designed to encourage exploration and appropriate risk-taking. For Nursery and Reception families, the key question is whether that play-led start becomes steadily more formal across Key Stage 1 and 2. Here, the evidence points to a school that wants the best of both, an early-years approach that stays child-centred, followed by a primary phase that expects pupils to develop strong literacy and numeracy habits.

Outcomes at the end of Key Stage 2 are extremely strong in the latest published dataset. In 2024, 91.3% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 34.3% achieved greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with the England average of 8%.

The underlying subject measures are equally high. In 2024, 95% met the expected standard in reading, 91% in mathematics, 86% in grammar, punctuation and spelling, and 100% in science teacher assessment. Average scaled scores were 110 in reading, 108 in maths, and 109 in grammar, punctuation and spelling.

Rankings are also available. The school is ranked 913th in England and 2nd in the Lichfield area for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This places performance well above England average, within the top 10% of primary schools in England.

For parents comparing options, the practical implication is not simply that pupils hit expected standards, it is that a large proportion push beyond them. That can be reassuring for families with academically-ready children, and it can also be a signal that classroom teaching is carefully structured, as high outcomes at scale typically require consistent routines and clear curriculum sequencing.

Curriculum intent is laid out in some detail, with subject pages that indicate a planned progression rather than a loose collection of topics. One useful example for families is the way the school frames subject knowledge in foundation areas. History, for instance, is presented as building coherent knowledge of Britain’s past and the wider world, with an explicit aim to encourage curiosity and questioning. That matters because it signals that foundation subjects are not treated as filler around English and maths.

In Key Stage 1 maths, the school references the NCETM Mastering Number project for Reception through Year 2, focusing on fluency and “number sense”. For parents, the implication is a structured early maths approach that can support both confidence and speed, especially for pupils who need repeated, well-designed practice.

The school’s own vision emphasises an enriched curriculum that builds on prior knowledge, with lessons intended to involve and inspire pupils. When this is done well it reduces gaps between classes because teachers are working from shared expectations about what pupils should know and how that knowledge develops over time.

Because this is a primary school, the most relevant “destination” question is transition to Year 7 and how well pupils are prepared for it. The evidence base here is partly academic, the Key Stage 2 outcomes strongly suggest that pupils leave with a secure foundation in literacy and numeracy, which is typically the biggest predictor of a smooth start at secondary level.

The practical side is admissions timing. In Staffordshire, applications for secondary school places for September 2026 entry were open from 1 September to 31 October 2025, with offers sent on 2 March 2026. Families new to the area should note that you apply through the local authority where you live, even if preferred schools are in a different authority.

Transition itself is also a pastoral process. A strong primary typically supports pupils through the emotional shift to a larger setting, new routines, and more complex peer groups. Here, the school’s approach to responsibilities and character development, plus the expectation that pupils take on roles and reflect on values, is designed to support that broader readiness, not just exam performance.

This is a popular school by demand data. Recent figures show 65 applications for 37 offers at the main entry point, which indicates demand beyond supply and suggests competition for places.

Nursery entry

Nursery is a significant feature of the school, and the application route is direct rather than local-authority coordinated. For September 2026 Nursery entry, applications open on 1 November 2025 and close on 31 January 2026, with places allocated in line with the admissions policy. The school also flags a late-January deadline for submitting the Nursery application form.

In practice, that means families considering Nursery should treat it more like applying to a specific provision rather than a general childcare placement. The key is reading the admissions criteria early, then applying on time. If you are shortlisting, it is sensible to align this with your Reception plan, because Nursery attendance does not remove the need to apply for a Reception place through the coordinated process.

Reception entry

Reception applications are coordinated through Staffordshire County Council. For September 2026 entry, the school website states that applications opened on 1 November 2025 and closed on 15 January 2026. For future years, the pattern is typically the same, opening in early November and closing mid-January, with National Offer Day in April.

Open events and visits

For the 2026 intake, the school held open mornings in October and November 2025, which suggests that open events usually sit in the autumn term ahead of the January deadline. Parents should check the school’s current calendar for the next cycle because exact dates move each year.

A useful planning tip is to use FindMySchoolMap Search to check practical travel time and routes for the school run, then compare that against how oversubscription tends to play out locally. Even when a school is the right fit educationally, the day-to-day commute can become the deciding factor.

Pastoral care is one of the school’s consistent themes across its published materials. Values are reinforced through visible systems like house points and regular recognition. That approach often works well for primary-aged pupils because it links behaviour expectations to simple, memorable language.

The school also places wellbeing inside a wider personal development framework. In its vision, it emphasises pupils developing respect, motivation and empathy, plus opportunities for enriched experiences and responsibilities. The strongest primary pastoral systems are those that do not rely on ad hoc interventions alone, instead they build predictable routines and relationships so that issues are noticed early.

The latest inspection evidence available relates to the predecessor school before academy conversion. The May 2018 Ofsted short inspection confirmed the school continued to be Good and stated that safeguarding was effective. That is dated, but it remains a useful anchor because it highlights a settled safeguarding culture and strong relationships, which are the foundations most parents care about day-to-day.

Enrichment here is best understood in three layers: structured personal development, play and outdoor time, and clubs plus trips.

Personal development structure

One distinctive feature is the Whittington passport, described as a list of activities and experiences pupils complete within the year. In the inspection evidence this included experiences such as charity fundraising and trying a new sport, alongside broader community links. The strength of this approach is that it reduces chance. Instead of enrichment depending on which class a child is in, it aims to guarantee a baseline set of experiences for everyone.

OPAL: Outdoor play as a planned programme

The school is implementing the Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) Primary Programme, described as an 18-month supported programme designed to improve play opportunities, physical activity and social development. For families, the implication is simple: break and lunch are not treated as downtime only, they are treated as part of the child’s development, with changes to how grounds are used and what children can access during play.

This matters most for pupils who learn best through movement and social play. It can also be a positive for children who need to build confidence in peer interactions, because high-quality play provision often reduces minor disputes and helps pupils practise negotiation and cooperation with adult support.

Clubs and wraparound enrichment

The school runs extra-curricular clubs led by staff and specialists, with activities changing through the year based on interest. While the current club list is presented visually rather than as selectable text, the wider ecosystem is clear: there is a commitment to varied enrichment, and families should expect the menu to evolve termly.

Trips appear to be a meaningful part of school life. The school website includes a Year 6 Paris trip gallery for 2025, which signals that residential and international experiences are part of the upper-Key Stage 2 offer when viable. For many families, that kind of trip is not about travel alone. It is about independence, teamwork, and confidence in unfamiliar situations.

Daily timings are clearly published. Nursery starts at 8:45am and the main school day starts at 8:50am. Key Stage 1 finishes at 3:15pm and Key Stage 2 at 3:25pm. Breaks and lunch are staggered across the school.

Wraparound care is a strength because it is clearly defined. The school’s before and after-school club, The Nest, runs term time from 7:30am to 5:45pm, with breakfast offered in the morning session and a snack after school. Session charges are published, for example £5.25 for a morning full session including breakfast, and £8.90 for an afternoon full session until 5:45pm.

On transport and access, the practical detail that stands out is the explicit request not to use the school car park for drop-off and collection for wraparound sessions. Parents should factor this into their routine, particularly if they rely on short, time-sensitive drop-offs.

• Competition for places. Demand exceeds supply in the admissions data, with 65 applications recorded for 37 offers. This makes timing and criteria important, particularly for families who may assume a village primary is automatically easier to access.

• A school in transition at trust level. The school joined John Taylor Multi Academy Trust in November 2022, with umbrella trust policies now in use. For some families, trust-wide policy consistency is reassuring. Others prefer a more localised approach, so it is worth understanding how much is set at trust level versus school level.

• Older inspection evidence. The most recent inspection evidence available relates to May 2018, before academy conversion. It remains useful, but parents should use open events, current safeguarding information, and recent communication to build an up-to-date picture.

• Nursery and Reception are separate processes. Nursery applications are direct to the school with their own deadlines, while Reception follows the Staffordshire coordinated process. Families should plan both timelines early.

Whittington Primary and Nursery School combines exceptionally strong Key Stage 2 outcomes with a clear values framework and a distinctive focus on play as part of development. The school day is structured, wraparound care is well defined, and leadership has been stable for several years.

This will suit families who want a high-attaining state primary with a clear behaviour and values language, plus reliable wraparound options. The main limiting factor is admission competition, so families should plan early and keep a realistic shortlist alongside this option.