Whybridge Infant School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Ian Bakmann-Madsen Headteacher Whybridge Infant School Ford Lane Rainham Essex RM13 7AR

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Short inspection of Whybridge Infant School

Following my visit to the school on 9 January 2018, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in February 2014.

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Short inspection of Whybridge Infant School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection, as well as overseeing the expansion of the school.

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Short inspection of Whybridge Infant School

You have maintained a well-established leadership team that has developed a stimulating, purposeful and calm learning environment in the school. You have established a range of monitoring and tracking systems so that you and your leaders are aware of the progress all pupils are making. As a consequence, standards of achievement across the school continue to improve, most notably in the early years.

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Short inspection of Whybridge Infant School

To make learning enjoyable, you have developed attractive areas around the school that are well resourced, both indoors and outdoors. As a result, pupils are positive about their learning and say they ‘enjoy looking after their school’. Together as a school team, you are focused on continuing to improve the learning experience for all pupils. You have encouraged positive relationships across the school, where staff ensure that all pupils are given the opportunity to succeed in all areas of the school.

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Short inspection of Whybridge Infant School

You and your staff team have developed the curriculum so that it meets the needs of all pupils. As a result, pupils are motivated and engaged in their learning. You have successfully introduced schemes to help pupils develop their fine motor skills and handwriting.

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Short inspection of Whybridge Infant School

Since the last inspection, you and the governors have responded well to the areas identified as needing further development. In particular, governors are now able to provide better support and challenge to you and your leadership team. This is because the governing body has redeveloped itself so that their systems are more effective, and newly appointed governors are more skilled. This continues to be a work in progress.

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Short inspection of Whybridge Infant School

Pupils are polite and speak very highly of the school. They talk about how much they ‘love the school’ and how much you and your staff team are helping them to achieve. They particularly like the range of learning opportunities, including their Zumba lessons.

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Short inspection of Whybridge Infant School

All the parents who responded to the Ofsted online survey, Parent View, have said that they would recommend the school to others. Parents also said that their children are well cared for and feel safe at the school.

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Short inspection of Whybridge Infant School

You and your leadership team have ensured that all safeguarding-related policies and procedures are up to date. You have made sure that the arrangements for safeguarding are fit for purpose and of high quality. There are effective systems for checking the suitability of all adults who work in the school and visit. Members of the governing body have also made sure that they are well trained and kept up to date about current safeguarding practices. You and your leadership team have updated your safeguarding policy and, alongside governors, you continue to monitor its impact thoroughly.

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Short inspection of Whybridge Infant School

All staff receive the appropriate training so that they can look after pupils well. You and your staff ensure that the right amount of care is provided for all pupils, especially the most vulnerable. For example, you work closely with neighbouring schools and the local authority so that additional support can be provided for vulnerable pupils when necessary.

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Short inspection of Whybridge Infant School

Pupils talk confidently about how to keep themselves safe, including on the internet. Pupils know who to talk to if they have any concerns. They are aware of how the school keeps them safe and when spoken to, one pupil said: ‘We are really safe in the school because the teachers look after us.’ Pupils are taught through assemblies and in lessons about how to look after themselves in the community. For example, each term, pupils are reminded about ‘stranger danger’ and what to do if they have any problems.

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Inspection findings

 Together, we agreed to focus on three key lines of enquiry in addition to checking the arrangements for safeguarding.  The first area of focus was the provision in the early years to check how this environment helps all children to achieve, including those who are disadvantaged. Since the last inspection, you have improved the early years facilities and we reviewed the impact of the significant changes that you have made.  We found that the indoor and outdoor spaces provide excellent resources for pupils to be engaged and to enjoy their learning. Through a range of carefully designed learning opportunities, children can engage with self-initiated, independent, teacher-led or targeted group activities. The provision is well planned, and you and the leaders ensure that all aspects of the early years curriculum, particularly the development of social skills and physical development, are given a strong focus.

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Inspection findings

 We found that the number of children who reach the expected standard in the phonics screening check has been rising in the last few years. This is because the teaching of phonics in the school promotes new vocabulary well. For example, pupils were using the word ‘repeating’ and were sounding out the first letter of the word when making rockets with repeating patterns. You regularly check the quality of phonics teaching and provide effective training for those staff who have been identified as being less confident and requiring further support.  Overall, pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, are progressing well. Pupils say they enjoy reading and sounding out new words. The work in books shows that pupils are developing their writing and mathematical skills appropriately for their age. There has been an emphasis by you and your team on developing children’s social skills, which is helping to build pupils’ confidence.

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Inspection findings

 Another focus for the inspection which we agreed was to review the action you are taking to ensure that disadvantaged pupils make the progress they are capable of in all subjects.  In 2017, the achievement of disadvantaged pupils who left the school at the end of Year 2 was below the national average for the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics.  Observations in lessons, discussions with pupils and review of current work in books show that most disadvantaged pupils are making the same progress as other pupils in the school. Where this may not be the case, you and your leaders have an effective system for tracking and monitoring pupils and providing additional support where necessary. When observing disadvantaged pupils in lessons, there were examples where the teaching in key stage 1 is effectively supporting them. For example, in English lessons, teachers’ questioning generally ensures that pupils find

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Inspection findings

ways to give reasons and explain how they arrive at their answers. However, this is not consistently the case, particularly for lower- or higher-attaining disadvantaged pupils. As leaders, you are aware of this and have a plan in place to address this.  You provide staff training to ensure good-quality teaching for all pupils. You are using the pupil premium funding so that additional adults, such as the intervention support team, are available to help any pupils, and especially the disadvantaged pupils, who are falling behind.  The last focus for the inspection was to evaluate the breadth of knowledge covered across all subjects in the curriculum. The information on the website provides limited information about how the school ensures good progress across all subjects.  From the review of leaders’ curriculum plans, the learning environment displays and work in theme books, there are many examples of how pupils study a range of

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Inspection findings

interesting subjects. Work displayed around the school shows the breadth of the curriculum and includes themes covering a range of subjects, including science, history and art. Pupils learn about British values and are given opportunities to reflect on their own lives in Britain. As part of the values and aims of the school, pupils understand and can talk about respect and tolerance in their personal, social and health lessons. Pupils are given opportunities to study stimulating topics during and outside lessons. There are examples of artwork which show a broad range of pupils’ art skills, such as painting, drawing and shading. There is also an appreciation of different cultures, such as the Mexican, African and Native American artwork produced in all year groups.  Teachers place a strong emphasis on developing pupils’ use of English and mathematical skills in different subjects, as seen in the science investigations and

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 teachers use assessment information in key stage 1 to provide tasks which consistently match the needs of all disadvantaged pupils  support for adults is developed further so that they are confident when delivering phonics sessions.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Havering. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

I held discussions with you, senior leaders and governors about the school and actions taken to continue to improve it. I met with other leaders about their role in continuing to develop their key stage phase. Learning walks took place with members of the senior leadership team across the school during the inspection. Samples of pupils’ work were reviewed as well as the assessment systems and curriculum information. I also spoke with a group of pupils. I analysed a range of school documents linked to the school’s self-evaluation, school improvement priorities and safeguarding. I looked at 21 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View.

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