Willesborough Infant School

Inspection of Willesborough Infant School Church Road, Willesborough, Ashford, Kent TN24 0JZ

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 September 2022

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 14 and 15 September 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Each morning, pupils arrive smiling. They are excited to be at this friendly and happy school. Even the youngest children settle in quickly. They start in Reception confidently because of the many opportunities children have to get to know the school and each other. Parents are welcomed and included. They are given lots of information which helps them support their children as they start school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the many excellent opportunities for personal development. They are inspired by the exciting range of clubs and trips which enhance their learning and build their confidence. Pupils bubble with enthusiasm when describing how they train in first aid or when they are given roles as ‘mini middays’ and ‘tiny teachers’. This exceptional aspect of school life helps ensure that pupils are very well prepared for the next stages of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers have high expectations. Pupils want to meet these. They behave well and are keen to do their best. Relationships throughout the school are warm and respectful. Pupils describe their school as ‘kind’, and there is much laughter. Pupils know that they are cared for and this helps them to feel safe. Any hint of bullying is quickly identified and dealt with by staff.

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better?

Willesborough Infants school is led extremely well. Leaders at all levels are absolutely dedicated to providing the very best for pupils. There is a tangible sense of everyone working together to enable all pupils to achieve highly. Staff are given the training, time and support they need to develop both the curriculum and their own expertise. Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) thrive because their needs are known and met. Provision is carefully shaped to support their success.

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better?

Leaders’ plans for the curriculum make clear what each pupil should learn, starting in the early years. Across the different subjects, staff have good subject knowledge that they use to plan learning. Sometimes, however, planning does not set out clearly the steps to help pupils develop specific subject knowledge, including learning to be a scientist or a historian. In addition, while in English and mathematics teachers carefully check what pupils remember to help them plan next steps, this is not always the case in some other subjects. Where assessment is less well developed, teachers are not able to quickly identify any gaps in pupils’ learning. Leaders know this and have plans in place to make the necessary improvements to help pupils confidently build their knowledge.

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better?

Learning to read quickly and fluently is a priority at Willesborough Infants. Right from their very first days in school, children begin to learn to read. They quickly master their phonics, and regularly practise their skills through reading well-chosen books. Pupils delight in reading and listening to stories. They enjoy using the library, with the librarian to guide them. Older pupils relish the opportunity to visit the 14 and 15 September 2022

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library in the junior school. One pupil explained, ‘It’s good to be a bookworm.’ Pupils who need to catch up with their reading are also given the extra help they need. Support is in place to help ensure that all pupils, including those with SEND, can access the whole curriculum even when they find reading a challenge.

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Pupils across the school are motivated and engaged in their learning. They can confidently express their opinions. Most of the time they follow instructions and listen carefully to their teachers. There is a hive of happy activity.

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No opportunity is missed to enhance pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education. For example, conversations during snack time focus on current events or British values. Pupils demonstrate the school’s ethos of ‘wonder – inspire – shine’. They are proud of the rewards they consequently earn. Pupils are actively engaged in supporting their local community through links to a care home and through raising money for worthy causes. Personal development opportunities are also used to promote the attendance and engagement of some pupils who do not attend well. Leaders do all they can to support parents in achieving regular school attendance for their children.

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Governors are a highly effective part of school leadership. They are well informed and well trained. Together with school leaders they form a highly effective partnership in driving the school forward and ensuring it is at the heart of the community it serves.

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Parents are very positive about the school. Time and time again they use words such as ‘fantastic’ and ‘delighted’ when describing it. A parent summed this up by saying, ‘It makes me proud that my children attend.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The welfare and protection of children are top priorities. Leaders have trained all staff to be able to identify when a child may be at risk. This training is regularly updated. The strong partnerships that are built with parents help staff to identify when extra support may be needed to safeguard pupils. Leaders work closely with a range of other agencies to help ensure that children are kept safe.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. This includes guidance about online safety. They know what to do if they have worries. They trust in adults to help keep them safe. 14 and 15 September 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, planned sequences of learning do not set out clearly enough how pupils will build knowledge. When this happens, teachers’ pedagogical choices do not always match the planned curriculum. Leaders must continue to focus upon this to ensure all sequences of learning carefully match the ambition in each subject, including the development of disciplinary knowledge.  Assessment expectations across the foundation subjects are not consistently understood by teachers. As a result, sometimes it is unclear what knowledge pupils have retained. Leaders need to ensure teachers can confidently use the assessment processes to adapt learning, so pupils know and remember more across the curriculum.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 14 and 15 September 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chairs of governing body Steve Rippin and Liesl York

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School details

Website https://willesborough-infant.kent.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 2 May 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is federated with the junior school. The schools share the same site but have separate buildings and playgrounds. The headteacher and some leaders work across both schools. The schools share a governing body.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the lead inspector met regularly with school leaders. The lead inspector met with representatives from the governing body and local authority. 14 and 15 September 2022

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, art, physical education and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed curriculum planning with the subject leader, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector listened to some pupils read.  Records associated with safeguarding were reviewed, including the single central record and appointment procedures. The inspectors spoke to staff about their safeguarding training and spoke to pupils about the support they have in understanding how to keep safe.  The inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s parent, pupil and staff questionnaires. A letter was received and considered from a parent. An inspector spoke with some parents at the school gate.  The inspectors met with groups of staff to discuss their views about the school,

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including workload and well-being. The inspectors met with several groups of pupils, as well as speaking to pupils during lessons and around the school.

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Inspection team

Deborah Gordon, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Howard Fisher Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 September 2022

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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