Westbury Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Westbury Infant School Eden Vale Road, Westbury, Wiltshire BA13 3NY

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 November 2022

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Outcome

Westbury Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and enjoy school. They are kind, friendly and play well together. Pupils learn well across a range of subjects. They enjoy the roles they have to become school councillors. Pupils say that these roles help them to develop their confidence and independence.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. They make sure all pupils understand right from wrong and what they need to do to improve their behaviour. Staff deal with any disruptive behaviour straight away. Pupils say that bullying is rare. They are confident that when they report a problem, staff deal with it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. Relationships between staff and pupils are positive. Leaders place a strong emphasis on supporting pupils’ social and emotional well-being. Pupils value the trips they go on. They enjoy assemblies and listening to visitors. They say that this helps them learn to stay safe and build healthy relationships.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many parents recognise and praise the school’s work. They talk positively about the way staff help children to thrive emotionally and academically. One parent said, ‘the school is a lovely community school that sets learning at the heart of their ethos’.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have high expectations for what pupils can achieve. They have created a curriculum that is designed well. Leaders have carefully considered what pupils need to know and when they need to know it.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders prioritise reading. They carefully consider the books adults read to pupils. Pupils say that teachers make reading exciting. As they move through the school, pupils fluently and accurately read books that interest and challenge them. 15 and 16 November 2022

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Leaders have recently revised the school’s phonics programme. All staff benefit from the training they receive to teach phonics well. Children begin phonics as soon as they start school. They develop their language skills and learn early sounds well. If pupils fall behind, they receive the support they need to help them to catch up quickly.

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The mathematics curriculum is well planned and carefully sequenced. This starts in the early years. Staff develop children’s mathematical vocabulary from an early age. They encourage children to talk about and use their knowledge of early number. Children respond well to this. They use their early number knowledge well when counting to 10. As they move through the school, pupils deepen their knowledge and understanding. Teachers present new learning clearly. They check on what pupils know and can do through the use of ‘Flashback 4’. This enables pupils to use their understanding and knowledge of mathematical concepts well to tackle more-complex problems.

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Assessment systems are well embedded in both reading and mathematics. However, assessment is in the early stages of development in some wider curriculum subjects. Some subject leaders do not have the assessment information they need to assure themselves that the curriculum is helping pupils to build their knowledge well over time. Some pupils have gaps in their learning. This hampers the progress they make.

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Leaders are ambitious for what pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) can achieve. Staff know pupils well and ensure they receive the support they need. This is particularly the case with pupils with social and emotional needs. Staff adapt learning well. As a result, pupils with SEND access the full curriculum.

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Leaders create a culture where everyone cares and supports one another. Pupils understand the importance of treating others with respect. The school is calm and orderly. This starts in the early years. Children follow routines well. They take turns and listen carefully to adults.

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Leaders support pupils’ personal development well. Pupils know how to look after their mental and physical health. They understand the qualities of a good friend. Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures. They know how the school values of ‘respect’, ‘teamwork’, ‘friendship’ and ‘excellence’ help them develop into respectful young citizens.

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Leaders are ambitious for the school’s future. Staff and leaders work well together. They appreciate the way in which leaders consider their workload. Staff are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure it is everyone’s responsibility to keep pupils safe. Staff use training well to help them recognise pupils that might be at risk. Staff are vigilant. They report and follow up safeguarding concerns promptly. Leaders know their vulnerable pupils and families well. They work well with other agencies to ensure they receive the early help they need. Leaders carry out appropriate checks on the suitability of staff to work with pupils. 15 and 16 November 2022

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Through the curriculum, pupils know how to stay safe, including online. They are confident to ask for help from adults if they have concerns.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Assessment is not used effectively in some foundation subjects. As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Leaders must sharpen the use of assessment in the foundation subjects, so they know that pupils are gaining and retaining the knowledge they need.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2017.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 15 and 16 November 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection

7 – 8 February 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has 10 classes. Two classes are in the resource base. Admission is organised separately with the local authority.  The school does not use any alternative providers.  The school has a breakfast and after-school club, run by an external provider.

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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 school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, subject leaders and members of the governing board and local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives into these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of work. 15 and 16 November 2022

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 The inspector also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in other subjects, including art and computing.  The inspector listened to pupils read in Years 1 and 2 to a familiar adult.  The inspector reviewed safeguarding records, including the single central record of recruitment checks on staff.  Inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses, the staff survey and pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Richard Vaughan, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 November 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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