West Byfleet Infant School

Inspection of West Byfleet Infant School Camphill Road, West Byfleet, Surrey KT14 6EF

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected 14 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 2 and 3 February 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

West Byfleet Infant School is a vibrant and nurturing community. Pupils are highly enthusiastic about coming to their welcoming school. They love learning new things alongside their many friends. There are high levels of care and pastoral support in place for every pupil. As a result, pupils feel safe and are thriving.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ ambition is for every pupil to feel that they belong, are inspired and that they succeed. Leaders keep the development of the whole child at the heart of their work. They know their pupils and the community extremely well. At breaktimes, pupils play well together, keeping active by playing games that adults organise for them. Pupils are kind, considerate of others and well mannered. Pupils do not worry about bullying, because they know that caring adults will quickly deal with issues.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils engage in a wide range of clubs and trips that enrich their learning and interests. For example, visits to RHS Garden Wisley or Hampton Court support their spiritual and cultural development well. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. A very large majority would recommend the school, although many acknowledged that staffing and leadership changes in recent years have sometimes been unsettling.

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better?

Governors have been instrumental and effective in guiding the school through some tricky times with unavoidable staffing changes. They have supported and challenged leaders skilfully in maintaining stability, prioritising and helping to achieve ambitious goals. Governors are knowledgeable and proactive. They have sought extra support and additional evidence to reassure themselves of what they are told by leaders. Governors also find out pupils’ views and check up on staff welfare. All this has led to governors’ comprehensive understanding of the curriculum and how well the school is doing.

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better?

Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum. They have identified the knowledge that pupils need to learn, right from the start of Reception Year. In some subjects, for example mathematics and religious education, pupils develop knowledge in a clear sequence that builds over time. This helps pupils make connections between topics and strengthens their learning. As a result, pupils achieve well in many subjects, including reading. However, in a very small number of foundation subjects, leaders’ work to identify the key knowledge and the precise order to teach it is not yet fully developed.

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better?

Leaders are ambitious for every pupil to succeed. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are supported to do their best. Leaders have a robust system in place to identify the needs of pupils who need additional help. Teachers are supported well to adapt tasks in all subjects to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. As a result, pupils with additional needs develop their knowledge and skills across the curriculum effectively. 2 and 3 February 2023

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Leaders prioritise the teaching of reading. The environment supports language development with a wide selection of well-chosen books. Children in Reception learn phonics using a well-organised and effective programme. In the early stages of learning to read, pupils read books containing the sounds they know. This means that pupils quickly become fluent and confident readers. Pupils who find learning to read more difficult are helped to keep up with extra support led by well-trained staff.

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Pupils behave well because they understand the routines and choose to do the right thing. In addition, staff praise pupils’ impressive behaviour. Pupils are calm, focused and fully engaged in lessons. Relationships between adults and pupils are warm. They also reflect the highly respectful culture that leaders create. Starting from Reception Year upwards, pupils’ attitudes to their learning are very positive.

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Leaders prioritise pupils’ personal development. Pupils experience a wealth of planned opportunities that enhance the curriculum and build their life skills. For example, pupils look forward to the ‘Life Bus’ visiting the school, as it inspires them to learn even more about the human body. Work to develop pupils’ character is strong. Pupils develop resilience and confidence through well-chosen activities, starting in the Reception year. Pastoral support, including understanding why mental health is so important to learning, is a strength of the school. For example, pupils are taught thoughtfully about their emotions and feelings. This helps them understand themselves and others so that they can be even more ready to learn.

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Leaders and governors have a clear, shared vision for the school and work really well together. Leaders have planned a programme of high-quality training to develop staff’s subject knowledge across the curriculum. Because of this, staff feel valued and trusted. Staff say that leaders are approachable and mindful of their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established a secure culture of safeguarding. There are clear systems in place to identify pupils who may be at risk of harm. Leaders tackle all concerns about pupils as soon as they are identified. Leaders make sure that children and families in need of additional support access this quickly and when they need it. Record-keeping is thorough and systematic. Procedures for checking and training staff are strong. Pupils are taught about risk and how to manage it. For example, they have a clear, age-appropriate knowledge of how to keep themselves safe, including when online, and know where to go for help.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a very small number of foundation subjects, the curriculum is not yet fully effective. Consequently, pupils do not consistently achieve as well as they could. 2 and 3 February 2023

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Leaders need to refine the curriculum so that it identifies the precise sequenced, foundational knowledge that pupils must know and remember.

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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. 2 and 3 February 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Stacey Clarke (Headteacher) Jane Reeve (Executive Headteacher) Website www.west-byfleet-infant.surrey.sch.uk

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Information about this school

 The substantive headteacher has been away from school since September 2022. Therefore, an executive headteacher, who also leads another local school, leads the school alongside two assistant headteachers.  The school’s population has grown significantly since the last inspection.  The school provides wrap-around care through a before-school club.  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 continuing impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the executive headteacher, both assistant 2 and 3 February 2023

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headteachers and the early years leader.  The lead inspector met with eight governors, including the chair of governors. He also spoke with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, physical education, religious education and computing. Deep dives included visiting a range of lessons and looking at pupils’ work. Inspectors also talked with leaders, teachers and pupils about how teaching builds pupils’ knowledge over time. The lead inspector also heard pupils read to a known adult.  Inspectors checked a wide range of safeguarding documentation, including the single central record. They also reviewed the school’s records for child protection and assessed the school’s culture of safeguarding.  The lead inspector reviewed a range of documentation, including the school’s self- evaluation, school development plan and relevant school policies.

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 Inspectors took account of parents’ responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire, along with their written comments. Inspectors also talked with parents on the morning and the afternoon of the first day of inspection.  Inspectors gathered pupils’ views about their learning, what behaviour is like at the school and whether they felt safe. Inspectors also talked to pupils about their views on personal development and the wider school curriculum.  Inspectors met with a range of staff to gather their views on how leaders support them and took account of their responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Gareth Flemington, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jo Brinkley His Majesty’s Inspector 2 and 3 February 2023

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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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