Whybridge Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Whybridge Infant School Ford Lane, Rainham, Essex RM13 7AR

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 September 2023

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Outcome

Whybridge Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils really enjoy coming to this school. They take pride in telling visitors about what they are learning and about all the exciting things they do. During breaktimes, pupils especially like the way that they can play in different ‘zones’. For example, some of these areas have activities, such as netball, which are led by adults. Other zones are set aside for quiet games and toys, and for stilt walking and games of football.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum is ambitious. Pupils are well supported to remember and understand knowledge. Nevertheless, there are times when the activities that pupils complete do not match precisely with what they are expected to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are highly engaged in their learning. For example, children in Reception Class eagerly join in with counting songs, as well as matching numbers and objects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

With the mascots of a lion, giraffe and rhinoceros, pupils embrace the school’s values of kindness, resilience and good manners. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about how they try to show resilience in overcoming challenges in their learning, both in and out of school. Pupils were particularly proud to show off their ‘Gerald the Giraffe’ stickers, awarded for showing resilience, both in and out of school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well and there is a real sense of peacefulness and calm. Pupils are guided well to follow the school’s expectations. In the Reception Year, children are expertly helped to settle in quickly.

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

The school’s curriculum has been designed to be broad and engaging. It is ambitious for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school has planned subjects so that pupils’ learning is well sequenced. Clear curriculum thinking means that the steps that pupils need to make in their learning are well planned. 13 and 14 September 2023

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This attention has been given to both the academic curriculum and the aspects that enrich pupils’ time at the school.

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Early reading is a real priority. Children begin to learn the sounds that letters make as soon as they join the Reception Class. Children especially enjoy joining in with the rhymes and actions that support the school’s chosen phonics scheme. Teachers regularly check pupils’ understanding of the sounds that have been taught. Any pupils who have gaps in their knowledge are given extra support, both before and after the whole-class sessions. Pupils take home a range of books. These are carefully selected to support their development as readers, with texts that help pupils to practise their phonics. Pupils also like taking home books that they can enjoy and share with their family. The school has thought carefully about how it can promote a love of books and reading. Pupils spoke about the author and illustrator visits that the school has organised. They were especially proud to share the illustrations drawn by Korky Paul when he visited the school.

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Overall, pupils achieve well. Teachers give pupils work that helps them to recall and remember what they have previously learned in a curriculum subject. For example, in mathematics, at the start of each session, pupils are given questions that recap prior learning. Teachers quickly see where pupils have any gaps in what they remember and go back over these points. Most teaching focuses well on helping pupils to grasp and remember with fluency the knowledge set out in the curriculum. However, there are times when the work pupils are given does not link well with what they are expected to learn. This reduces the effectiveness of the school’s work to ensure that pupils securely recall and understand key ideas.

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The school works closely with families to help them to support their children’s learning. This includes coffee mornings and workshops, where parents can learn about what is being taught in school. For example, in Reception Class, parents are invited to take part in phonics sessions to find out how children learn the sounds that letters make. The school also sends out ‘family homework’ and information about what is learned in class.

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Subjects taught in school are enriched with carefully chosen educational visits. For example, the history curriculum is complemented with trips to RAF Hornchurch, where pupils learn about the Second World War, important local people and the local area. In science, pupils visit Rainham Marshes to learn about the animals found there and about the different natural and human features of the landscape. Pupils spoke knowledgeably about the creatures that they had seen during their visits.

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Pupils with SEND benefit from high-quality, extra help. This is delivered by well-trained staff, who know them well. Pupils follow the same curriculum as their peers. In lessons, teachers make effective adaptations to support pupils’ learning.

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Pupils behave well and understand the school’s clear expectations. They spoke about how this is a school where everyone is treated with respect. Pupils especially enjoy finding out about each other’s different faiths and traditions. 13 and 14 September 2023

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Staff feel well supported by the school. They know that the training and resources that they need to be effective in their work are available to them. Staff commented positively about how leaders consider well-being and workload when making decisions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some lessons and activities, there are instances where teaching does not match the objectives of the curriculum. This can mean that pupils develop misconceptions about what they have been taught or that they find it harder to acquire and remember new knowledge. The school should ensure that the purpose and sequence of planned activities are carefully considered, so that teaching consistently prioritises ensuring that pupils learn the core knowledge identified in the curriculum.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2014.

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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. 13 and 14 September 2023

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 13 and 14 September 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 9 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up her post in September 2019.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with leaders, including those responsible for safeguarding. He also met with members of the governing body and spoke with the chair of the governing body. The inspector also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited 13 and 14 September 2023

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a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector also considered the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector spoke with parents and considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, including the written responses.

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Inspection team

Adam Vincent, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 13 and 14 September 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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