West Bridgford Infant School

Inspection of West Bridgford Infant School Avon Gardens, George Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG2 6BP

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 November 2023

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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 under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 13 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. From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. 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 graded inspection. 21 and 22 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

West Bridgford Infant School is truly a place where ‘bright ideas shine’. Learning is an exciting business. As one pupil told an inspector, ‘We learn to shine brightly.’ Pupils are well cared for and nurtured. Relationships are highly positive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ high expectations of pupils are shared across the full staff team. Pupils know that they are expected to be ‘ready to learn, ready for life and ready to shine’. They know how the ‘shine brightly’ characters, including ‘Agent Concentrate’, ‘The Collaboration Kids’ and ‘Professor Perseverance’, help them to learn and to get on with each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They meet the high expectations set by staff. They consistently use the many stairs in the school in a safe and orderly manner. They understand why it is important to hold the handrail and to walk quietly. Pupils are excited by the rewards that they earn, including completing their ‘tens chart’ and receiving ‘shine brightly’ stickers. They know the consequences of being placed on the ‘thinking and sad faces’ system. However, they are adamant that the sad face is rarely used.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Older pupils are proud to take on the role of ‘playground friends’ and to help younger children to play and be happy.

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better?

Pupils are taught to read as soon as they join the school. The phonics teaching programme is well established. It makes clear the sounds that pupils should know at each stage of their school journey. Phonics teaching is typically engaging and well paced. Pupils are given many opportunities to recognise and practise the sounds that they need to learn. As a result, pupils soon master phonics and go on to become successful readers. Beyond phonics, the reading curriculum is similarly well organised and taught.

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better?

Across all subjects, the school’s curriculum is comprehensively planned. Content is taught in a well-sequenced order. Teachers plan and deliver exciting lessons. They check carefully on how well pupils learn the content of the intended curriculum. They adapt lessons skilfully to ensure that all pupils keep up. ‘Independent learning tasks’ help pupils to apply and revisit what they have learned. In most subjects, the curriculum makes clear what pupils are expected to know and remember. However, in a small number of places within the curriculum, the plans do not identify the most important content that pupils are expected to remember long term. In some cases, there is too much content for pupils to realistically retain.

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better?

There are robust assessment arrangements in place for the majority of subjects. In reading, writing and mathematics, these are used well to shape teaching. However, in other subjects, assessment procedures are at different stages of being developed. 21 and 22 November 2023

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In a small number of subjects, assessment arrangements have not been fully established.

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Children get off to a strong start in the early years. Adults in the school have an expert understanding of how young children learn. There are well established induction arrangements that help children to settle quickly. The early years curriculum is meticulously planned and sequenced. Classrooms are consistently well- resourced. Effective assessment arrangements in the early years ensure that adults have an accurate view of how children are progressing.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive effective help and support. The school ensures that their needs are identified and understood. Pupils are helped to learn the same curriculum as their peers. Careful consideration is given to how, over time, pupils with SEND develop independence.

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Pupils benefit from a bespoke programme for personal, social and health education (PSHE). They learn to value difference and know the importance of mutual respect. Older pupils have an impressive understanding of fundamental British values for their age. They know why these are important. Pupils appreciate the many activities that the school provides to enrich the curriculum, including trips, visitors and the very popular ‘healthy fortnight’.

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At all levels, leaders know their school well. The school has a highly cohesive and committed team of staff. It has an uncompromising high ambition for all pupils. Leaders quickly adapt provision to take account of changes in the pupil population. The school provides well for the increasing number of pupils who speak English as an additional language. The school’s approaches to training and quality assurance are robust. However, in a small number of cases, leaders do not use the full range of information available to them to evaluate the impact of the school’s work.

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Pupils, staff and the vast majority of parents are unanimously positive about the school. One parent summed up the views of many when they simply said, ‘Our daughter loves her school. And so do we.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of foundation subjects, the curriculum does not identify the most important content that pupils are expected to know and remember. As a result, pupils’ recall of the curriculum is not as comprehensive as it could be. The school should ensure that, across all subjects, the curriculum makes clear the 21 and 22 November 2023

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most important content that pupils should learn and commit to their long-term memory.  In some subjects, assessment procedures are not yet fully developed. This means that, in these subjects, the school does not have a fully rounded view of how pupils are performing. Assessment is not being used as well as it could be to inform curriculum improvements, nor to judge how effectively the subject is being taught. Leaders should ensure that their approach to assessment in foundation subjects is fully developed and implemented.  In a small number of cases, leaders do not use the full range of information available to them to evaluate the impact of the school’s work. This means that some opportunities to identify strengths and possible areas for improvement are missed. Leaders should ensure that they use the full range of information available to them to identify strengths and possible areas for improvement in the

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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’ 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). 21 and 22 November 2023

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14 and 15 January 2010, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school works closely with its neighbouring school, West Bridgford Junior School, on an informal basis, to support transition arrangements from key stage 1 to key stage 2.  The school does not use any alternative education providers.

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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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the ongoing impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 21 and 22 November 2023

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 Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, curriculum leaders, the early years leaders, staff who are responsible for SEND and other groups of staff and pupils.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in four subjects: reading, mathematics, history and science. To do this, they met with curriculum leaders, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and met with teachers and pupils. Inspectors also spoke to leaders and looked at curriculum documentation for other subjects, physical education, art and design, and PSHE.  The lead inspector met with representatives of the governing body. He held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey and written comments from parents. Inspectors spoke informally to parents outside the school and considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: 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.  Inspectors reviewed school documents, including those relating to governance, behaviour and attendance. Inspectors scrutinised leaders’ plans for improvement and their assessment of the school’s effectiveness.  Inspectors spoke informally to pupils at breaktimes, in the dining hall and on the playground.

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Inspection team

Vic Wilkinson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Cleo Redmond Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 November 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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