West Earlham Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of a school judged outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: West Earlham Infant and Nursery School Scarnell Road, Norwich, Norfolk NR5 8HT

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Outcome

West Earlham Infant and Nursery School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school at the heart of its community. Pupils behave well and learn much because of their teachers’ high expectations. Pupils are safe and happy. This is because staff have made pupils’ mental and physical well-being a priority. Pupils know their teachers care about them. They understand they can seek help from an adult if they have a concern.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In the Nursery, teachers establish very clear routines. As a result, children gain essential behaviours to ensure they learn well. Children sit patiently when asked. They know it is respectful to listen to others. Pupils participate with enthusiasm in their lessons. They eagerly reply to their teachers’ questions. In Reception, children help each other to learn. They practise their counting and letter formation independently. ‘Special teacher helpers’ take on responsibility and learn life skills. They carry out helpful duties to support their teacher, such as washing up and cleaning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a range of trips and other extra-curricular activities. They visit the seaside, stately homes, museums and the zoo. Pupils perform experiments with scientists from the University of East Anglia. Pupils hone their sporting skills at Norwich City football stadium. These experiences help enrich pupils’ language and enhance their curriculum and cultural knowledge.

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

The school has constructed an ambitious curriculum which meets the emotional, social and academic needs of its pupils. Language development is at the centre of the 8 and 9 October 2024

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curriculum. From the nursery onwards, leaders evaluate with precision how well children are learning to speak. Many children join the school with delayed speech and language. The school intervenes with urgency. Children receive precise support and they make swift progress. Children build language to express their emotions and describe the world around them. Staff sustain their meticulous attention to children’s development throughout their time at the school.

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The importance of learning to read resonates throughout the school. Teachers adopt highly consistent approaches to the teaching of reading. They present new knowledge with clarity. As a result, Reception-age children, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), immediately gain sounds and blend them to read words. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 read familiar language with fluency. The number of children achieving the Year 1 phonics standard is in line with national averages. This is a considerable achievement given the high percentage of pupils with SEND and those who have English as an additional language.

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Across the curriculum, teachers introduce new knowledge in small steps. Pupils routinely practise what they have learned, which helps them to remember knowledge better. As a result, in mathematics, for example, pupils recall their times tables with ease. They apply their knowledge to solve problems. Pupils use precise subject-specific vocabulary to explain food chains in science. Older pupils write at length and employ rich descriptive language. Teachers check for gaps in learning and misunderstanding with rigour. Any pupils who fall behind with their reading and mathematics receive immediate help and they catch up quickly.

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A highly inclusive ethos permeates the school. The school’s provision for pupils with SEND is exemplary. Leaders work with a range of agencies to identify pupils’ needs with precision. When support is not available elsewhere, the school innovates. The establishment of two enhanced SEND bases in the school ensures that pupils with complex needs access the curriculum.

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The school caters exceptionally well for pupils’ wider development. Through the books they read, pupils learn about people from different cultures. They recall knowledge of other religions. They develop, therefore, a greater understanding of the diversity in their own school community. Pupils, including those with significant social and emotional needs, understand how their actions may affect others. As a result, they know how to modify their behaviour and make amends.

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Leaders and governors accurately review how well the school is performing. The school relentlessly refines the curriculum to ensure disadvantaged pupils overcome significant barriers. Their actions lead to improvements in all areas of school life. Staff appreciate the training they receive to become even better teachers. Staff clearly understand the reasons behind the decision leaders take. They find their workload reasonable.

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To realise the ambitious vision for these children’s lives, leaders have worked tirelessly with the local community. They have fostered positive relationships with parents and carers. As a result, pupils attend regularly. The school takes appropriate actions when 8 and 9 October 2024

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pupils do not. The school makes a significant contribution to improve the welfare of those in the community. The school’s efforts, for example, to secure regular dental care for all pupils have been shared nationally. Parents rightfully endorse the quality of education their children receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged outstanding for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 outstanding for overall effectiveness in October 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. 8 and 9 October 2024

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In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with 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). 8 and 9 October 2024

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School details

Chair of governing body Sheila Lewis-Smith

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 3 and 4 October 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school makes use of one registered alternative provider for a small number of pupils.  The school has nursery provision for two-year-olds.

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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 this evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the chair of governors, other governors, the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, other leaders, subject leaders, teachers and support staff. The inspector focused inspection activity on the following groups of subjects: reading, writing, mathematics, science and music. The inspector spoke with subject leaders, visited lessons, met with pupils and staff and considered pupils’ work. 8 and 9 October 2024

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 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 considered the views of pupils, staff and parents. There were 37 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. There were 41 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View. The inspector considered 39 free-text responses from parents.

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Inspection team

Adam Cooke, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 8 and 9 October 2024

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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