West Rise Primary School and Nursery

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: West Rise Community Infant School Chaffinch Road, Langney, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 7SL

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 January 2025

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Outcome

West Rise Community Infant 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?

Pupils thrive at West Rise Infants. The school has a nurturing and supportive environment that helps pupils to learn that ‘it’s good to be me’. Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes and behaviour in class and around school. They treat one another with kindness. Pupils aspire to be 'Wise Owls' and to realise their potential. They arrive in the morning with a skip and a smile, ready for a day of delight and learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school promotes pupils’ well-being and personal development alongside their academic achievements effectively. Caring staff teach children from Reception through to pupils in Year 2 to be increasingly confident and independent.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the many exciting activities, including special visitors and events, that enrich their experiences. Activities, such as gymnastics and dance, enable them to develop their creative talents. Pupils make a meaningful contribution to school life. For instance, some pupils are members of the school council and are proud to help reduce school waste.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils learn the important knowledge, including early reading, writing and mathematics, that prepares them well for the next stages in their education.

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The school’s curriculum is ambitious and sequenced logically. The important skills and knowledge pupils should learn are identified and ordered towards clear aims by the end of key stage 1. In Reception, purposeful activities are designed carefully to help pupils understand the basics in readiness for future learning. Staff show pupils how to talk and communicate effectively. As a result, pupils become increasingly confident to do the same.

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Reading is a top priority, and a love of reading is fostered effectively. This begins in the early years, where staff share books and stories that inspire children to be enthusiastic about reading. Phonics teaching starts strongly from the moment children start in Reception. Across the school, phonics is taught well in a curriculum tailored to pupils’ needs. For those who struggle, support is put in place swiftly to help them develop these essential skills.

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Skilled staff ensure pupils use their reading knowledge to help them improve their writing. Across the curriculum, pupils apply the sounds and new words they have learned in their written work. This, together with a focus on letter formation, helps pupils secure early writing skills. Older pupils produce high-quality writing for their age.

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Staff have strong subject knowledge and explain learning clearly. Activities match what pupils need to know and do carefully. Staff check pupils’ understanding routinely. In English and mathematics, they revisit content regularly to enable pupils to remember. This helps pupils secure and deepen their learning in these subjects. However, in other subjects, pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to revisit knowledge. Therefore, on occasion, pupils forget important learning.

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Pupils with SEND have their needs identified well. Bespoke support, including that from the school’s ‘Growth’ approach helps these pupils to be successful in their learning. During lessons, staff modify their input to meet the needs of pupils. Thus, pupils with SEND integrate into lessons well.

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From the early years, children learn to follow well-established routines. They have excellent attitudes to learning. In lessons, pupils’ enthusiasm is palpable, and they are highly engaged. The school works positively with families to ensure pupils come to school regularly. Rewards for positive attendance, including ‘Cedric the bear’ are highly prized.

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The school promotes pupils’ wider development especially well. Carefully planned enrichment activities help pupils experience the world beyond the school. Staff care for pupils’ well-being. Pupils learn how to be physically and mentally healthy and how to keep themselves safe online. For example, lessons help pupils develop an age-appropriate understanding of self-respect and consent. They learn about democratic processes voting for the school’s annual fundraising effort. Pupils value one another’s differences. They understand that individual characteristics make them unique. Pupils learn that change is a positive thing and are well prepared for transfer to key stage 2.

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Leaders and governors have continued to improve the school since the last inspection. Governors know their school well. They have effective systems to ensure they give well- 28 and 29 January 2025

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considered challenge and support. The school considers the well-being and workload of staff.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teaching does not provide pupils with enough opportunities to practise the important knowledge they need to know and remember. As a result, some pupils do not develop a secure grasp of new content. The school should ensure that teaching provides pupils with sufficient opportunities to revisit key learning, so they remember more of what they have been taught.

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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 to be good 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in July 2015.

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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. 28 and 29 January 2025

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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). 28 and 29 January 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The local authority

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School details

Headteacher Louise Muller Lynne Weir (co-headteacher) Website www.westriseinf.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 June 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in January 2024. From 1 May 2025, the school will amalgamate with the on-site, separate nursery and junior school to form West Rise Primary School.  The school’s before- and after-school club is managed by an external provider.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. They also met with members of the governing body and representatives of the local authority. 28 and 29 January 2025

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 The inspector focused inspection activity on the following groups of subjects: English and mathematics; geography, art and design and computing. For each group of subjects, the inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  During the inspection, the inspector met with a range of pupils to discuss their views about the school and talked to them informally during social times.  The inspector met some parents to gain their views of the school. They reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. The inspector also took account of staff responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire.  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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Laura James, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 28 and 29 January 2025

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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