Westfield Infant School

Inspection of Westfield Infant School Ashford Road, Hinckley, Leicestershire LE10 0JL

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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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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since February 2014. 29 and 30 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Westfield Infant School learn to ‘shine’. They are caring, thoughtful and listen to each other attentively. They use their manners and know what makes a good friend. The school’s ‘golden rules’ help to keep pupils safe and happy. As a result, school is a calm, inclusive and purposeful place where everyone can learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils live up to the school’s vision, values and high expectations. Their well-being and mental health are prioritised. Staff in ‘The Rainbow Room’ support pupils who need help to express their worries and concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Appropriate targets help all pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from a curriculum that is well suited to their needs. Pupils in the school’s SEND resource base classes, ‘The Den’ and ‘The Forest’, learn how to take turns and to concentrate during activities for extended periods of time. These children thrive because of the effective support they receive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leadership opportunities, such as ‘positivity ambassadors’ and the school council, help pupils to develop responsibility and confidence. Many pupils enjoy the wider opportunities the school offers, including gardening and multi-skills clubs. Those involved in the gymnastics club take pride in their recent awards.

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

The school has made marked improvements to its curriculum recently. Most staff recognise how these changes have benefited pupils and value how these developments have enhanced their expertise as subject leaders. However, occasionally, the activities that pupils complete do not link closely to the intended curriculum. When this happens, pupils do not deepen their knowledge of a subject as well as they should.

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

From the start, reading is prioritised for all pupils. Staff in the early years help children to hear sounds in words, understand patterns in language through songs and rhymes, and learn to retell traditional stories. Children love to share books with their friends in ‘The Nook’.

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

The new early reading programme is taught well. Alongside this, there is a sharp focus on developing pupils’ reading fluency and comprehension. Every day, in all classes, pupils develop their knowledge of reading because it is taught in a systematic and logical way. When pupils need to catch up, they receive effective support. Staff adapt their teaching carefully to help pupils with SEND learn to read. For example, these pupils match letters to the text in books so they can blend words back together. These actions are improving the reading outcomes for current pupils but are not reflected in the school’s published results.

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

Pupils enjoy learning. In lessons, staff present new content clearly. They provide pupils with opportunities to rehearse and repeat key concepts and knowledge. Pupils have access to a wide range of resources to support their understanding. Sometimes, pupils do 29 and 30 April 2025

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not apply their knowledge of spelling, grammar, punctuation and transcription consistently or accurately. As a result, they do not embed this necessary key knowledge across the curriculum.

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Staff identify pupils with SEND promptly and provide them with effective support. These pupils, including those in the enhanced resource provision, learn successfully alongside their peers. Pupils with SEND take part in many areas of school life. Staff work closely with parents, carers and external professionals to ensure that these pupils receive the right support.

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Children in the early years demonstrate increasing levels of independence, curiosity and enjoyment in their learning. For example, they represent and develop their ideas of monarchy through role play, construction and malleable materials. Staff consider carefully how to change the environment and provision during the year to help children deepen their knowledge of the curriculum. The school continues to refine its early years outdoor environment.

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The school’s pastoral offer is strong. Pupils learn how to manage overwhelming emotions, such as anger and anxiety. The school collaborates with families to develop behaviour strategies that support children at home. Staff use different rewards effectively, to incentivise good attendance and provide targeted support when needed.

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The school supports pupils’ personal development effectively. Pupils use actions and sign language to recall British values and apply them in their work and play. They have an age- appropriate understanding of healthy relationships and online safety. Although pupils develop respectful attitudes towards those who are different to them, they do not have a secure understanding of different faiths and religions.

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Governors have prioritised improvements to the school’s curriculum so that all pupils receive a strong start to their education. They listen and respond to the views of parents who commend the school’s work, describing it as ‘welcoming’ with ‘high standards’.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils do not apply their knowledge of transcription, spelling, punctuation and grammar consistently across all curriculum areas. This does not help pupils to embed important knowledge in their long-term memory. The school should ensure that pupils have plenty of opportunities to use their knowledge of the English curriculum with increasing independence and fluency, across all subjects. 29 and 30 April 2025

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 Occasionally, the activities that pupils complete do not align to the school’s intended curriculum. This does not help pupils to develop and enhance their understanding of important subject content. The school should ensure that the activities pupils complete enable them to deepen their understanding of the school’s curriculum.  Pupils’ understanding of different religions is limited. This restricts their ability to appreciate and celebrate the similarities and differences between different faiths and compare it to their own values and beliefs. The school should ensure that pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of different religions and faiths so that they are well placed to understand diversity in modern Britain.

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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.

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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). 29 and 30 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 February 2014, section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up the position in August 2023. The school’s business manager started in the role in August 2024.  The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with moderate learning difficulties. These pupils attend ‘The Den’ and ‘The Forest’ classes. The provision provides education for up to 24 pupils between the ages of four and seven years. The local authority is responsible for admissions to this provision. Pupils who attend this provision come from different parts of the county and are likely to have an education, health and care plan.  The school uses one unregistered 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. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 29 and 30 April 2025

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 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in this evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke to school leaders, including the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. In addition, the lead inspector spoke to representatives of the local authority and the school’s governing board, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, physical education and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also sampled aspects of the school’s curriculums for English, computing,

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religious education and design technology.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, around the school and at social times. They considered the school’s arrangements for the use of alternative provision.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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 spoke with parents, staff and pupils on site. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s survey for staff and the views of parents expressed through Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Shaheen Hussain, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tim Leah Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 April 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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