Whiteheath Infant & Nursery School

Whiteheath Infant & Nursery School

Address: Ladygate Lane, Whiteheath Infant & Nursery School, Ruislip, Middlesex, HA4 7RF Unique reference number (URN): 102413

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Strong standard

Pupils achieve very well across all subjects. As they move through the school, they build their knowledge securely and in detail. Pupils who begin with lower starting points catch up quickly, especially in communication, language and social development. This positive progress is seen consistently from early years onwards. Over time, the proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check is above average.

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Achievement Strong standard

Pupils produce high-quality work that they are proud of. Staff spot misconceptions quickly and reteach content where needed to make sure that pupils master ideas. Pupils especially enjoy learning and using new vocabulary and confidently incorporate it into their work.

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Achievement Strong standard

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities progress very well from their starting points, personally, socially and academically. They receive support tailored to their individual needs. Leaders review this support with precision to make sure it continues to meet each pupil’s needs. At every stage, pupils are very well prepared for their next steps in learning.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders analyse attendance with rigour. They review information to identify any patterns quickly. When concerns or emerging issues arise, leaders act without delay. They set clear expectations for families, supplemented by prompt and tenacious follow-up actions. Leaders' precise work with pupils and families strengthens attendance for all groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). For example, leaders' consistent, targeted actions mean that the attendance of pupils with SEND is now above national figures. Leaders' strategies, including their ongoing analysis of barriers to high attendance, continue to drive clear and rapid improvements in this aspect of the school's work.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils behave positively across the school. They play cooperatively and show respect for one another. Leaders ensure that calm and orderly routines are in place. Staff apply the behaviour policy consistently. They adapt expectations to meet pupils’ individual needs, including those with SEND. Staff provide bespoke support to help pupils to focus and follow expectations. An example of this support includes providing pupils with focus toys, wobble cushions and drawing and talking activities. Pupils engage well in learning and respond positively to adults. Leaders promote positive relationships through events such as 'friendship week'. They act quickly to address concerns should they arise. Bullying is not tolerated. Staff know pupils really well and create a safe and supportive environment where pupils feel safe and want to learn.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of the quality of the curriculum and teaching. They make informed decisions that strengthen practice across the school. They have designed an ambitious and well ‑ sequenced curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils. Starting in the early years, staff expertly extend spoken vocabulary through deliberate and consistent modelling of how to use words in context. This approach builds effectively on what children already know.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

In reading, writing and mathematics, leaders ensure that pupils secure essential knowledge quickly. Phonics teaching is precise and consistent. Pupils read books that match the sounds that they know. This helps them to become confident and independent readers. In mathematics, leaders have constructed the curriculum to ensure that pupils' understanding deepens over time. Pupils revisit prior learning and build confidence through daily practice. Visual and practical resources support pupils to work independently and explain their thinking.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders ensure that staff have secure subject knowledge. For example, staff model correct letter formation consistently and accurately. The mantra of 'position and pencil grip' is embedded into routines to support pupils' writing. Staff know precisely what pupils need to learn and when, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They use their expertise to identify and address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Positive relationships and established routines ensure that pupils engage positively in lessons. Across subjects, teaching supports pupils to think deeply, discuss ideas confidently and demonstrate secure understanding in their recorded work.

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Early years Strong standard

The curriculum is meticulously designed so that children’s knowledge and skills build step by step. Provision for 3 ‑ year ‑ olds is thoughtful and precisely matched to children’s developmental needs. Staff work closely with parents and carers to identify what children already know and use this to guide learning. Children follow expectations and behave sensibly because staff provide consistent and caring routines.

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Early years Strong standard

Expert staff create purposeful activities that support children’s learning well in all areas. Staff listen and respond skilfully to children. High ‑ quality interactions deepen learning and support children’s development effectively. Staff quickly build children’s use of rich vocabulary. For example, staff use specific vocabulary intentionally and support children to understand and use these words in their everyday language. Children also develop a secure grasp of early mathematics through well-chosen activities that build understanding of number and support problem-solving.

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Early years Strong standard

Reading sits at the heart of learning. Children in Reception learn phonics from the start. They use this knowledge to read words and books with growing accuracy. They also apply their phonics knowledge within their early writing. Well-focused reading sessions help to build children's confidence further. Staff know the children well and adapt activities so each child receives the right support at the right time. Disadvantaged children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, also receive targeted support that helps them to secure their understanding. Children are well prepared for the move into Year 1.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Inclusion lies at the heart of the school’s work. Leaders have established a highly inclusive culture where pupils’ individual needs are identified early and assessed precisely. Disadvantaged pupils, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and pupils known or previously known to children’s social care receive tailored, well ‑ coordinated support. Leaders and staff act decisively to ensure that families receive timely help, both within and beyond the school.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The school takes great care to select effective strategies for reducing barriers to learning and wellbeing. High-quality teaching works in tandem with carefully structured additional support and adaptations that further promote pupils’ independence and learning. The school's 'Aviary' provision plays a key role in providing targeted and personalised support for pupils who require more bespoke provision. As a result, these pupils remain focused, use rich vocabulary and access learning successfully. They are also well supported to develop problem ‑ solving, collaboration and purposeful communication, for example through practical activities such as building dens out of wood.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Right from the start of Reception, leaders monitor progress rigorously, reviewing the impact of support and adjusting provision swiftly. This includes the use of additional funding for disadvantaged pupils. Staff are highly trained. They confidently and consistently implement strategies that meet pupils’ specific needs. Leaders work closely with families and external specialists, including speech and language therapists and physiotherapists. This ensures that pupils receive precise, specialist guidance that removes barriers to success and promotes high aspirations.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders work closely with governors to create a culture of high expectations and professionalism. This is grounded in their detailed understanding of the school’s effectiveness. Leaders and governors monitor the school’s work closely. They are highly reflective about how they can sustain and build on their work to ensure that all pupils' needs are met consistently well. This approach ensures that the school’s strengths are celebrated and that any areas for further development strengthen quickly.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders’ actions show clear impact. For instance, their targeted support for families and pupils has led to rapid improvements in attendance. Leaders also make sure that teaching and the curriculum consistently promote and extend pupils' learning, supplemented by precise support for the most vulnerable pupils.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders build positive relationships across the school community. They know the pupils and their families well. Through this work, leaders maintain a clear focus on providing the highest quality of provision for disadvantaged pupils, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and others who may be vulnerable.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Governors understand the school’s work well. They make sure that the school's arrangements for safeguarding and its provision for pupils with SEND remain robust. They also challenge leaders and check that actions make a positive difference to pupils’ outcomes. For example, through their 'strategy days', governors assure themselves about the quality of education and care that pupils receive. Staff develop their subject and teaching expertise through an extensive range of professional learning. They feel very well supported with their workload and wellbeing. Leaders at all levels model professionalism, teamwork and respect at all times.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

One of the key strengths of the school’s work is the way in which leaders make sure that pupils’ personal development and wellbeing underpin everything they do. This approach is woven through the curriculum, with pupils benefiting from meaningful, well ‑ planned opportunities to understand themselves as well as learn about other religions and cultures within the school and wider community. Leaders make sure that disadvantaged pupils gain full benefit from the school's personal development programme.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff encourage pupils to think carefully about fairness, kindness and the impact of their choices. Assemblies and classroom discussions promote cooperation and responsibility. Celebrations of different cultures, music, literature and other significant events all help to broaden pupils’ understanding of the world and deepen their appreciation of diversity. Pupils like how their assemblies provide them with opportunities to learn about special days and vote for things that matter to them, such as their favourite book. All of this work enables pupils to build and deepen their awareness of fundamental British values.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

In early years, the curriculum for personal, social and emotional development is thoughtfully planned. A clear focus on collaboration supports children’s confidence, social skills and readiness to learn. Across the school, lessons that support personal development, including relationships education, are well structured and age appropriate. Staff introduce sensitive content carefully. Pupils learn how to stay safe, both online and offline. The school places high importance on pupils’ emotional wellbeing. Staff use consistent approaches to pastoral care that help pupils to recognise their feelings and manage them calmly.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils enjoy a rich range of wider experiences, including an array of educational trips, visitors and clubs. They speak enthusiastically about visits to local places of interest, creative workshops and joint activities with the junior school. For example, pupils learn to use money in real-life situations, such as buying iced buns from the local bakery. These experiences nurture character and ensure that pupils are prepared very successfully for life in modern Britain.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils experience warm, nurturing relationships. They arrive at school smiling and are greeted with genuine kindness by staff who know them well. Relationships are consistently positive. Pupils feel safe, are kept safe and say that they are safe. They behave with integrity and show care for others. Across the school, pupils play together cooperatively, help visitors and build positive friendships. Children in the early years show high levels of independence, confidence and curiosity. They learn through a well-designed provision that supports their readiness for Year 1. Pupils enjoy learning. They engage well with the curriculum and talk confidently and in detail about what they know. They apply phonics with accuracy and make highly positive progress from their starting points. Those who need additional help, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive precise and well-

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

targeted support. This reduces any barriers to learning and helps these pupils to keep up with their peers. Leaders are quick to notice when pupils need extra help and adjust teaching effectively so that learning remains consistently accessible. Tailored support helps pupils who need extra help to succeed and feel a strong sense of belonging.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils benefit from a broad range of experiences beyond the classroom. They develop confidence, self-esteem and social skills through events such as the 'music extravaganza', where they perform proudly for families. They also value roles such as school councillors and the opportunities for outdoor learning, which develop their physical skills, resilience and problem-solving.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Attendance is a clear priority for leaders, who monitor it closely and respond quickly when concerns arise. Pupils understand the importance of being in school every day. Bullying is rare and dealt with swiftly. The youngest children quickly learn the importance of sharing and taking turns.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are well prepared for their next steps. They learn to work collaboratively, think independently and contribute positively to their community. They thrive in a school where their wellbeing, personal growth and academic success are all prioritised.

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Next steps

Leaders should sustain their work to promote highly effective provision, including the consistent implementation and monitoring of attendance procedures to maintain high attendance for all pupils.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Hema Patel.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty's Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and other senior leaders during the inspection. They also met with members of the governing body, as well as a representative from the local authority.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with several pupils, staff and parents and carers. They also considered the responses to Ofsted's surveys.

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Team inspectors:

Nicholas Flesher, Ofsted Inspector James Waite, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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What does this mean?

The school currently has provision for 3 ‑ year ‑ olds.

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What does this mean?

The school does not use any alternative provision.

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What does this mean?

Headteacher: Jacqueline Hall The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 5.5% 5.5% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 5.7% 5.9% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 16.3% 14.6% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 17.5% 16.2% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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