Whitehall Nursery and Infant Academy

Whitehall Nursery and Infant Academy

Address: West Bromwich Road, Walsall, West Midlands, WS1 3HS Unique reference number (URN): 151258

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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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Early years Strong standard

Children make a strong start to their education because leaders have established a well designed and ambitious early years curriculum. Communication, language and relationships are at the heart of children's learning, helping them settle quickly and become increasingly independent. This is because leaders accurately understand the needs of their children and have designed a curriculum around this. Adults know children exceptionally well. As a result, staff use their understanding of each child's development to plan learning that builds successfully from their individual starting points.

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Early years Strong standard

Adults interact skilfully with children throughout the day. They use purposeful conversations, carefully chosen questions and well-planned activities to extend children's vocabulary, thinking and understanding. Reading is prioritised from the outset, helping children develop a love of books while preparing them well for learning phonics. Vocabulary development is evident across the whole setting. For example, through poetry and real life experience, such as exploring different fruits, to support language. Assessment is used effectively to identify children's next steps. Consequently, no learning is left to chance and children learn progressively across early years.

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Early years Strong standard

The learning environment is stimulating and carefully organised to promote curiosity, exploration and independence. Children develop positive attitudes to learning and show resilience when faced with new challenges. Strong partnerships with families support children's learning and wellbeing and help them settle successfully into school life. Subsequently, children thrive in the early years and are exceptionally well prepared for Year 1.

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Achievement Expected standard

Although, outcomes in national phonic screening remain below national, pupils make progress from their starting points. Published outcomes do not fully reflect pupils' positive current achievement. Pupils join and leave at different points in the year. The school prioritise phonics and reading to support new pupils joining. Across the curriculum, most pupils build secure knowledge and skills from their starting points. They recall previous learning confidently, apply what they know successfully in different subjects and are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils’ books are very well presented. Pupils build their knowledge in foundational skills well. This includes handwriting and mathematics. The love of reading is a high priority. High- quality texts are part of the curriculum. The library and classroom areas are well resourced with a wide range of books. As a result, pupils build their reading skills well from their individual starting points.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils behave well and demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. They understand leaders' high expectations and contribute to the calm and purposeful atmosphere that is evident throughout the school. Relationships between pupils and staff are warm and respectful. This helps pupils feel confident and ready to learn. Pupils say that bullying is rare and trust adults to deal with any concerns quickly and effectively. Staff make appropriate adaptations to support pupils, who may need help with understanding their behaviour. This enables pupils to participate successfully alongside their peers. Consequently, classrooms are orderly, learning is rarely disrupted and pupils are able to focus well on their learning.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

While published attendance remains below national figures, attendance is improving. Leaders have focused on improving the attendance on those pupils who do not attend regularly enough, groups of pupils and for individual pupils. Leaders recognise there is still more work to do in this area and are working closely with families and carers to help them understand the importance of regular attendance. Leaders analyse attendance information carefully and engage external agencies appropriately to reduce barriers to regular attendance. Although some pupils continue to face significant barriers to good attendance, leaders understand these barriers well and are taking effective action to improve attendance further.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have established and implemented a broad and ambitious curriculum. There is a clear emphasis on communication, language development and vocabulary. Staff consistently model ambitious spoken language and insist on pupils answering in complete sentences. Pupils join the school at different points. Many pupils do not speak English as their first language, when they first join. The curriculum has been designed around ensuring that these pupils learn the foundational skills they need quickly.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teachers have secure subject knowledge and present learning clearly. They use assessment effectively to identify misconceptions and adapt teaching, so that most pupils build knowledge and skills progressively from their starting points. Teachers use questioning, modelling and carefully chosen resources to support pupils in accessing new learning successfully. As a result, teaching is consistently effective in most classrooms and pupils learn well across the curriculum, building secure knowledge and confidence over time. However, this consistency is not realised for some pupils with the most complex needs. Although staff know these pupils well, the curriculum does not consistently identify the next small steps in learning or inform teaching well enough. Consequently, these pupils do not experience the same consistently high-quality curriculum as their peers.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The school is led by caring leaders, who have the interests of their community and pupils at the heart of all decision-making. Leaders have established a clear vision that has driven significant improvements across the school. They understand the school's strengths and priorities well and have focused successfully on improving the quality of education, pupils' attendance and the wider experiences available to most pupils. As a result, most pupils now benefit from a more ambitious curriculum and effective teaching.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders work effectively with the trust, governors and external partners to strengthen the school's work. Those responsible for governance know the school well and provide an appropriate balance of support and challenge. They understand leaders' priorities and hold them to account for continuing to improve pupils' experiences. Staff value the professional development available to them and appreciate leaders' consideration of their workload and wellbeing. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school and recognise the positive difference leaders have made.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have established a strong safeguarding culture. Pupils are safe because staff understand their responsibilities and respond appropriately, when concerns arise. Leaders take prompt action to safeguard pupils. However, safeguarding records do not always fully reflect the actions taken or demonstrate leaders' work as clearly as they should. This means that concerns are not always recorded consistently or quickly enough.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Although leaders have secured significant improvements across most aspects of the school's work, they recognise that there is still more work to do to ensure that pupils with the most complex needs receive the same ambitious education as their peers.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders place pupils' personal development and wellbeing at the heart of school life. From the very start of the day, pupils’ needs are well considered and leaders ensure that pupils who are in need of the most help, get what they need to start the day successfully. For example, breakfast clubs ensures pupils start the day with healthy food and staff ensure that pupils have everything they need to start their day.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils benefit from a carefully planned programme that prepares them well for life beyond the classroom. A wide range of clubs, educational visits, leadership opportunities and enrichment activities broaden pupils' experiences and help them discover new interests and talents. Pupils learn about healthy relationships, diversity and equality in age-appropriate ways and understand how to keep themselves safe, including when using technology. A strong focus on developing pupils' spoken language enables them to communicate confidently, explain their ideas clearly and listen respectfully to others. Consequently, pupils are well prepared to contribute positively to school life and the wider community.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff know pupils well and provide effective pastoral support that helps pupils feel valued, included and ready to learn. Breakfast club and other pastoral initiatives reduce barriers to learning and ensure that many pupils begin the day settled and prepared for learning. Pastoral care contributes positively to pupils’ positive wellbeing and sense of security.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Spiritual development is promoted particularly well through assemblies, curriculum experiences and first-hand experiences. Leaders encourage pupils’ sense of awe and wonder from observing baby chickens and butterflies to educational visits to beaches, castles and zoos. All these activities, broaden pupils’ experiences and understanding of the world.

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Needs attention

The school’s extensive programme of clubs include yoga, craft, and sport. Equally, a rich range of music, dance theatre and cultural experiences enables pupils to discover and develop individual talents.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders have established high aspirations for most pupils. Pupils are welcomed, valued and supported to overcome barriers to learning. Staff identify pupils' needs accurately and work closely with families and external agencies to ensure that most pupils receive the help they need to participate fully in school life. Staff adapt learning effectively so that most pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn successfully alongside their peers and access the same ambitious curriculum. Across most classrooms, staff use visual aids and resources to consistently support learners who need extra help to access the lesson successfully. Leaders use pupil premium thoughtfully to support disadvantaged pupils and improve their achievement, attendance and wellbeing. Consequently, most pupils who face barriers to learning experience a highly inclusive education and achieve well from their starting points.

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Inclusion Needs attention

However, leaders have not ensured that this ambition extends consistently to some pupils with the most complex needs. The curriculum and wider experiences they receive is not sufficiently ambitious or coherently planned to meet their individual learning needs over time. Consequently, these pupils do not benefit from the same breadth of learning or opportunities as their peers. This means they are not consistently supported to achieve as well as they could.

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

Pupils enjoy being part of the school’s welcoming and nurturing community. Positive and warm relationships are at the heart of this school. Staff know pupils well. Pupils know that adults listen to them and respond quickly if they have any worries. They feel valued and ready to learn. As a result, pupils feel safe, cared for and supported to succeed.

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

Most pupils benefit from an ambitious curriculum that places spoken language and wider experiences at its heart. From the early years onwards, pupils confidently express their ideas, explain their thinking and listen respectfully to others. Classrooms are calm and purposeful. Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and are keen to contribute to discussions. Children in the early years make a particularly strong start because learning experiences help them become confident and independent learners. Overall, most pupils achieve well and are prepared effectively for the next stage of their education.

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

Pupils value the many opportunities beyond the classroom. They enjoy leadership roles, clubs and educational visits that broaden their experiences and develop their interests. Pupils are identified and celebrated as ‘Happiness Heroes’. This means pupils demonstrate how to recognise and manage their emotions and show kindness towards others. These experiences help pupils develop confidence and a strong sense of belonging. As a result, pupils describe their school as a friendly place, where everyone is encouraged to do their best.

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

However, this ambition is not realised consistently for some pupils with the most complex needs. Although all pupils are cared for well, the curriculum and wider experiences for some pupils are not as ambitious or coherently planned as those experienced by other pupils. As a result, they do not build knowledge and skills as successfully over time or benefit from the same breadth of learning. This means they do not consistently receive the same high-quality education that leaders intend for all pupils.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that safeguarding records consistently provide a clear and accurate chronology of actions taken so that records fully reflects leaders' safeguarding practice and decision-making. Leaders should ensure that pupils with the most complex needs receive an ambitious, coherently sequenced curriculum, supported by assessment, that identifies and builds progressively on their individual learning needs, so that they benefit from the same high- quality education and wider experiences as other pupils. Leaders should continue to improve attendance, particularly for pupils who do not attend regularly enough, by working in partnership with parents and carers to reduce barriers to regular attendance.

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About this inspection

This school is part of the Victoria Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Sharron Philpot, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Rob Elkington MBE.

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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 school leaders, including the headteacher and members of the senior leadership team. They also spoke with representatives of the trust, including trust leaders, trustees and members of the academy council during the inspection. The lead inspector also spoke with a representative from virtual schools.

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About this inspection

The school joined the Victoria Academies Trust in April 2025.

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About this inspection

The school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 in December 2014, under a different URN.

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Team inspectors:

Travis Latham, Ofsted Inspector Adam Montague-Clewes, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 30 June 2026

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What does this mean?

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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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it. The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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Exceptional

The school uses no alternative provision.

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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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