West Bridgford Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

West Bridgford Infant School is truly a place where 'bright ideas shine'. Learning is an exciting business. As one pupil told an inspector, 'We learn to shine brightly.'

Pupils are well cared for and nurtured. Relationships are highly positive.

Leaders' high expectations of pupils are shared across the full staff team.

Pupils know that they are expected to be 'ready to learn, ready for life and ready to shine'. They know how the 'shine brightly' characters, including 'Agent Concentrate', 'The Collaboration Kids' and 'Professor Perseverance', help them to learn and to get on with each other.

Pupils behave well.

They meet the high expectation...s set by staff. They consistently use the many stairs in the school in a safe and orderly manner. They understand why it is important to hold the handrail and to walk quietly.

Pupils are excited by the rewards that they earn, including completing their 'tens chart' and receiving 'shine brightly' stickers. They know the consequences of being placed on the 'thinking and sad faces' system. However, they are adamant that the sad face is rarely used.

Older pupils are proud to take on the role of 'playground friends' and to help younger children to play and be happy.

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

Pupils are taught to read as soon as they join the school. The phonics teaching programme is well established.

It makes clear the sounds that pupils should know at each stage of their school journey. Phonics teaching is typically engaging and well paced. Pupils are given many opportunities to recognise and practise the sounds that they need to learn.

As a result, pupils soon master phonics and go on to become successful readers. Beyond phonics, the reading curriculum is similarly well organised and taught.

Across all subjects, the school's curriculum is comprehensively planned.

Content is taught in a well-sequenced order. Teachers plan and deliver exciting lessons. They check carefully on how well pupils learn the content of the intended curriculum.

They adapt lessons skilfully to ensure that all pupils keep up. 'Independent learning tasks' help pupils to apply and revisit what they have learned. In most subjects, the curriculum makes clear what pupils are expected to know and remember.

However, in a small number of places within the curriculum, the plans do not identify the most important content that pupils are expected to remember long term. In some cases, there is too much content for pupils to realistically retain.

There are robust assessment arrangements in place for the majority of subjects.

In reading, writing and mathematics, these are used well to shape teaching. However, in other subjects, assessment procedures are at different stages of being developed.In a small number of subjects, assessment arrangements have not been fully established.

Children get off to a strong start in the early years. Adults in the school have an expert understanding of how young children learn. There are well established induction arrangements that help children to settle quickly.

The early years curriculum is meticulously planned and sequenced. Classrooms are consistently well-resourced. Effective assessment arrangements in the early years ensure that adults have an accurate view of how children are progressing.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive effective help and support. The school ensures that their needs are identified and understood. Pupils are helped to learn the same curriculum as their peers.

Careful consideration is given to how, over time, pupils with SEND develop independence.

Pupils benefit from a bespoke programme for personal, social and health education (PSHE). They learn to value difference and know the importance of mutual respect.

Older pupils have an impressive understanding of fundamental British values for their age. They know why these are important. Pupils appreciate the many activities that the school provides to enrich the curriculum, including trips, visitors and the very popular 'healthy fortnight'.

At all levels, leaders know their school well. The school has a highly cohesive and committed team of staff. It has an uncompromising high ambition for all pupils.

Leaders quickly adapt provision to take account of changes in the pupil population. The school provides well for the increasing number of pupils who speak English as an additional language. The school's approaches to training and quality assurance are robust.

However, in a small number of cases, leaders do not use the full range of information available to them to evaluate the impact of the school's work.

Pupils, staff and the vast majority of parents are unanimously positive about the school. One parent summed up the views of many when they simply said, 'Our daughter loves her school.

And so do we.'

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of foundation subjects, the curriculum does not identify the most important content that pupils are expected to know and remember.

As a result, pupils' recall of the curriculum is not as comprehensive as it could be. The school should ensure that, across all subjects, the curriculum makes clear the most important content that pupils should learn and commit to their long-term memory. ? In some subjects, assessment procedures are not yet fully developed.

This means that, in these subjects, the school does not have a fully rounded view of how pupils are performing. Assessment is not being used as well as it could be to inform curriculum improvements, nor to judge how effectively the subject is being taught. Leaders should ensure that their approach to assessment in foundation subjects is fully developed and implemented.

• In a small number of cases, leaders do not use the full range of information available to them to evaluate the impact of the school's work. This means that some opportunities to identify strengths and possible areas for improvement are missed. Leaders should ensure that they use the full range of information available to them to identify strengths and possible areas for improvement in the school's provision.

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