West Hove Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils aspire to be the best that they can be.

Staff are passionate about pupils' learning and development. They have exceptionally high expectations of pupils' focus on learning and behaviour. Pupils rise to meet these expectations.

They are motivated to do so by the exceptional level of care and devotion the adults around them demonstrate. This is a much larger infant school than most. Pupils say that they are known and heard by all adults.

Pupils have worked with adults and made meaningful changes to the school's policies. For example, pupils' creation of the inclusive 'voice box' provision has been hugely influential to pupils' well-being. This includes p...upils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), who feel valued in the school community.

Classrooms are a joy to visit. Pupils are happy and engaged. They feel empowered to take risks in their learning and ask highly relevant questions.

Pupils can organise themselves effectively, and their highly positive outlook on learning keeps them focused. Pupils love to get feedback on their learning and feel it helps them to improve. Pupils see their work as a source of pride.

As a result of this and the school's great curriculum offer, they achieve well.

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

The school provides an education of the highest quality. There has been a methodical approach to identifying what pupils must know.

The school has meticulously identified the order of what pupils learn from Reception onwards. The school has an innovative approach to training. This means all staff support pupils across the school with remarkable quality and consistency.

The school's systems for checking what pupils know and remember are highly effective. Staff's expectations of pupils are reflected in their ambitions and motivations to be the very best they can be. Pupils with any form of disadvantage are the centre point of all the school's efforts.

Consequently, the work in pupils' books is exceptionally strong across the school.

Children in the Reception class quickly become fluent and accurate readers. The school has a sense of urgency about the approach to reading.

They see reading as the gateway to all learning and make it a school priority. Staff are given thorough coaching in how and what to teach. Consequently, there is a remarkable consistency across the school.

Children in the Reception class can independently recall and dramatise their favourite tales and rhymes. There is an exceptionally detailed focus on pupils who read less frequently at home. Staff rigorously check pupils' reading.

There are highly effective early interventions for those needing more help. As a result, pupils, particularly those with any disadvantage, achieve well in their reading.

Pupils' respectful actions and attitudes are universally evident across the school.

There is no disruption of lessons. Children in the Reception class have superb language skills. This helps them to negotiate and resolve any disagreement.

The school has developed an exceptionally strong culture of positivity. This is reflected in pupils' and staff's well-being. The school makes effective adjustments to routines and systems to support pupils with SEND.

Attendance is a strength of the school. The tracking of attendance is thorough.This helps the school to work with families to make sure all pupils are attending as often as possible.

Pupils have a deep understanding of equality and kindness. The school is rightly proud of the high-quality personal development offer. The school's expertise is evident in the depth and quality of its work.

Pupils not only feel safe but have the means to understand their own emotions and strategies to resolve and improve their mental health. Pupils' knowledge of spirituality and fairness is consistently applied and communally understood. Pupils with SEND are provided with the means to flourish.

Consequently, pupils are more than ready for life in modern Britain and are accepting of all differences.

The school's leaders at every level are determined in their efforts to secure the highest-quality education for all pupils. Their sense of urgency and determination to ensure the best for all pupils is clear throughout the school.

The school sees all leaders as leaders of SEND. This means that pupils' needs are swiftly identified and exceptionally well supported. The school's offer also demonstrates genuine care and attention to staff's workload and well-being.

Governors are thorough and insightful. As a result, there is a genuine sense of cooperative accountability that drives school improvement.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Also at this postcode