West Rise Community Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

West Rise Community Infant School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at West Rise Infants.

The school has a nurturing and supportive environment that helps pupils to learn that 'it's good to be me'. Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes and behaviour in class and around school. They treat one another with kindness.

Pupils aspire to be 'Wise Owls' and to realise their potential. They arrive in the morning with a skip and a smile, ready for a day of delight and learning.

The school promotes pupils' well-being and personal development alongside their academic... achievements effectively.

Caring staff teach children from Reception through to pupils in Year 2 to be increasingly confident and independent.

Pupils benefit from the many exciting activities, including special visitors and events, that enrich their experiences. Activities, such as gymnastics and dance, enable them to develop their creative talents.

Pupils make a meaningful contribution to school life. For instance, some pupils are members of the school council and are proud to help reduce school waste.

The school has high expectations for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils learn the important knowledge, including early reading, writing and mathematics, that prepares them well for the next stages in their education.

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

The school's curriculum is ambitious and sequenced logically. The important skills and knowledge pupils should learn are identified and ordered towards clear aims by the end of key stage 1.

In Reception, purposeful activities are designed carefully to help pupils understand the basics in readiness for future learning. Staff show pupils how to talk and communicate effectively. As a result, pupils become increasingly confident to do the same.

Reading is a top priority, and a love of reading is fostered effectively. This begins in the early years, where staff share books and stories that inspire children to be enthusiastic about reading. Phonics teaching starts strongly from the moment children start in Reception.

Across the school, phonics is taught well in a curriculum tailored to pupils' needs. For those who struggle, support is put in place swiftly to help them develop these essential skills.

Skilled staff ensure pupils use their reading knowledge to help them improve their writing.

Across the curriculum, pupils apply the sounds and new words they have learned in their written work. This, together with a focus on letter formation, helps pupils secure early writing skills. Older pupils produce high-quality writing for their age.

Staff have strong subject knowledge and explain learning clearly. Activities match what pupils need to know and do carefully. Staff check pupils' understanding routinely.

In English and mathematics, they revisit content regularly to enable pupils to remember. This helps pupils secure and deepen their learning in these subjects. However, in other subjects, pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to revisit knowledge.

Therefore, on occasion, pupils forget important learning.

Pupils with SEND have their needs identified well. Bespoke support, including that from the school's 'Growth' approach helps these pupils to be successful in their learning.

During lessons, staff modify their input to meet the needs of pupils. Thus, pupils with SEND integrate into lessons well.

From the early years, children learn to follow well-established routines.

They have excellent attitudes to learning. In lessons, pupils' enthusiasm is palpable, and they are highly engaged. The school works positively with families to ensure pupils come to school regularly.

Rewards for positive attendance, including 'Cedric the bear' are highly prized.

The school promotes pupils' wider development especially well. Carefully planned enrichment activities help pupils experience the world beyond the school.

Staff care for pupils' well-being. Pupils learn how to be physically and mentally healthy and how to keep themselves safe online. For example, lessons help pupils develop an age-appropriate understanding of self-respect and consent.

They learn about democratic processes voting for the school's annual fundraising effort. Pupils value one another's differences. They understand that individual characteristics make them unique.

Pupils learn that change is a positive thing and are well prepared for transfer to key stage 2.

Leaders and governors have continued to improve the school since the last inspection. Governors know their school well.

They have effective systems to ensure they give well- considered challenge and support. The school considers the well-being and workload of staff.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, teaching does not provide pupils with enough opportunities to practise the important knowledge they need to know and remember. As a result, some pupils do not develop a secure grasp of new content. The school should ensure that teaching provides pupils with sufficient opportunities to revisit key learning, so they remember more of what they have been taught.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in July 2015.

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