Weston Shore Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their friendly school. They feel happy and well cared for as they appreciate the strong relationships they have with their trusted adults. Pupils are confident that if they have any worries, they will always be helped.

Families feel part of the school and enjoy being invited in to find out more about their children's learning.

The school sets high expectations and pupils live up to them. In lessons, they listen carefully, want to learn and achieve well.

Pupils behave exceptionally well. There is a consistent and fair approach, which they understand well. Pupils are polite and respectful when they talk to adults and each other.

The...y burst with pride when they share their work with others or receive a coveted pink postcard to take home.

Over break and lunchtimes, pupils have a range of exciting pastimes to choose from. Adults help them to enjoy fun activities with their friends, such as skipping, ball games and riding scooters.

Those pupils who attend 'start sporty' enjoy their active and sociable start to their school day. Pupils enjoy their local trips to the shoreline and a farm shop. This gives them a sense of belonging to their community.

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

The school's mantra – 'creating endless opportunities' – is at the heart of all it does. It is explicit in every action leaders take. There is high ambition for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

This ambition translates into a curriculum which is exceedingly relevant to pupils at the school. It builds on their experiences, and it widens their horizons. Pupils' learning journey is clearly mapped out, starting from early years.

Children get off to a very strong start in Reception. The environment is impressively well thought through, with every moment for learning seized. Teaching staff are highly knowledgeable about the stages of child development.

For example, the resources that children access are well considered. They build in complexity as children develop their manual dexterity. Children enjoy many opportunities to build their physical strength when they climb and jump.

Adults help them understand how to stay safe. There is a strong emphasis on developing children's communication skills. Staff widen children's vocabulary and encourage conversation.

When children need extra support with their speech, they receive it through carefully tailored programmes.

The teaching of reading is prioritised. Pupils are supported well by staff who help them to learn and use their letter sounds.

In phonics lessons, pupils are excited to learn new sounds and use them to read and write with increasing fluency. Reading books are appropriately matched to the sounds pupils know. They are proud of their reading stickers which help to create regular reading habits.

Pupils also enjoy taking books home from the school library to share with their families.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge, which is enhanced through accessing the wealth of expertise available across the trust. They help pupils to remember the knowledge they have been taught across the curriculum.

During the inspection, pupils were keen to share their recent learning about the Great Fire of London, which they did in great detail. In lessons, teachers regularly check what pupils have remembered. However, they do not always use what they learn from these checks to influence their future teaching as precisely as they could.

Consequently, not all pupils benefit from equally rich opportunities to deepen their understanding and make links across their learning.

Pupils' personal development is extremely well considered. Pupils learn how to respond to stimuli such as pictures and music and express their views and opinions.

They ask questions and share thoughts. Pupils show they can disagree with each other in a respectful way when they present their views. There are many opportunities for pupils to assume positions of responsibility.

Head pupils promote the school's many strengths when they help to take prospective new pupils and their families on tours. Pupils on the school council know they have a voice. They are proud that their letters to the local council helped to raise awareness about cars speeding in the community.

There is also consideration given to what pupils encounter in their local area. They know how to stay safe in a range of situations, including near water.

The strength in leadership across the school and wider trust is highly evident.

The same passion and determination are shared by all staff, who want the very best for pupils at the school. Staff enjoy being part of the Weston team and enthuse about their many professional development opportunities.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Teaching does not always build on what pupils already know and understand. This means that some pupils do not connect their learning between subjects. The school should ensure that teaching, in response to what pupils know and remember, allows pupils to deepen their understanding and make meaningful links between areas of learning and concepts.

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