White Bridge Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Main findings

The White Bridge Community Infant School provides a good education and gives good value for money. Pupils' achievement and personal development are good.

From starting points slightly below those nationally expected for this age, pupils attain above average standards by the end of Year 2. Partnerships with parents and carers are good, although the transition programme for children entering the school offers few opportunities for children to visit their new school prior to the start of their first term. Parents and carers value the good quality care and have good opportunities to find out how to support their children's learning.

Pupils are very enthusiastic about school and feel very safe. Th...ey are well behaved, have positive attitudes to learning and have a good understanding of healthy lifestyles. Children make good progress in developing basic literacy and numeracy skills in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Classroom activities engage and challenge children well and this underpins their good progress. As a result, children's attainment when they leave Reception is close to average, other than in writing which is slightly below. In Years 1 and 2, good progress is sustained through good teaching.

The recent focus on boys' writing has had a positive impact and the school offers all pupils a rich range of well-structured opportunities which support the development of writing skills and a love of language. By the end of Year 2, the proportion of pupils attaining the higher level in reading and mathematics is generally above the national average. Pupils' use of information and communication technology to support learning in other subjects is very restricted.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported and make good progress, as do the few pupils who speak English as an additional language. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, entry assessments do not fully acknowledge children's skills on entry, particularly in personal, social and emotional development, so that entry data is adversely skewed. In addition, limited evidence is retained to map out the steps in children's learning journeys.

As a result, it is difficult accurately to demonstrate the progress children make. In Years 1 and 2, there is a robust tracking system and an effective system for setting individual targets. By Year 2, pupils' self-evaluation skills are developing well.

Teachers' marking provides pupils with clear guidance, particularly in their writing, as to the next steps in learning. The curriculum is mostly good and supports the development of basic skills well. Extra-curricular and enrichment opportunities are satisfactory and contribute to pupils' good personal development.

Leadership and management are good, but some aspects of monitoring are not documented with sufficient rigour although senior leaders are clear about what needs to be improved and what the school does well. Middle managers and some subject leaders are new to their roles but these are developing well. The school has begun to share good practice within the school and is now looking to draw upon acknowledged good practice in other schools.

The governing body has a secure understanding of its role, although the extent to which it holds school leaders to account is variable. School self-evaluation is accurate. Overall, the school has good capacity for improvement because school leaders have a convincing record of success, enabling pupils to make sustained good progress.

There is a clear determination to acknowledge issues and to maintain the pace of improvement.

Information about the school

The White Bridge Community Infant School is similar in size to most infant schools. Pupils are predominantly White British and there are only a few pupils at an early stage of learning to speak English as an additional language.

The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is slightly below average. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The school shares a building with its partner junior school.

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