Whiteheath Infant & Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, parents and carers, and staff all agree that Whiteheath Infant and Nursery School is, in the words of one parent, 'just a lovely place to be'.

This is because adults and pupils respect one another and make sure everyone feels safe, valued and included.

Parents of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) said that they value the care and support their children receive. Pupils appreciate the interesting range of clubs that teachers run for them, such as street dance and tennis.

These have restarted as soon as the circumstances of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic have allowed them to.

Leaders set out clearly the high e...xpectations they have for pupils' learning. Children in the early years understand what school is for right from the start.

Teachers expect pupils to build on what they have learned before and to think hard in their lessons.

Pupils behave well in lessons and at playtime. They learn to understand what friendship means.

Teachers explain to pupils how others should treat them. Pupils feel confident to speak up if they are not treated in the way they expect. This allows adults to discover and address any early signs of bullying.

Pupils said that bullying is rare.

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

The headteacher is new to the school and has thoroughly reviewed the curriculum. She has made wise decisions about what to make a priority for improvement.

As a result, teaching makes sure that pupils learn the skills and knowledge they will need to do well when they move to the junior school. Nursery-aged children quickly learn how to use the activities and routines which teachers set up to help them learn the curriculum. Teachers adapt planning so that pupils with SEND can learn the same subject content as others.

Reading is a priority from the moment children enter the Nursery. Leaders make sure that staff are trained to teach phonics accurately. They keep this training going so new staff know exactly how reading is taught.

This ensures that teachers are skilled at picking up when children fall behind and are successful at helping them catch up. In the early years, staff set up activities which help children to practise identifying and reading the letters and sounds they are learning. Teachers select the right books to help pupils become confident at reading independently.

They also choose and share books to develop pupils' love of literature.

The mathematics curriculum is well planned. In the early years, plans are informed by the revised statutory framework.

Through carefully sequenced activities, children learn about numbers and measuring. Adults talk with and question children carefully to develop their understanding. This well-organised approach continues throughout Years 1 and 2.

As a result, pupils achieve well in mathematics.

In most other subjects, such as religious education, leaders have decided exactly what they want pupils to learn. Teachers check for gaps in pupils' learning and make sure pupils use what they have remembered in future lessons.

However, this is not consistently the case across all subjects. When there is less precision in curriculum planning, sometimes teachers find it harder to make sure learning has been successful.

In all year groups, pupils typically behave well and are motivated to learn.

Incidents of low-level disruption are rare. On occasion, pupils' attention can wane when subject planning is not adapted to meet their needs.

Leaders have used what they learned from using remote education during the COVID-19 pandemic to retain a clear plan for its further use when necessary.

Parents are positive about the response of leaders to the challenge of providing education remotely.

Staff feel valued and supported by leaders and governors. They appreciate how leaders have helped them to streamline the way they check and record how well pupils are learning.

Leaders make time to check on and support the well-being of staff.

Pupils take part in visits and activities which help them to discover new interests. They benefit from and enjoy the well-established forest school.

These experiences also encourage pupils to appreciate the diversity of cultures in their own neighbourhood and further afield. Leaders made sure these opportunities continued as best they could during the pandemic. For example, pupils took part in a virtual tour of the Tower of London.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and governors make sure to gain the skills and knowledge they need to keep pupils safe. They go beyond the minimum in understanding revisions to statutory safeguarding guidance.

Teachers remember their training which helps them spot when pupils may be at risk. For example, they know how to recognise signs that one pupil may be being treated unkindly by another.

Leaders make sure that concerns are recorded and organised in a way that builds up a clear picture of pupils' welfare.

They do not rest until they are sure everything possible has been done if they think a pupil is at risk. They expect the best efforts from other professionals they work with.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders review the curriculum systematically and have made sure it is clear what pupils should learn and remember in most subjects.

However, in a few subjects the knowledge and skills which pupils are expected to learn have not been identified as precisely. This means that teachers find it harder to tell how much of the intended curriculum content pupils have committed to memory and can use again. Leaders should strengthen curriculum plans, ensuring that the content and sequence of learning in all subjects are precisely defined.