Ofsted Reports
We are so proud of the progress that has already been made at Westmeads Community Infant School in such a short space of time. OFSTED visited just 9 months into our improvement journey, 13 years after their last inspection of the school.
The inspectors clearly recognised our many strengths as well as agreeing on the next steps we had already identified as a leadership team. The staff, with the support of our wonderful school community, have worked extremely hard over the past year to ensure that our children receive the core skills that will prepare them for their futures.
OFSTED judged four out of the five areas, Behaviour and attitudes, Personal development, Leadership and management and Early years provision to be good, reflecting the hard work that has been put into developing these areas since September. They also commented extremely positively on the teaching of Maths, English reading and writing, Personal, Social Emotional Development and Religious Education. We were aligned with our own judgements as to how we plan to continue moving forwards in the next academic year. The areas for improvement were identified early on and shared with our school community who’s support has been invaluable to us.
“The Ofsted report firmly shows that the school is moving in the right direction and that leaders fully understand the challenges and actions needed to ensure the school continues to rapidly improve.
“As a governing body we have absolute confidence in Ms White’s leadership of the school and are both grateful and impressed by the improvements already so very evident. ” Chair of Governors
Together as an extended leadership team, we identified reading, writing and maths as priorities for this current academic year. The changes that were implemented have been hugely successful and were commented on very positively by Ofsted as areas of strength. The positive impact of these changes is already very evident.
The next step is to turn our attention to the foundation subjects such as history and geography. As stated in the report, this work is already detailed within our school development plan.
We are delighted that all of the hard work in Early Years has been recognised with a solid Good judgement for this area. We are proud to have had our improvements recognised so positively by the inspection team.
We are also delighted to have been recognised for the very strong personal development and enrichment for our children, including celebrating British values and our PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Emotional) and RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) curriculum. This is very close to our hearts and integral to our inclusive practise.
Our entire staff team are dedicated to making Westmeads the very best school it can be.
KCC’s Director Education Christine McInnes said: “The new headteacher only took up her post at the start of the present academic year. She quickly and accurately identified appropriate actions to make improvements at Westmeads and consequently nearly all areas of the school’s provision have been judged as Good.
“The local authority has worked closely with Ms White and the school governors and we are confident of their capacity to respond quickly to the development points identified in the Ofsted report. Officers will continue to support and monitor the school to ensure that there is continued rapid improvement.”
Comments received from our current school community:
“I cannot praise Ms Kirsty White and her brilliant team of teachers highly enough. They had so much time for us and I felt went over and beyond to ensure we felt heard and to create an environment that Jacob felt safe in. The communication is brilliant, we know exactly what the children are learning each week and if we have had any concerns the teachers have taken time to listen."
“The teachers have high expectations of the children in terms of their learning but will always create the best learning environment for individual children to thrive."
“The teachers have high expectations of the children in terms of their learning but will always create the best learning environment for individual children to thrive. I am amazed by our son’s progress in just eight months.”
“Westmeads provides our son with a warm and nurturing learning environment. We have been particularly impressed with how quickly he has grasped phonics and reading. He is thriving and we couldn’t be happier to be part of this wonderful school community.”
"My children have been really happy and enjoyed their time at Westmeads. It feels like such a happy, fun and safe environment to learn, play and grow. They always come out with a smile on their face and news about what they have been learning about that day. They absolutely love school dinner which is a big win for me!"
"The tailored care, teaching and support offered to each child demonstrates the dedication, values and intention of this beautiful and unique school environment. Centred firmly on the belief that life long learning is a journey, which is built on by forming a strong partnership with families and by embracing and sharing experiences together, within a safe and creative arena. Westmeads insightful 6 Core Values of Respect, Love & Kindness, Honesty, Independence, Perseverance and Curiosity highlight the many ways in which the school teaches and reaches out within the community, whilst helping each child to build their own unique strength and character. The values also form the foundations of the many exciting learning opportunities and experiences on offer throughout the school year. My children revelled in beach trips, visiting Authors, stage shows, Sporting Activities and Art Festivals to name but a few. I discovered that the talented and caring members of staff are highly visible, ever alert, communicate swiftly and effectively, and are also trained brilliantly to encourage each child to achieve success in the best way possible for them. I was able to see and speak to all staff members as regularly as I needed and chose this school specifically for my child with Special Educational Needs."
"I cannot recommend this school highly enough"