Waterthorpe Infant School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 25 June 2024

Waterthorpe Infant School is highly inclusive. A high number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities attend. All pupils and families are made to feel welcome and a given a sense of belonging. There is a distinctly nurturing ethos that runs through the school. Staff know pupils very well. This is evident in the strong relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils feel safe and secure. They are accepted and able to be themselves. Leaders do not limit their high expectations for any of their pupils. The curriculum is ambitious. It is adapted so that most pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well and are prepared for their next steps. Those that need additional support make strong progress towards personalised end points. Pupils value their school roles and responsibilities, such as being part of the school council. Healthy mind champions are proud to choose others who have shown acts of kindness. These pupils are celebrated in assembly. They are delighted to receive this recognition from their peers. The school offers a wide range of extra-curricular activities such as cooking, football and science clubs. The school recognises there is even more work to do in partnership with families to improve everyday attendance and punctuality. Some pupils do not attend regularly enough. They are missing important learning and do not fully benefit from all the school has to offer.

What the school should improve

• Some groups of pupils do not attend school regularly enough or on time. Consequently, some pupils miss out on the education and wider offer that the school provides. The school should continue to strengthen its work in ensuring pupils get the help they need to attend regularly and promptly.
• The basic errors that pupils make in mathematics are sometimes not identified and addressed in a timely and consistent way. Pupils continue to make these errors for too long. The school should ensure that there is more rigour in the identification and addressing of basic errors and misconceptions so that pupils learn how to make improvements in a timely way.
• In some subjects, such as DT, pupils are unable to draw on what they know and remember over time. This prevents them from deepening their understanding of important concepts. The school should continue to embed the curriculum and develop further strategies, through teaching opportunities and activities, to ensure that pupils successfully retain knowledge in their long-term memory in all subjects.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)