Christmas has come early for staff and pupils at Westacre Infant School after it was rated Good by Ofsted.
Inspectors found Westacre to be a 'friendly and welcoming school', with its values of kindness, friendship, respect, honesty, teamwork and perseverance 'strong features of school life'. Pupils work and play together well, with children taught to celebrate their differences and to treat each other with kindness and respect.
Pupils 'are happy and feel safe', and 'behave well around school and in lessons', with staff building strong, positive relationships with children. Westacre is 'ambitious for all pupils, and they achieve well'. Its 'broad and ambitious curriculum reflects its high aspirations for all pupils'.
Reading has a high priority, with well trained staff using their skills to teach phonics consistently and effectively. Staff quickly identify pupils who need extra help, and ensure they receive support to catch up, while youngsters with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) receive the extra help they need so they make good progress.
The Finchfield school encourages pupils to try out new things, and children 'love contributing to school life', taking on responsibilities like reading ambassadors and members of the pupil leadership team, and speaking excitedly to inspectors about having their achievements recognised on a wall of fame. Inspectors rated the overall effectiveness of the school Good, with the five inspection areas – quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision – all rated Good.
The school was previously judged to require improvement, and inspectors found that it has been through a period of change and that 'leaders, including governors, have taken very effective steps to improve the quality of education at Westacre'. Headteacher Aidan Edmunds said: "The journey of improvement before, during and after the Covid pandemic, has been truly remarkable.
“The commitment of the staff, the governors and the support of our parents now means the wonderful children of Westacre Infant School have the school and education they deserve." Councillor Jacqui Coogan, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Work, said: "This is a very positive report for Westacre Infant School which has made really strong progress since its last inspection and is now Good across the board.
“I would like to say a big well done to Aidan and his team, and indeed everyone connected with Westacre, on their continuing success." Latest figures show 90% of schools in Wolverhampton are now rated either Good or Outstanding, above the regional and national average.
In addition, nine in 10 Wolverhampton pupils attend Good or Outstanding schools, the best in the West Midlands.
