Westmeads Community Infant School

Westmeads Community Infant School is performing exceptionally well across all areas of its provision. Inspectors found a school transformed by a clear, ambitious vision, with a bespoke and meticulously sequenced curriculum that builds pupils’ knowledge and independence from Reception to Year 2. Pupils are eager to attend, behave exceptionally well, feel safe and are consistently encouraged to become confident, autonomous learners. The school has high expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND, and disadvantaged pupils benefit particularly well from its inclusive ethos. Reading is at the heart of the curriculum, and phonics is taught expertly. Most pupils become fluent readers by the end of Year 1, and those who struggle receive specialist support. Published Year 1 phonics screening outcomes do not fully reflect the strength of pupils’ achievement because some pupils start from low points, but most become fluent readers by the end of Year 2. The wider personal development offer is rich, including outdoor learning, swimming, community roles, trips and opportunities to learn about different faiths and cultures. Leadership and governance are strong, with highly skilled governors supporting and challenging the school effectively. Staff are proud to work there, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. The previous inspection judged the school as requiring improvement, but this inspection found outstanding provision across the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years.

Strengths

• Strong ethos of kindness and inclusion that helps pupils thrive
• Exemplary pupil behaviour and high levels of self-control
• Aspirational, carefully sequenced bespoke curriculum from Reception to Year 2
• High expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND
• Reading and phonics taught expertly, with strong support for pupils who struggle
• Teachers have excellent subject knowledge and adapt teaching to meet pupils’ needs
• Pupils develop confidence, independence and resilience as learners
• Rich personal development offer, including outdoor learning, swimming and community roles
• Disadvantaged pupils benefit especially well from the school’s inclusive ethos
• Highly skilled governors provide effective support and challenge
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Westmeads Community Infant School attended 95.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Westmeads Community Infant School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Westmeads Community Infant School had 19.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 16.4% of pupils at Westmeads Community Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Westmeads Community Infant School received £7,723 and spent £7,402 for each of its 174 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £166,000 (£952 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Whitstable · Kent local authority: places and applications

What is Westmeads Community Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Westmeads Community Infant School is Outstanding, from an inspection in February 2025.

When was Westmeads Community Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Westmeads Community Infant School was last inspected in February 2025.

How many pupils does Westmeads Community Infant School have?

Westmeads Community Infant School has 183 pupils on roll.

What age range does Westmeads Community Infant School cover?

Westmeads Community Infant School for pupils aged 2 to 7.

Where is Westmeads Community Infant School?

Westmeads Community Infant School is at Cromwell Road, Whitstable, Kent, CT5 1NA.