The FMS Inspection Score is FindMySchool's proprietary analysis based on official Ofsted and ISI inspection reports. It converts ratings into a standardised 1–10 scale for fair comparison across all schools in England.
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This is a small, specialist early years and infant setting that leans hard into the ages it serves, from nursery through to Year 2. The core idea is simple: give children a confident start as learners, then send them on to junior school ready to read, write, calculate and manage themselves socially.
Two things stand out quickly. First, outdoor learning is a defining feature rather than a bolt-on, with Forest School and Coastal School experiences threaded through the wider curriculum. Second, the school has a very clear set of values, used as working language for behaviour, relationships, and learning habits.
Leadership has also been a recent storyline. Headteacher Kirsty White joined in September 2021, and the school’s latest graded inspection in January 2025 recorded Outstanding judgements across every area reported.
Westmeads sets out its values plainly: curiosity, independence, perseverance, love and kindness, respect, and equity. They are treated as daily expectations, not poster text. The most useful implication for parents is consistency. When children hear the same vocabulary in class, at play, and during clubs, it reduces mixed messages and helps routines stick.
There is a strong “parents as partners” stance, particularly in Reception, including regular opportunities for families to share learning and contribute to how progress is understood. The school describes structured moments where children explain their topic work to families, sometimes through small performances, sometimes through quizzes or displays.
Inclusion is positioned as central. The latest inspection describes high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and or disabilities, and links this to well-chosen resources and teaching that is adapted intelligently. That matters in a practical way: the more precisely staff diagnose understanding in the moment, the less likely children are to quietly drift behind in the early stages of reading, writing, and number.
A distinctive operational detail is the on-site kitchen. The school explains that lunches are cooked from scratch, partly to support dietary needs sensitively, and partly to make lunchtime feel like part of the education day rather than an interruption.
Because this is an infant school, the usual end of primary measures (Key Stage 2 tests) do not apply. Westmeads focuses on foundations: early language, early reading, writing stamina, and fluency in number.
The latest Ofsted inspection (7 and 8 January 2025, published 12 February 2025) reported Outstanding judgements for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision.
Reading is treated as the centre of the curriculum. The inspection report highlights phonics as a particular strength, taught by expert staff, with targeted support for pupils who struggle. It also notes that Year 1 phonics published outcomes do not fully reflect the strength of pupils’ achievement in context, because some pupils start from lower points and reach fluency later, by the end of Year 2. The implication for families is reassuring but specific: the school expects some children to need longer to “click” into decoding, and it has a plan for that rather than simply pushing on.
For parents comparing options, the most meaningful way to evaluate results here is to ask about: the phonics programme used, how quickly children are moved from decoding to fluency, how writing is built (spelling, sentence craft, handwriting, composition), and how number facts are practised so that pupils leave Year 2 confident with basic calculation. Westmeads describes a sequenced curriculum that deliberately revisits key knowledge so it stays available in long-term memory.
If you are comparing local schools, the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool can still be useful, but at infant level the best “performance proxy” is often curriculum quality and early reading practice rather than headline test figures.
The curriculum is described as carefully sequenced, with topics designed to connect subjects and keep learning coherent for young children. The school’s own language emphasises cohort-aware planning, meaning topics and texts are chosen with the children in front of them in mind, including their interests and prior experience.
Outdoor learning is one of the clearest examples of the school’s approach turning into daily practice. Forest School includes travel on the school minibus to a local forest, where children learn routines, safety rules, seasonal change, and practical exploration using tools and structured observation. Coastal School is treated similarly, using the local area as curriculum content and a real-world context for risk awareness, including beach safety. The obvious benefit is engagement, but the deeper benefit is language: real environments generate real vocabulary, which then supports reading comprehension and writing content.
Teaching quality is described in the inspection as precise and responsive: staff check understanding, adjust activities, and use resources to make ideas concrete. For families, this usually shows up as children being able to explain what they are learning, not just repeat it. It also tends to reduce behaviour issues, because pupils are less likely to disengage when tasks match their level of understanding.
The inspection also records that deep dives included reading, mathematics, music, and design and technology. That combination is interesting for an infant school because it suggests the school does not treat music and practical making as optional extras, but as part of the core curriculum experience.
Children typically leave after Year 2 and move on to junior school for Year 3. The school signposts families to Kent’s coordinated admissions process for that transition, and notes that junior school applications follow the same general admissions window as infant and primary applications, with slightly different wording.
What does this mean in practice? You should treat Year 2 as both a culmination and a bridge. Ask how the school prepares pupils for the more formal expectations of junior school, including: independence in organising belongings, stamina for longer writing tasks, resilience when work becomes harder, and the ability to manage friendships without constant adult intervention. The 2025 inspection’s picture of calm routines, high self-control, and strong behaviour suggests that these transition skills are taken seriously.
Admissions for Reception places are coordinated by Kent County Council. Westmeads states that it does not operate a defined catchment area; instead, places are allocated using the local authority’s criteria. The published priority order is: looked-after and previously looked-after children (including internationally adopted previously looked-after children), sibling link (where siblings attend at the same time), medical or health and special access needs, then nearness to the school.
Demand is high. For the most recent entry data, there were 112 applications for 37 offers, which equates to about 3.03 applications per place. That level of competition means distance becomes a meaningful factor once higher priority categories are accounted for.
If you are considering a move, do not rely on “it feels close”. Use FindMySchoolMap Search to check your precise distance to the school gates and to sense-check journey time at drop-off and pick-up.
Open events are well signposted. For the current admissions cycle information published on the school site, the Open Day for new starters was listed as Saturday 27 September 2025, with scheduled tours running from late October through early January. If you are looking for a later entry year, the safest assumption is that open events often run in early autumn, with follow-up tours through the autumn term and into January, and you should verify dates on the school’s calendar pages.
Nursery admissions are handled directly by the school, and the nursery page makes an important point: attending the nursery does not mean automatic entry to the school for Reception, so parents still need to apply through the local authority for a Reception place.
Applications
112
Total received
Places Offered
37
Subscription Rate
3.0x
Apps per place
Behaviour and relationships are described as a strength. Pupils are supported to regulate emotions and develop strategies for managing feelings. For parents, the key implication is that wellbeing is taught as skill and routine, not treated as a separate “add on”.
The school also uses roles and community events as part of personal development, including pupil voice roles such as school councillors, and whole-school moments that involve families and the local area. This is practical character education: children learn how to contribute, not just how to behave.
Safeguarding is treated as a baseline expectation rather than a headline feature, but it does matter for decision-making. Inspectors confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular life at Westmeads is unusually specific for an infant school, with a mixture of in-house and external clubs running straight after the school day.
Examples from the published clubs list include Choir, Book Club, Craft Club, French Club, Football Club, Girls’ Football Club, Art Club, and a STEM Club (science, technology, engineering and maths). Clubs are timed for 45 minutes after school, and places are limited, so families who want a particular activity should plan to book promptly.
Beyond clubs, enrichment is treated as part of the curriculum story. The school describes a stargazing evening using large telescopes, a Sleepy Story Time event where families return in pyjamas for a hot chocolate and bedtime story, and an annual carnival with banners, costumes, and instruments created for a parade through the town. The implication is that community participation is a deliberate lever for confidence, speaking, and social development, not simply “fun”.
Trips are also frequent enough to be part of the school’s identity. The school notes use of its minibus to support visits and topic “launch” experiences, and gives recent examples including Canterbury Cathedral, the Beaney Museum, Herne Bay Pier, and a synagogue visit. These trips provide concrete content for vocabulary and writing, which is particularly valuable at this age.
Creative arts have some unusual infrastructure for an infant setting. The school describes an on-site kiln for clay and 3D art work, alongside specialist music teaching support, including drumming. That kind of provision can matter for children who learn best through making and performing.
This is a state school with no tuition fees.
Published day timings are clear: gates open at 08:50, school starts at 09:00, and the school day finishes at 15:30. The school week totals 32.5 hours.
Wraparound care runs from 07:30 to 18:00. The school also publishes an after-school club that runs from 15:30 to 18:00, and separate afterschool activity clubs that run 15:30 to 16:15.
For travel, the practical question is usually timing rather than distance: if you need to drive, build in contingency for residential roads at peak times, and if you plan to walk or scooter, check the safest route for crossings and pavements.
Places are competitive. With 112 applications for 37 offers in the latest entry data, admission can hinge on the oversubscription criteria and nearness once priority categories are applied.
Infant-only structure means a second transition. Children move on after Year 2. Families need to plan for junior school applications and keep an eye on timelines.
Nursery does not guarantee Reception. The nursery information page is explicit that attendance does not automatically lead to a school place, so you still need to apply through Kent for Reception entry.
Some clubs carry additional costs and may be provided by external organisations. If after-school activities are a key part of childcare planning, check what is available each term and what needs booking early.
Westmeads looks strongest where it matters most for an infant school: early reading, clear routines, and an ambitious, carefully sequenced curriculum that is made real through outdoor learning and local-area experiences. The 2025 inspection judgements reinforce that picture, including Outstanding judgements across every reported area.
Who it suits: families who want a values-led infant setting with strong early literacy practice, high expectations for behaviour, and a curriculum that uses outdoor learning and community events as serious learning tools.
The main challenge is securing a place, and families should plan admissions timelines early.
The most recent graded inspection in January 2025 reported Outstanding judgements for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. The report also describes reading as central to the curriculum, with phonics taught by expert staff and strong support for pupils who need extra help.
No. The school states it does not have a defined catchment area. Reception places are allocated by Kent using the published priority order, with nearness used once higher priority categories are met.
Reception applications are made through Kent’s primary admissions process. The Kent guide for 2026 entry lists applications opening on 07 November 2025 and closing on 15 January 2026, with offers released on 16 April 2026.
The nursery page is clear that nursery attendance does not mean automatic entry to the school in Reception. Families still need to apply through the local authority for a Reception place.
The school publishes wraparound care from 07:30 to 18:00, with an after-school club that runs from 15:30 to 18:00. Separate afterschool activity clubs are listed as running 15:30 to 16:15.
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