Westbrook Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud members of this inclusive school. Pupils know that staff expect their best efforts, and respond with enthusiasm. As a result, many pupils achieve well.

This includes pupils who are disadvantaged and with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school's mission statement 'aim high, learn together, feel proud' permeates all aspects of school life.

Pupils are happy being at school and feel safe.

The school provides enjoyable learning experiences for all. The encouragement of respect for different cultures and diversity promotes an appreciation of others. Pupils with SEND, including those in the specialist unit for pupils with v...isual impairment, learn successfully alongside their peers.

Respectful relationships exist across the school.

Pupils value their leadership roles. For example, older pupils support their peers at playtimes and help younger pupils with care and consideration.

Pupils behave well at this school and have positive attitudes to learning. Pupils are characteristically polite and confident. The school promotes high expectations for positive behaviour across all year groups.

Incidents of low-level disruption are rare.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school's curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and pupils with SEND. A sharp focus on basic skills provides pupils with a firm foundation to build their knowledge and skills across the curriculum.

Academic outcomes in national assessments show that pupils at the end of Year 6 achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics.

The curriculum is usually well organised with structured activities. This supports most pupils to reach the end points as identified by the school.

However, in a few subjects, teaching does not routinely revisit pupils' prior knowledge to support their current learning. This leads to some pupils being less confident to recall and connect new learning with their prior learning from previous lessons.

Teachers effectively check pupils' understanding of what they know and can do.

Most pupils build sufficient knowledge and skills over time. In a few subjects, some pupils are unable to enhance their understanding of knowledge and skills further. This is because teachers have not made clear what essential knowledge and skills they expect pupils to know.

Pupils become fluent readers from the early years. Teachers effectively and consistently teach reading skills systematically. The phonics curriculum ensures that books are matched to the letter sounds pupils know.

This gives pupils plenty of practice with developing their phonic skills. Pupils who fall behind with their reading receive the right support to help them catch up.

Pupils flourish from an approach where adults' use of communication and language skills provides a strong model.

Teachers build professional relationships with pupils, particularly through encouraging their love of reading. Pupils discussed their favourite books, characters and stories with enthusiasm.

By the end of Reception, most children achieve well despite their low starting points.

Effective systems and routines are securely in place, so pupils know what is expected of them and quickly develop an enthusiasm for learning. Teaching captures children's interest across all areas of learning. This inspires a community of enthusiastic learners.

As a result, they are ready for the next steps in their school life.

The school's efforts to ensure pupils learn how to behave well and attend school regularly are effective. Pupils learn positive behaviour practices, starting in early years, which continue throughout the school.

Attendance rates are in line with national averages.

The curriculum is enhanced with a blend of experiences that extend beyond academic subjects. Pupils, including those with SEND, appreciate the rich extra-curricular offer, such as origami, football and participating in the choir.

Pupils enjoy trips which include a recent visit to the National Theatre, where audio description supported pupils with visual impairments.

Pupils are well prepared to become active citizens in modern Britain. Pupils are taught the importance of respecting other religions and beliefs.

The school provides opportunities for pupils to contribute both in school and the local community, including through the school council and charitable work. Pupils benefit from visitors' talks, including on money matters, safety when working online and when travelling around London.

An established caring environment exists here for staff.

They value the ongoing support they receive for their well-being and workload. Effective professional development supports staff teaching of the curriculum.

Leaders, the governing body and staff are ambitious for all pupils to excel through the positive experiences and inclusive education provided by the school.

The school encourages parents to get involved in their children's education, for example through attending workshops at the school. The governing body holds leaders to account for the school's work and checks that statutory requirements are in place.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• A minority of subjects are not coherently well developed with clearly defined content. As a result, some pupils have not been taught crucial content needed to be able to recall important knowledge in these subjects. The school should ensure that the curriculum in all subjects is explicitly defined, making sure that key content, knowledge and skills are clearly identified and build pupils' knowledge and skills in a coherent and sequential way.