Westfield Nursery and Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at Westfield Nursery and Primary School.

They are friendly, welcoming and make sure that all pupils feel included. They appreciate the friendships that they have with each other across the school and the strong relationships that they have with adults. Pupils know that if they have any worries, that adults would help them and deal with their concerns quickly.

Leaders address any incidents of bullying effectively. This helps pupils to feel safe.

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Governors and leaders are passionate in their belief that all pupils s...hould have the same experiences in school so that learning is meaningful, enthuses pupils and gives them prior knowledge to build on. To achieve this aim, pupils across the school enjoy 'wow' days which teachers provide at the beginning of new learning. Leaders also have high expectations of pupils' behaviour.

Most pupils rise to these very well.

Pupils are prepared well to be citizens in modern Britain. They have a mature understanding of different faiths and cultures.

Pupils understand the importance of treating everyone with respect. They are considerate and tolerant. Pupils help their community.

For example, they work with volunteers from a local food bank, sing in a residential care home and donate money to help the residents.

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

Leaders have thought carefully about the curriculum and how it builds from the early years to Year 6. It is designed to be broad and ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND.

Leaders have identified the important knowledge that they want pupils to learn and when. They have ensured that pupils can build knowledge in a logical way across the curriculum. This helps pupils to achieve well.

Leaders quickly identify pupils, including children in the early years, who may have additional needs. These pupils get the help that they need to successfully learn the same curriculum as their classmates. Pupils with SEND are supported well.

Leaders have ensured that all staff have the expertise and knowledge that they need to teach the curriculum proficiently. Teachers have plentiful resources to support the teaching of the curriculum. Pupils, including children in the early years, use these resources effectively to help their learning.

Teachers check pupils' understanding and are quick to address errors and misconceptions. However, at times, the work that pupils are given does not reflect the ambition of the curriculum. This means that some pupils are not given the opportunity to deepen their knowledge.

Leaders have prioritised reading from the early years to Year 6. Staff across the school have had training to ensure that they have the confidence and knowledge they need to teach reading well. Leaders ensure that pupils, including children in the early years, read widely and often in school.

Leaders have successfully established a carefully ordered phonics curriculum from the beginning of the Reception Year. This means that pupils learn sounds in a logical order. They read books that contain the sounds that they know.

This helps pupils to build confidence and fluency. Staff support pupils well to catch up if they are struggling to keep up with the phonics curriculum.

Pupils conduct themselves very well around school and at breaktimes.

They play nicely together and are considerate of each other and of adults. Pupils are polite and respectful. In most lessons, they listen carefully to their teachers and focus on their work.

Pupils are excited about their learning and concentrate well. On occasion, some pupils' learning is disrupted by negative behaviour. Leaders have put strategies in place to help pupils to manage their feelings and behaviour, so that pupils can learn well in every lesson.

Leaders have developed a curriculum that promotes pupils' personal development. Pupils have high aspirations for their future. They talk with enthusiasm about their hopes, dreams and goals.

Leaders provide them with opportunities to explore their ambitions. For example, employees from engineering and building companies have visited school to talk to pupils about their careers. Some pupils are pupil voice leaders.

They work with leaders to develop initiatives in school. For example, pupils are keen to develop a recycling and composting project. These experiences help them to build confidence and independence.

However, pupils do not have a wide range of opportunities outside the academic curriculum to develop interests and talents.

Governors and leaders have taken effective action to address the weaknesses identified in the previous inspection. Governors know the school well and hold leaders to account for the actions that they take.

Governors and leaders prioritise staff workload and well-being. Staff feel supported by leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have established a culture of safeguarding across the school. There is a strong safeguarding team that ensures that staff are alert to any signs that pupils may be at risk of harm. Staff know how to identify potential safeguarding concerns and understand how to report and record them.

Leaders keep detailed records of any concerns that staff may have and follow these up swiftly. They provide a wealth of help in school and work with other agencies to secure additional support for vulnerable pupils and families.

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including when they are online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, leaders have not ensured that the work given to pupils enables them to deepen their knowledge. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as strongly as they should in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that teachers give pupils work that strengthens their understanding of the curriculum.

• Leaders have not ensured that there are a wide range of opportunities outside the academic curriculum for pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with SEND, to develop and nurture their talents and interests. This means that some pupils do not have the chance to build confidence and resilience outside the academic curriculum. Leaders should ensure that they put in place more opportunities for pupils to develop personally.

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