Westwood Farm Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The school has improved notably since the last inspection.

Leadership and governance have evolved. Teaching has improved markedly and pupils achieve increasingly well. The arrival of the executive headteacher has brought fresh impetus.

Together with her leadership team she has swiftly secured a step change in the school's performance. Leaders and governors have made sure that staff are provided with the training and support needed in order to be effective. Leaders have tightened the use of additional funding to maximise the impact it has on the progress of disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabiliti...es.

Both groups of pupils are achieving increasingly well. Pupils across the school are making increasingly good progress in English and mathematics. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 who were behind as a result of previous weaker teaching are catching up.

The refreshed curriculum provides a wealth of engaging opportunities which motivate pupils to learn well across a range of subjects. Teachers know their pupils well and set work of suitable challenge for pupils of differing abilities. This, coupled with clear explanations and effective questioning, supports pupils to learn well.

Although the curriculum and teaching have improved markedly, they do not yet promote a high degree of learning across all subjects. Teaching captures pupils' interest and imagination. They gain the confidence to 'have a go', and learn from their mistakes.

Leaders and teachers make sharp use of assessment to identify and tackle any area of weakness in English and mathematics. Use of assessment in other subjects is less well developed. Pupils enjoy school.

They pay attention in class and work hard. The care and attention to detail that pupils show in their work is commendable. Pupils' conduct is often exemplary around the school and in class.

They are polite and welcoming to visitors and follow routines in a calm and orderly manner. Pupils feel safe and learn how to keep safe. They know they can turn to school staff with any concern.

Unkindness and bullying are rare. Pupils know to show respect to others regardless of differences. However, pupils' understanding of the nature of discrimination and prejudice and how it might be challenged is not consistently well developed.

Information about this school

The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about the curriculum and the physical education and sport premium on its website. The school is near the average size for primary schools. Most pupils are White British, and almost all pupils speak English as their first language.

The proportion of pupils identified as having additional special educational needs and/or disabilities is below the national figure. The proportion with an education, health and care plan is high. There is a local authority funded unit, located in the school, for up to 10 children with hearing impairment – the hearing resource provision (HRP).

This provision is currently catering for four pupils from the junior school. The school uses the Brookfields Special School to provide alternative provision for any pupil who needs it. A very small number of pupils attend this provision on a part-time basis.

The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below average. The school meets the government's current floor standard, which sets out the minimum expectations for attainment. The school meets the Department for Education's definition of a coasting school based on key stage 2 academic performance results in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

The school is federated with the Westwood Farm Infant School, which is on the same site. One governing body oversees the work of both schools, and several staff have responsibilities across both schools. The executive headteacher took up post in September 2016.

She has overall leadership of the junior and infant school. There is a head of school for the junior school. The leader responsible for pupils who have special education needs and/or disabilities and the leader responsible for pupil premium spending both joined the school in September 2016.

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