Westwood Park Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Westwood Park is a welcoming and caring school. Pupils are happy. They learn how to be kind to others.

They value their time in school. Pupils said that they feel safe because leaders and staff care for them. Pupils enjoy their learning.

Leaders have provided a curriculum that supports the learning and well-being of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum is delivered effectively by staff from the early years and throughout the school. This helps pupils achieve well.

Pupils access a range of clubs and activities that provide opportunities for them to develop their talents and interests, such as sin...ging, performing and visiting an illustrator.

Pupils live up to leaders' high expectations for their behaviour. They are polite, respectful and supportive of each other.

They have positive and caring relationships with staff and are welcoming to visitors. Pupils explained that teachers deal with any incidents of poor behaviour or bullying quickly. Pupils told inspectors that teachers care about pupils' happiness and well-being.

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

Leaders and staff have ensured that the curriculum is challenging, engaging and ambitious. They are committed to helping pupils realise their aspirations. For example, pupils enjoy mathematics and understand how it can help them in their future career.

The curriculum for early years is carefully designed. Staff are knowledgeable about what children need to learn in order to be successful in Year 1 and beyond. Staff keep a sharp focus on developing children's vocabulary and communication skills.

This helps children to learn well across all areas of learning.

Reading is central to the school's curriculum. The approach to reading ensures that pupils' needs are quickly identified and met.

Staff are well trained to deliver the phonics curriculum effectively. They ensure that children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 learn sounds accurately. Leaders use assessment information carefully to ensure that pupils keep up with the phonics programme.

Other subject leaders also ensure that reading features strongly across the curriculum. For example, in science, older pupils use books to find out about famous female scientists.

Curriculum leaders use their expertise well to support teachers to deliver the curriculum.

Appropriate activities and suitable approaches to teaching allow pupils to gain knowledge and make connections in their learning within and between subjects. For instance, in talking to inspectors about their history work pupils were able to compare and contrast ancient civilisations. Pupils achieve well in most subjects.

A small number of curriculum areas are still in development. Pupils do not achieve as well in these subjects. This is because leaders have not identified fully the key learning that pupils should gain.

Teachers' careful checks on learning ensure that any pupil in danger of falling behind is identified early. Staff provide pupils with additional support in a timely manner. This allows pupils, including those with SEND, to progress well through the curriculums.

Throughout the school there is a calm and orderly environment. Clear routines and expectations exist in lessons, when moving around the school and at breaktimes. Pupils understand and accept these routines.

The school has effective management systems for behaviour. As a result, pupils learn to manage their own behaviour. Low-level disruptive behaviour is dealt with quickly and effectively by staff.

Staff promote pupils' personal development well. A wide range of activities enrich pupils' learning and their lives. Pupils enjoy opportunities to develop their talents and interests.

They recognise that this sometimes puts them outside their comfort zone, which they feel is good for them. However, leaders do not provide enough opportunity for pupils to take on responsibilities. This restricts older pupils in developing their wider characteristics, such as leadership skills.

Leaders have ensured that staff are supported in understanding the needs of pupils with SEND. Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and receive appropriate support. This ensures that they progress well through the same ambitious curriculum as others in the school.

Leaders have developed a positive team culture among staff. Staff recognise and appreciate the efforts of leaders to minimise workload and support their well-being. Parents and carers reported that they would feel comfortable speaking to senior leaders if they had concerns.

Governance of the school has been strengthened. Governors take an active part in the life of the school. They provide effective challenge and support to the headteacher and other leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding across the school. Staff have received appropriate training in safeguarding and they have a clear understanding of how to keep pupils safe.

There are robust procedures to support all pupils, especially the most vulnerable. Leaders help families to access support to additional services when needed.Pupils are helped to keep themselves safe, for example, by knowing some of the risks linked to working and playing 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 clearly identified, or ordered, the key knowledge that they want pupils to learn. This hampers pupils' progress. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is carefully designed so that pupils achieve well across all subjects.

• Pupils do not have enough opportunity to take up a range of responsibilities in school. This impacts on their ability to develop some aspects of their personal development fully. Leaders should review how they enable pupils to take a greater role within the school community.