Westminster Primary Academy

Inspection of a good school: Westminster Primary Academy Westminster Road, Blackpool, Lancashire FY1 2QE

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 January 2022

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Outcome

Westminster Primary Academy continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel secure and happy in school. They enjoy playing with their friends and get on well with their teachers. Children in the Reception class settle in quickly when they start school. New pupils of all ages receive a warm welcome, no matter when they join. Pupils said that there is always someone to talk to in this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff want pupils to do well. Pupils work hard in class, listen carefully to their teachers and achieve well. Pupils enjoy the interesting activities that their teachers provide. Pupils know how to ask for help if they do not understand something. This enables all pupils to move forward in their learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils said that bullying is rare in their school. If ever it does happen, pupils trust adults to put a stop to it. Pupils try their best to live up to the school’s motto, to be ‘ready, responsible and respectful’ at all times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are plenty of activities for pupils to do beyond the school day. Pupils talked enthusiastically about clubs for football, basketball, gardening and chess. They take part in choir activities, and enjoy learning to play musical instruments. These activities help pupils to develop characteristics such as teamwork and commitment.

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

Leaders have put in place a broad and exciting curriculum. This curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND. Leaders have decided on the most important knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember in each subject. They have shared these decisions with all staff, so that everyone understands what pupils need to learn.

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

Subject leaders have used their expertise to organise the curriculum for pupils from the Reception class to Year 6. Pupils build up their knowledge in each subject in a logical order. For example, in mathematics, pupils in Year 4 learn methods for adding simple 25 and 26 January 2022

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fractions before moving on to add more complicated ones. This helps pupils to apply their knowledge to different, more complex learning.

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Teachers usually make sure that pupils’ knowledge is secure before moving them on to new learning. On occasion, in some subjects, pupils move on to new learning too quickly. Their learning is less secure when this happens.

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Reading takes a high priority in the curriculum. Children in the Reception class start learning about phonics right from the start. The words in their reading books contain the letters and sounds that they learn. Children and pupils, including those with SEND, read these books successfully. Staff provide extra help for those pupils who need it. This prevents them from falling behind their classmates. Leaders have provided pupils with a wide range of interesting books to read. Older pupils like to visit the beautiful new library area to choose these books for themselves. They especially enjoy it when their teachers read to them each day. All these things are helping pupils to develop a real love of reading.

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Pupils who may have SEND are identified quickly. Leaders and staff communicate well with parents and carers, and a range of professionals. This ensures that these pupils receive the help they need. Pupils with SEND learn from the same ambitious curriculum as other pupils.

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Pupils learn about a range of cultures and faiths. Visits to places of worship, such as a mosque or church, help to bring their learning to life. Pupils learn about values such as democracy when they vote for members of the school council. Leaders ensure that pupils have opportunities to perform or compete, for example in sports competitions such as the Blackpool Youth Games. Pupils enjoy the opportunities they have to discuss their feelings and thoughts with the school’s ‘kindness coach’. These discussions help them to think about others, and about their future lives. All pupils, including those with SEND, can participate in the school’s wider activities.

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Leaders and staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils behave well as they go about their activities. For example, children from the Reception class walk very quietly and sensibly to their physical education lessons. This helps to make the school feel calm and orderly.

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Governors and trustees are considerate of the staff’s well-being when they make decisions about the school. Staff appreciate the support that they receive to manage their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Governors and leaders make sure that staff have regular safeguarding training. Staff know how to recognise the possible signs of abuse and neglect. Staff know how to report any concerns that they might have about a pupil’s welfare. 25 and 26 January 2022

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Leaders work together with a wide range of professionals to help keep pupils safe from harm. For example, they work with services in different local authorities who provide family support. This enables leaders to get help for families when they need it.

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Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, they learn how to keep their information private when they use the internet. They know who to speak to if they have any worries.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasion, in some subjects, teachers do not make sure that pupils’ knowledge is secure before they move on to new learning. Leaders, including subject leaders, must ensure that knowledge is secure for all pupils before they move on, so that pupils are better prepared for the next stage in their learning.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Claremont Primary School, to be good in February 2015. 25 and 26 January 2022

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 25 and 26 January 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10212105 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Westminster Primary Academy converted to become an academy school in September 2017. When its predecessor school, Claremont Community Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  A new headteacher was appointed in September 2017.  The school uses one alternative provider.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, reviewed curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and reviewed samples of pupils’ work. The inspector observed some pupils reading to a familiar adult. 25 and 26 January 2022

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 The inspector considered curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about some other subjects.  The inspector spoke to pupils about school life. She also talked to a few parents at the school gate. The inspector took into account the responses to Ofsted Parent View and to the staff and pupil questionnaires.  The inspector met with the headteacher and senior leaders, and curriculum and subject leaders. The inspector also met with members of the academy council and spoke on the telephone to a representative from the board of directors.  The inspector looked at a range of documents and spoke with leaders, staff and pupils in order to evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Mavis Smith, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 25 and 26 January 2022

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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