Westfield Primary School

Inspection of Westfield Primary School Chester Road, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK40 4HW

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 25 and 26 May 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. The friendly and supportive atmosphere supports their learning and personal development well. Pupils say that they feel safe and are confident that adults will deal with any worries they may have. Pupils rise to the high expectations of staff and the ‘Westfield Way’ of ‘going for gold every day’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand the school values, which underpin all aspects of school life. One said, ‘We all follow them so we can make the school a better place.’ Pupils are respectful to adults and to each other. Behaviour is good. Pupils understand the behaviour management system. They say that this works.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from learning in specialist facilities for some lessons, such as science and art and design. These contribute towards enriching their learning experiences and help to prepare them for secondary school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the wide range of clubs that are on offer for them both before and after school. Pupils also enjoy taking on responsibilities. These include being play leaders, digital ambassadors, members of the school council and running the stationery shop. These help to broaden pupils’ experiences and help to build confidence.

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better?

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum for all pupils. They have high aspirations for pupils’ academic and personal development. Generally, plans are well- sequenced, apart from in a few subjects. Where the curriculum thinking is more understood and secure, teachers ensure that pupils learn and remember more over time. The curriculum includes the key vocabulary that pupils need to know. Learning in all subjects begins when children start school in the Reception classes. For example, children in the Reception Year learn about the different parts of plants. This lays the foundations for their future learning in science.

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better?

Regular checks keep curriculum leaders well informed about the quality of the curriculum in their subject areas. Leaders provide effective support to their colleagues when required. Staff have received appropriate training to deliver all areas of the curriculum. As a result, in most subjects, leaders’ intentions are fully established. However, in a few areas, such as design and technology, staff are less confident. Where this is the case, pupils do not learn as well as in other subjects.

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better?

Leaders have prioritised the teaching of reading. Children learn letter names and sounds from when they start school. All staff are well trained. This ensures a consistent and systematic approach to the teaching of phonics in the Reception Year and key stage 1. As a result, most pupils learn letter sounds quickly and can soon blend and spell words. This helps them to become confident readers. Adults regularly check that early readers know the sounds they need to read accurately. 25 and 26 May 2022

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Any pupils identified as falling behind receive appropriate support to help them catch up.

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Adults provide appropriate support to ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well over time. This includes pre-teaching, breaking learning into smaller steps, the use of specific resources and visual prompts. Staff are skilled and know pupils well. They are timely and accurate in identifying pupils’ needs. Leaders ensure that support plans are appropriate. They regularly check their impact and ensure pupils with SEND access the same ambitious curriculum as others.

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Pupils behave well. Routines are established from the start of Reception and all pupils, including the youngest, respond positively to adults’ high expectations. Leaders encourage all pupils to attend school well. They are rigorous in their checking of absence. They are committed to working with parents to raise attendance levels further.

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Leaders are ambitious for the personal development of pupils. They are also strongly committed to supporting pupils’ well-being. Pupils learn how to keep themselves healthy, including learning how to establish healthy relationships. They enjoy being active, including completing the daily mile. Pupils have a good understanding of differences and mutual respect. Many pupils attend the extra activities on offer. They enjoy the visits and trips the school provides. These help pupils to widen their ambitions and interests.

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Governors perform their duties effectively. They check the work of the leaders to ensure the quality of education continues to improve. Governors have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development.

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Staff are proud to work at Westfield School and enjoy doing so. They are a committed team. Staff feel supported by leaders. They appreciate leaders’ consideration of their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are highly vigilant about all aspects of pupils’ welfare. Leaders have ensured that all staff know and understand how to use the school safeguarding procedures. Staff report any concerns, no matter how small. Leaders act promptly on the information they receive and seek support from outside agencies where appropriate.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including when working online. They know whom to talk to if they have any worries and are confident that adults will resolve these. 25 and 26 May 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, teachers do not have the confidence and skills to fully implement leaders’ intended curriculum. This means that pupils do not learn all the important knowledge they need in order to achieve well in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that teachers receive the right training in these subjects, so that they can deliver them effectively. Leaders should regularly check how well staff are implementing the curriculum and the impact of this.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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 May 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 26 and 27 June 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Westfield Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Leaders do not use any alternative provision.  Since the school was last inspected in June 2018, the school has completed its transition from being a middle school to a primary school. There have been a number of changes in teaching staff during this time.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke with governors, leaders, teachers, teaching assistants and a representative from the local authority. 25 and 26 May 2022

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 Inspectors spoke with parents at the start and end of the school day. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, around the school and at lunch and playtimes.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils to seek their views of the school. They also spoke to pupils informally in class, around the school and at breaktimes.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and science, to evaluate the quality of education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, considered curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and scrutinised samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also checked curriculum provision for pupils’ learning in other subject areas, including art and design, design and technology, modern foreign languages and history.  The lead inspector observed some pupils reading to staff and talked to them

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about their reading.  An inspector met with the leader for pupils with SEND and scrutinised documentation for pupils with SEND. Inspectors observed support for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors reviewed the school’s information on behaviour, bullying and attendance. They reviewed safeguarding records and spoke with leaders, staff and pupils about safeguarding arrangements.  Inspectors considered the eight responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and eight free-text comments. Inspectors considered the 14 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and 101 responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Joan Beale, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Lesley Stevens Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 May 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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