Westhaven School

Inspection of Westhaven School Ellesmere Road, Uphill, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset BS23 4UT

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 3 and 4 December 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils excel at Westhaven school. Staff are increasingly aspirational in their expectations of pupils. The school’s redesigned curriculum is well-planned and ambitious. Staff work together diligently to bring it to life and meet pupils’ individual needs. Pupils learn the knowledge and skills they need with increasing success. They are well prepared for their next steps.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Positive relationships underpin pupils’ experiences. Pupils rightly say that staff are caring and keep them safe. Staff promote positive behaviour skilfully. Pupils learn to manage their own behaviour successfully over time. They learn and play together harmoniously. This helps to ensure that pupils feel happy and valued. Pupils generally show strong attitudes to their learning. They are particularly focused in subjects where the curriculum is now established.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ wider development is promoted exceptionally well. They enjoy a wide array of clubs, trips and leadership opportunities that enhance their experience of school. Careers advice and work experience help pupils focus on pathways into adulthood appropriate to their needs and interests. Pupils benefit greatly from the very strong community, underpinned by the principles of the ‘Westhaven Way’.

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

Westhaven School has transformed its provision for pupils. The school has revisited its core aims and values very effectively. This has helped ensure improvements to the curriculum are underpinned by a focus on developing pupils’ independence, communication and respect as citizens. It has also helped pupils to become resilient, inquisitive learners. Everyone is committed to this ethos. The school is highly skilled at identifying pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and adapting provision to meet them. Staff work together enthusiastically to achieve this goal. Pupils gain important qualifications and the skills they need to live safe, independent lives. As a result, they are typically well prepared for their future education, employment or training.

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

Nevertheless, the school recognises there is more to do. Some subjects are not as established as others. Where this is the case, the new curriculum has yet to reach its potential and so pupils’ learning, although sound, could be even better. For example, in mathematics, the new curriculum is sequenced logically and well. However, some approaches, such as the use of questioning to deepen pupils’ thinking, are not as established as leaders want. This means pupils do not consistently learn as well as they should.

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

Reading, communication and interaction are given the highest priority, including in the sixth form. The early reading curriculum is highly effective. The school has established a systematic approach to teach pupils to read. Staff teach reading lessons skilfully, modelling how to use new sounds to blend and segment effectively. Pupils take home books that are closely matched to the sounds they know. They learn to read capably, enthusiastically and independently. 3 and 4 December 2024

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The school promotes a love of reading very effectively. Pupils speak positively about the ‘love to listen’ sessions when teachers read an array of stories to them. Pupils of all abilities are taught reading skills through considered, adapted approaches. For example, pupils who are pre-verbal learn the structures of stories through the ‘Helicopter Stories’ approach. They joyfully share stories together. Pupils’ views of reading are often transformed.

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The school’s high expectations and strong family culture support pupils to behave well. Clear routines and strong relationships support pupils who sometimes struggle to manage their own behaviour. This helps to improve pupils’ behaviour rapidly. Pupils generally show positive attitudes to learning. However, where curriculum developments are newer, pupils sometimes do not show the same keen, eagerness to learn. Pupils attend well. The school has effective systems to support families when pupils’ attendance slips. This has helped improve pupils’ overall attendance at the school over time.

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The promotion of pupils’ personal development is exceptional. Pupils benefit considerably from the very strong sense of community that has been established. For example, weekly assemblies celebrate pupils’ achievements and individuality and strengthen pupils’ social and moral development. Pupils learn to understand equality and to celebrate diversity. Cultural development runs through the curriculum. For example, in art and design, pupils learn about the work of artists from different backgrounds, countries and cultures. Rich opportunities are given for pupils to develop character and leadership skills. Effective careers advice runs through the curriculum, with pupils’ personal needs in mind. Wide- ranging field trips, community opportunities and events allow pupils to contribute significantly to their local community, school and beyond. As a result, pupils develop strong friendships and a sense of belonging, which they take with them into the

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community and when they move on from the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Improvements to the curriculum need more time to embed in some subjects, including in the sixth form. This means that pupils’ learning is more secure in some subjects than others. Leaders should continue to support staff to refine the curriculum so that its impact is consistently strong across subjects. 3 and 4 December 2024

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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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school's pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 3 and 4 December 2024

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form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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form

Chair of governing body Stephen Romanski

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form

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 June 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, a new headteacher and deputy headteacher have been appointed. The school has restructured leadership across the school.  The school is registered for pupils between the ages of 4 and 18. All pupils have an education, health and care plan. The school caters for pupils with an autistic spectrum condition, those with moderate learning difficulties and some who have medical conditions. A small proportion have social, emotional and mental health needs. There were no pupils in the early years at the time of the inspection.  The school uses four unregistered alternative provisions.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 3 and 4 December 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school's education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, English, mathematics, history, art and design and personal, social and health education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also listened to some pupils read.  Inspectors met with leaders, including the headteacher, the deputy headteacher teacher and the assistant headteachers, one of who is also the special educational needs coordinator.  The inspectors spoke to two representatives from the local authority and to the school

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Information about this inspection

improvement partner. They also met with five members of the governing body, including the chair.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors took account of the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. They also considered the responses to the Ofsted staff survey.  The inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including documents relating to governance, leaders’ evaluations, plans for school improvement, reports from external consultants and information about the school’s curriculum.

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Inspection team

Matthew Barnes, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Hilary Goddard Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 December 2024

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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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