Westwood Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Westwood Primary School Westwood Road, Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley, Lancashire PR5 8LS

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Inspection dates: 17 and 18 December 2024

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Outcome

Westwood Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are friendly and kind at this school. They are courteous and respectful of each other’s differences. Consequently, pupils rarely experience bullying. When pupils do fall out, the school takes swift action to help pupils repair their friendships. Pupils conduct themselves well during the school day. As pupils get older, they develop exemplary attitudes to their learning and behaviour. They are happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their lessons. They find learning at the school challenging and fun. The school is highly ambitious for what all pupils should learn. Many pupils do well in subjects such as English and mathematics. The majority of pupils in Year 1 meet the standard of the phonics screening check. Pupils also develop a secure body of knowledge across much of the wider curriculum by the time they reach Year 6.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Older pupils have a range of opportunities to take on roles and responsibilities around the school. For example, all Year 6 pupils become a buddy for children in the Reception Year. They can also become a head pupil, house captain or sports ambassador. Pupils have access to a range of sports clubs after school. They get to participate in numerous inter- school competitions throughout the year.

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

Since the last inspection, the school has taken effective action to refine and further improve the school’s curriculum offer. It has ensured that the curriculum is well designed, broad and ambitious. The school has identified the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn in each topic. This gives teachers clear guidance on what to teach pupils and at what point. Teachers often use this guidance to design engaging learning activities that are effective in helping pupils acquire a rich body of knowledge in various subjects. 17 and 18 December 2024

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The school regularly carries out checks to establish what pupils know and remember. It routinely provides pupils with subsequent feedback on their learning. At times, though, the school’s assessment and feedback strategies are not as effective as they could be. This sometimes leads to pupils repeating errors or not having misconceptions addressed quickly.

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The school ensures pupils quickly develop the skills needed to read confidently and fluently. It ensures that pupils are given appropriate catch-up support when it is required. The school promotes a love of reading. For example, when children join in the early years, they are taken to the local library and sign up as members. Pupils regularly read high- quality texts together as a class. They also enjoy listening to their teacher read to them.

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The school has secure systems in place to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) early. However, there are occasions when the school does not provide staff with robust guidance on how to adapt learning and support for some pupils with SEND. This sometimes means these pupils do not learn as effectively as they could.

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The school provides well for pupils’ personal development. Pupils develop their sense of citizenship, for example by engaging in fundraising activities for their chosen charities. They gain an appropriate knowledge of fundamental British values and protected characteristics. They also understand how they can look after their physical and mental health. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and maintain healthy relationships. Their curriculum learning is enhanced through trips and visitors. They also have opportunities to develop woodland skills and go on a residential visit to an outdoor activity centre. The school’s actions ensure that pupils are well prepared for their next steps in life.

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The school places a high priority on attendance. It takes effective actions to support and challenge families to overcome the barriers preventing their child from attending school regularly. The school’s average attendance rates are improving, and most pupils attend well.

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Governors know the school and fulfil their duties effectively. They provide appropriate challenge and support. Leaders, including governors, are considerate of staff well-being. Staff are happy. They appreciate leaders’ actions to help them manage their workload. For example, they are given dedicated time to carry out additional duties and tasks.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, the school does not provide staff with precise guidance on how to adapt learning and support for some pupils with SEND. This sometimes means these pupils 17 and 18 December 2024

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do not learn as effectively as they could. The school should ensure staff are well equipped to cater for the additional learning needs of pupils with SEND.  The school does not use assessment and feedback strategies consistently well to help pupils with their errors and misconceptions. This occasionally means pupils repeat basic errors or do not address some knowledge gaps swiftly. The school should refine its assessment and feedback approaches so pupils receive effective support to address their errors and misconceptions.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in April 2019.

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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 17 and 18 December 2024

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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). 17 and 18 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Julie Ditchfield

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 2 and 3 April 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school operates before- and after-school clubs that are overseen by those responsible for governance.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into consideration in their evaluation of the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector 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.  The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, the SEND coordinator, 17 and 18 December 2024

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some subject leaders and other staff during the inspection.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.  The lead inspector spoke with representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also considered documents and spoke to some staff about the curriculum, SEND, attendance, safeguarding, personal development and behaviour.  The inspector considered the responses to the online staff and pupil surveys and the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The inspector also spoke to pupils about their experiences of school.

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Inspection team

David Spruce, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 17 and 18 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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