West Drayton Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: West Drayton Academy Kingston Lane, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 9EA

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Outcome

West Drayton Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The principal of this school is Richard Yates. This school is part of the Park Federation Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Martin Young, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Muralee Nair.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school community at West Drayton Academy work together to ‘Believe, Empower, Achieve’. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They told inspectors that it is welcoming to all. They behave well and get along with each other. Pupils are aware of what bullying is and typically feel that their concerns are dealt with well. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe and who their trusted adults are.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has a rich and varied offer to enhance the curriculum. There are a variety of ways pupils develop their leadership skills, for instance by serving as librarians, buddies and monitors. The ‘children’s leadership team’ are actively involved in improving the school such as by leading the work on ‘habits for discussion’. Leaders commit to all pupils receiving ‘100 experiences and new skills’, which help them be ready for life beyond school. These range from trips to cultural landmarks to making and flying a kite. Pupils relish these opportunities and the stamps they receive in their ‘cultural passports’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils, and they are supported to rise to these. Pupils achieve well, including in national assessments, helping them to be prepared and successful in the next stages of their education.

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

The school has designed a curriculum that is broad and ambitious. This builds gradually from early years, so pupils have opportunities to revisit key concepts and deepen their 4 and 5 February 2025

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understanding in each subject. For example, in history, children in early years begin to learn about ‘society’ through their family, school and local history. This supports older pupils to consider early Roman and Greek civilisations. This means pupils in Year 6 can consider how modern societies, such as Germany, were influenced by economics, propaganda and power during the Second World War. Pupils make meaningful connections in their learning, so they are ready to study subjects in greater depth at secondary school.

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At times, however, assessment is not used as effectively to check pupils’ understanding. This means misconceptions or gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not identified consistently. As a result, adaptations to teaching are sometimes not made swiftly, meaning some pupils are not secure in their learning before moving on to more complex tasks.

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Systems are in place to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school works in collaboration with external agencies and experts across the trust to support pupils. Staff are trained to adjust teaching to meet pupils’ needs. Pupils with the highest level of need receive the nurture that helps them to be ready for their next stage of learning.

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Beginning in early years, communication and interaction are rightly prioritised. This means that teachers model ambitious vocabulary and use this with children in a range of meaningful ways. The phonics programme supports pupils effectively to become fluent and independent readers so they can access the wider curriculum. Staff are well trained. Books are matched to the sounds that pupils know. Support for early readers and those who need more help to catch up is appropriate. So, too, children’s early number skills are carefully mapped so that pupils gain the necessary skills and knowledge for future work.

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The school has recently reviewed systems to support pupils and staff in applying the shared rules consistently. Pupils behave well around the school, and incidents of poor behaviour are rare. Currently, some pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should. The school has worked with families to understand the causes of these absences. The school supports parents and carers to overcome any barriers to their children’s attendance, including through the use of external agencies when needed. Attendance is improving over time.

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The programme for pupils’ wider development is excellent. Learning about and celebrating difference are high priorities at the school. Pupils are taught about tolerance through the curriculum, and this is embedded further through weekly assemblies. Pupils understand in detail the characteristics protected by law and consider what discrimination looks like in modern society. For example, pupils consider ‘hidden disabilities’ and how someone might be discriminated against. Some pupils take this further as playground mentors, advocating for younger peers. As a result, pupils develop empathy and maturity in character at this school.

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The school is well led and managed. Trustees and the local governing board are well informed about the work of the school and its priorities for improvement. They work effectively to support staff, including senior leaders, to maintain high standards for pupils’ education and life beyond school. 4 and 5 February 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, assessment is not used with precision to check pupils’ understanding. This means that misconceptions are not identified as swiftly as they could be. As a result, some pupils are not secure in their earlier learning before moving on to more complex tasks. The school should make sure that teachers are equipped with assessment strategies that help them identify and address gaps in knowledge in a timely way so that suitable adaptations can be made when needed.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, West Drayton Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in July 2015.

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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. 4 and 5 February 2025

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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). 4 and 5 February 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 16 and 17 October 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 West Drayton Academy is part of the Park Federation Academy Trust.  The school runs its own breakfast club.  The school currently 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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors held meetings with the principal, the CEO of Park Federation Trust, senior leaders and teachers. The lead inspector met with a group of trustees, including the chair of the trust. She also met with members of the local governing body. 4 and 5 February 2025

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 The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers and leaders, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  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.  The inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation provided by leaders, including their priorities for improvement.  The inspectors considered the views of parents, pupils and staff through discussions and their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Matea Marcinko, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Colenso Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 February 2025

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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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