Westfield Junior School

Inspection of Westfield Junior School Westfield Road, Hinckley, Leicestershire LE10 0LT

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 11 and 12 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils speak very highly of their school. They praise the encouragement and support that staff provide. One pupil spoke for many when they said, ‘The people here make us feel safe. We know we can talk to any adult if we feel worried.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

A combination of high expectations, individualised support and nurturing care helps pupils achieve well. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) thrive at Westfield Junior School. The school has transformed the provision for pupils with SEND since the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils wear their uniform with pride. They behave well, and are polite, cheerful and welcoming. They like spending time with each other. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They focus and try their best most of the time.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand the importance of respect. Being respectful is one of the school’s ‘Super Six’ values. Pupils demonstrate this quality in lessons and on the playground. They hold inclusive attitudes towards people’s differences.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the high-quality support provided by the pastoral team. They relish the opportunity to read to Darcie, the school’s therapy dog. As well as developing their confidence in reading aloud, pupils notice the positive impact that reading to Darcie has on their well-being.

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

Pupils benefit from an ambitious curriculum. There is a clear order to learning in all subjects. Staff revisit crucial curriculum content to keep it fresh in pupils’ minds. As a result, pupils remember key knowledge and vocabulary securely in most subjects. In mathematics, for example, pupils can recall and use important number facts fluently.

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

The school prioritises reading. Through its ‘reading wheel’ approach, pupils learn to find the hidden meaning in texts. The school’s reading app helps pupils improve their reading speed. Pupils read a rich range of fiction and non-fiction. These books broaden pupils’ horizons. Any pupil who struggles to read gets the support they need to catch up. Pupils in the early stages of learning to read receive books that are matched to the letter sounds they know. However, the school’s approach to teaching writing is not always as well structured. Sometimes, pupils are asked to compose complex texts before they are secure in their spelling, handwriting and sentence-construction skills.

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

The school has thought carefully about the style of teaching that will help its pupils learn best. This approach means that staff model new concepts clearly and provide frequent opportunities for pupils to learn through talk. However, at times, staff do not check pupils’ understanding as well as the school intends. Consequently, pupils sometimes repeat the same errors and staff occasionally move pupils on to new learning before they are ready. 11 and 12 March 2025

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The school identifies any additional needs swiftly. It ensures that staff know exactly how to best support disadvantaged pupils, including those with SEND. The school’s designated specialist provision, called ‘The Meadows’, provides high-quality education for pupils with speech, language and communication needs.

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Poor behaviour is rare. When incidents occur, the school helps pupils learn from their mistakes and make amends. The school monitors absence closely. Attendance is high. The school responds swiftly if any pupil has too much time off.

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The provision for pupils’ personal development is a strength. Through the school’s personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum, pupils learn to value equality and diversity. One pupil, typical of many, summed up the school’s inclusive ethos perfectly when they said, ‘We are all different and we are all unique.’ Pupils know how to keep themselves physically fit, and they learn how to look after their mental health. There are numerous roles and responsibilities on offer for pupils to build their leadership qualities. Pupils like helping others by raising money for a range of charities.

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Staff enjoy working at the school. They praise leaders’ consideration for their workload. The school benefits from strong leadership at all levels. Staff, governors and the local authority have worked together well to continue improving the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some writing tasks are not matched carefully to pupils’ needs. This prevents some pupils, particularly the lowest-attaining pupils, from mastering the basics of spelling, handwriting and sentence formation as quickly as they could. The school should ensure that pupils have secure knowledge and skills in transcription so that they can access more complex writing tasks.  At times, staff do not check closely enough on pupils’ learning. As a result, pupils’ sometimes make the same mistakes. Staff occasionally move learning on before gaps in pupils’ knowledge have been plugged. The school should ensure that staff check pupils’ understanding systematically in lessons and resolve any misconceptions swiftly.

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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. 11 and 12 March 2025

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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). 11 and 12 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 26 and 27 October 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The school has a specialist unit with provision for up to 25 pupils. This provision supports pupils with speech, language and communication needs.

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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 evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 11 and 12 March 2025

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 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also considered pupils’ learning in English, art and design, religious education, PSHE and computing.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher, subject leaders, teachers and support staff. Inspectors also met with leaders with responsibility for pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils, behaviour, attendance and personal development.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the

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extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors examined a range of school documents relating to behaviour, attendance and governance, as well as the school development plan and documents relating to leaders’ self-evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector listened to a sample of pupils read with a familiar adult. Inspectors met with groups of pupils from different year groups.  The lead inspector met with governors, including the chair of the governing body. He also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and the results of Ofsted’s online staff survey.

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Inspection team

Shaun Carter, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Cleo Redmond Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 March 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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