Westende Junior School

Inspection of Westende Junior School Seaford Road, Wokingham, Berkshire RG40 2EJ

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is Andrea Sykes. This school is part of The Circle 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), Ginny Rhodes, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Andrew Beckett. 29 and 30 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils speak very highly of their welcoming school. This is a lively and cheerful community where pupils live out the school’s values of ‘respect, happiness and resilience’ daily. Leaders have created a nurturing environment where pupils feel safe. Pupils comment that if they have a problem, ‘Teachers are really there when you need them.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning. They live up to the high expectations their teachers have of them. Pupils are focused and studious in the classroom. They are eager to learn and resilient when they find work challenging. As a result, they achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour across the school is exemplary. They show kindness when welcoming new pupils to the school and the importance of sharing the exciting equipment at playtimes. This ensures a calm and harmonious atmosphere on the playground. There is an abundance of respect between pupils and staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Through the many leadership roles in the school, pupils learn to be responsible. Eco ambassadors contribute positively to the wider community by picking up litter locally. The school provides a range of opportunities for pupils to become active citizens who make a difference to the lives of others.

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

The school’s curriculum is broad and ambitious for its pupils. In many subjects, pupils develop secure knowledge. In lessons, teaching regularly emphasises and revisits the important knowledge that pupils need to know and remember. For example, in mathematics, pupils understand the importance of recalling their times tables to help them answer questions on fractions.

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

The school has taken action to improve the subject areas that leaders know need further development. Suitable plans are in place to ensure that staff have the knowledge and expertise they need to help pupils achieve highly across the full curriculum.

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

The school has made reading a priority. The extensive library is well-used. Pupils enjoy their weekly visits, where they choose books that their teachers have enthused them to read. Leaders have carefully thought about the diverse texts pupils will read in lessons. This supports them to recognise and celebrate difference. While many pupils are fluent readers, staff provide regular phonics teaching to the small number of pupils who find reading more difficult. However, at times, this support is not consistent. Consequently, these pupils are not learning to read as well as they could.

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

Staff skilfully adapt teaching so that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same ambitious learning opportunities as their peers. Pupils who need additional support are identified quickly and given the help they need. This includes pupils in ‘The Acorns’ class. Here, the school has carefully planned how these pupils will learn alongside their peers and when they need a more personalised curriculum. This helps these pupils to achieve as well as their peers. 29 and 30 April 2025

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Pupils’ attendance is high. They come to school each day knowing their teachers have high expectations of their behaviour. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are remarkably positive. They work with resilience and kindly help their friends out when they need it. Pupils with SEND who need ‘rest breaks’ in the classroom take them independently and appropriately. Pupils display mature attitudes when moving around the school and when they considerately play together.

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Leaders have carefully mapped out opportunities for pupils to develop their character and talents. The range of clubs ensures there is something for everyone. Pupils regularly exercise their democratic right to vote by choosing their pupil leadership body. They have a mature understanding of why fundamental British values are important in giving everyone a voice in society. Pupils are rightly proud of their charity work to help others. For example, raising money for children in Kenya so they can go to school. The school’s exceptional personal development programme helps pupils recognise the importance of being positive members of society.

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Trust leaders know the school well. Together with school leaders, they help staff to feel valued members of the school community. This includes giving staff a voice in shaping the parts of the school that affect them the most. Parents and carers value the kindness staff show their children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The teaching of phonics to the small number of pupils who require this is not consistent. Sounds are not always modelled clearly, and pupils are not always able to practise using the letters and sounds they are learning. As a result, some of these pupils are not getting the support they need to learn to read. The school should ensure that staff have the training and guidance required to help these pupils become confident and fluent readers.  The school’s ambitious curriculum is not yet securely embedded. This means some pupils do not always achieve as highly as the school intends. The school should continue to deliver the planned training and support to ensure staff consistently implement the intended curriculum.

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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. 29 and 30 April 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). 29 and 30 April 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 In July 2022, the school converted to become an academy and joined The Circle Trust.  The school has a specialist resource base with places for 14 pupils. This provides support for pupils with autism. All pupils who attend have education, health and care plans.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provision.  The school offers a before- and after-school club, overseen by the board of trustees.

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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. 29 and 30 April 2025

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 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteacher, subject leaders, teachers and support staff.  The lead inspector met with the CEO, trust leaders, trustees and the chair of the local advisory board.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, geography and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also met with leaders to evaluate other aspects of the curriculum. The lead

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inspector also listened to a range of pupils read.  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 considered the responses to Ofsted’s survey for staff, pupils and parents. They also spoke to a range of staff and pupils about their views of the school and spoke to parents at the school gate.

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Inspection team

Stephen Cattell, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mo Galway Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 April 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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