Westwood Primary School

Inspection of Westwood Primary School Maple Grove, March, Cambridgeshire PE15 8JT

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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The headteacher of this school is Lauren Read. This school is part of The Elliot Foundation Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Hugh Greenway, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Dr. Tim Coulson CBE. 24 and 25 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Westwood Primary School is a welcoming and inclusive school. The school is ambitious for every pupil to achieve well. Recent changes to the curriculum are supporting more pupils to do so as they progress through the school. Staff have high expectations of pupils’ achievement and behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school and attend regularly. They are happy and sociable. Staff support pupils effectively at social times. Pupils play and get on with each other. Pupils enjoy the many physical activities on offer outdoors. They work hard and try their best in their learning. Pupil speak confidently about the school’s curriculum values, including ‘innovation’ and ‘experience’. They are proud of their achievements.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pastoral provision is strong. Staff forge supportive relationships with pupils and families. Pupils feel well cared for and safe at school. They trust staff to help them when they have any concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school helps pupils to pursue their interests through activities, such as geography club, rock band and football. Pupils appreciate the trips they go on, which help them to understand more about the local area. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe through assemblies, listening to visiting speakers and outdoor learning opportunities.

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

Pupils learn a broad and ambitious curriculum. In the early years, children build strong foundations. They have purposeful opportunities to learn about numbers and develop their vocabulary. The school has carefully considered what pupils should learn and when. Pupils make significant progress from their starting points. Most recent published outcomes do not reflect the quality of education. The school has high expectations for pupils and the changes in the curriculum reflect this.

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

The school prioritises the teaching of reading. Pupils get excited about reading. Events such as author visits help pupils to develop their reading interests. Children learn the school’s phonics programme from Reception. The books they read match the sounds that they are learning. Staff teach the programme well. Pupils who struggle are quickly identified and given extra help. Some pupils, however, do not read as fluently as they could because they do not get enough practise and staff do not always know how to support them.

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

The school is ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Individual pupil’s needs are identified. The school works closely with external agencies, when appropriate, so pupils with SEND receive the right support. Learning is carefully adapted so that pupils can learn well.

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

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They explain new ideas clearly. They ask questions to check pupils’ understanding during lessons. Staff revisit learning so that pupils can practise what they have learned. This helps them to remember their prior 24 and 25 June 2025

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knowledge. However, in some subjects, teaching does not identify and address pupils’ gaps in knowledge well enough. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as well in these subjects.

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Provision in the early years is highly effective. The curriculum provides a very strong foundation for children’s learning and development. Intentional learning activities support children to make progress through the curriculum, for example, in their communication and language skills. Staff create a stimulating and purposeful environment. They support children very well to engage with the learning activities and resources.

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The school manages the emotional and behavioural needs of pupils extremely well. Pupils learn strategies to manage their emotions. This helps pupils to concentrate well in lessons. Staff promote positive behaviour in a calm and supportive environment. Systems used to check attendance are thorough. The school works diligently to remove any barriers to attendance. This work has helped to support pupils to attend school regularly.

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The school makes sure pupils learn about life beyond their local area. Trips help pupils link their learning to the wider world. For example, pupils enjoy a trip to London to visit a history museum. The school offers many clubs and activities, like cricket, swimming galas and other sporting competitions. Pupils share their ideas and interests for additional clubs. Staff help them to set these up for others to join in.

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The trust provides effective oversight and supports the strategic direction of the school. The school’s support for families is strong. Staff are proud to work in the school. They value leaders’ support to manage their work–life balance.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school does not provide some pupils at the early stages of learning to read with enough opportunities to work with well-trained staff to practise and improve their reading ability. Pupils at these early stages do not learn to read as quickly as they could. The school should ensure that all staff have the knowledge and skills to effectively support pupils at the early stages of reading.  In some subjects, gaps in pupils’ learning are not identified early enough. The school does not address these gaps effectively. Some pupils do not achieve as well as they could in these subjects. The school should ensure teaching across all subjects identifies and addresses gaps in pupils’ knowledge. 24 and 25 June 2025

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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). 24 and 25 June 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 25 and 26 April 2023, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of The Elliot Foundation Academy Trust.  The school has had a change of headteacher since the previous inspection. The current headteacher took up post in September 2023  The school uses four unregistered providers of alternative provision.

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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. 24 and 25 June 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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.  During the inspection, the inspectors met with the headteacher and other leaders to discuss the school’s curriculum and the school’s work on behaviour and attendance. The lead inspector met with the chair of trustees and the CEO.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, including early reading, mathematics, physical education, science and history. 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. The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys. Inspectors

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considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ comments submitted via the free-text facility.  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.

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Inspection team

Nerrissa Bear, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Stuart Pope Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 June 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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