Wessex Gardens Primary School

Inspection of Wessex Gardens Primary School Wessex Gardens, Golders Green, London NW11 9RR

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 17 and 18 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school where pupils are nurtured and cared for. Pupils celebrate the rich diversity of their school community. A strong, inclusive ethos is at the heart of this school. The school is ambitious for pupils’ learning, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children in the Nursery and Reception Years thrive and develop curiosity and a love of learning from the moment they join. Older pupils enjoy their learning in a range of subjects, which they say are fun and interesting. As a result, most pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils respond positively to these expectations. Pupils are attentive and polite in lessons and kind to each other at breaktimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a range of opportunities to take on leadership roles. Pupils love to share their work on the school council, as house captains and as playground helpers. They are eager to show visitors their gardening skills and the blossoming flowers and wildlife areas they have developed around the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe, including when swimming and when online. Pupils build their confidence and resilience through a wide range of activities, including residential visits, guest speakers and reflective assemblies.

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

Since the previous inspection, the school has made significant changes to the curriculum. The curriculum sets out the knowledge and skills that pupils will learn at each stage. Its design is ambitious, broad and balanced, covering all the requirements of the national curriculum. Most pupils leave the school prepared well for the next stage of their education.

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

Staff make appropriate adaptations to teaching and resources to support pupils to learn subject content. This includes for pupils with SEND. The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND swiftly. Staff receive training from a range of specialists to make appropriate adjustments for pupils’ different needs. This helps pupils with SEND to learn successfully alongside their peers and achieve well.

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

From the moment children enter the early years, they develop their language and early mathematics through rhyme, story and counting numbers. The school’s work on developing early letter and number formation and, later, early writing, is exceptional. Children have positive relationships with the staff in the early years and thrive in their care. Play and carefully considered learning activities mean they are well prepared for key stage 1 and beyond.

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

Reading is at the heart of every class in this school. Expert leaders ensure that trained staff deliver the school’s phonics programme with fidelity and precision. 17 and 18 June 2025

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Books are well matched to the sounds that pupils are learning. Lessons are designed to help children practise reading in a range of different subjects. Carefully targeted interventions help pupils keep up with learning to read.

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Most staff have good subject knowledge. In a few subjects, the curriculum is new and not fully embedded. As a result, some of the tasks that are given to pupils in the wider curriculum do not help them to build on their prior knowledge and skills deeply. Teachers check pupils’ learning and usually address any misconceptions before moving on. Occasionally, in some of the wider curriculum subjects, these checks are not quite as useful as they could be.

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Pupils behave with maturity. The school helps pupils to understand and communicate about their feelings and emotions. Pupils speak about how much they value mindfulness sessions after playtimes. The school ensures that most pupils attend school on time and regularly.

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Carefully designed personal, social and health education promotes safety, resilience and friendship. Regular, age-appropriate lessons ensure that pupils learn how to make and maintain healthy lifestyles and friendships. In religious education (RE) and assemblies, staff teach pupils about respecting other people’s faiths, cultures and ways of life. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain and develop a strong understanding of fundamental British values. Pupils also benefit from many sporting opportunities, such as football clubs and athletics, as well as the extensive on-site swimming provision, which starts in the Reception Year. The school ensures that these events are accessible to all.

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Governors carry out their roles and responsibilities diligently. They have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. The local authority provides valuable oversight and training opportunities for staff.

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Staff feel well supported with their workload and well-being and are proud to be part of this school. Parents and carers are highly supportive. They value the strong and close community links the school makes to help them and their families.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the school’s curriculum thinking does not ensure that pupils build new knowledge, skills and understanding as effectively as they could. This limits pupils’ deeper understanding. The school should support teachers to check pupils’ learning consistently to ensure that curriculum delivery meets the ambitious standards the school has set. 17 and 18 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). 17 and 18 June 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 22 and 23 February 2023, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is reducing its pupil admission number from two forms of entry to one form of entry from September 2025.  The school opened a setting on site for two-year-olds in January 2025.  The school runs a breakfast club and after-school clubs on the school premises.  The school does not currently use any 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 provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 17 and 18 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.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, other senior and curriculum leaders and groups of staff and pupils.  Inspectors held discussions with members of the governing body, including the chair. The lead inspector also spoke with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography, history and RE. To do this, they met with curriculum leaders, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and met with teachers and pupils. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. They considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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 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 reviewed school documents, including those relating to governance, behaviour and attendance. Inspectors scrutinised leaders’ strategies for improvement and their assessment of the school’s effectiveness.  Inspectors spoke informally to pupils at breaktimes, in the dining hall and on the playground.

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Inspection team

Sean Flood, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Ray Lau Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 June 2025

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