Westfield School

Westfield School

Address: Eckington Road, Sothall, Sheffield, S20 1HQ Unique reference number (URN): 145562

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils do not secure the knowledge they need in some subjects and year groups. This affects disadvantaged pupils, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, low prior attainers and high prior attainers the most. Pupil outcomes in assessments at the end of key stage 4 vary significantly across different subjects. The gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has widened.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils make steady progress through the curriculum in some subjects, and overall assessment results at the end of key stage 4 sit close to national averages. Some pupils achieve well, especially those with middle starting points. Pupils in key stage 3 are increasingly securing knowledge and applying it appropriately.

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Achievement Needs attention

Leaders have strengthened support and curriculum oversight. They are aware that variability in the consistency of teaching and support for pupils’ needs, and attendance, remain significant barriers. These limit how well prepared pupils are for their next steps in education, employment or training.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Pupils' overall attendance remains too low. The school has taken clear steps to address this, but attendance is still not where it needs to be. Leaders now track pupils more closely, provide stronger pastoral support and work with outside partners to support families. These actions are starting to help, and the school has seen better attendance for some pupil groups. However, disadvantaged pupils, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children known to social care miss too much school. It is too early to see the full impact of leaders' work to improve the attendance of many pupils.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Leaders have created a calmer, caring and more orderly environment. Pupils usually behave well in lessons and around the site. Staff reinforce the ‘Westfield Way’ expectations of behaviour, and pupils respond well when these are consistently applied. Leaders do not tolerate bullying, discrimination or harassment and pupils are confident that staff will take action if they report these. Pupils' attitudes to learning in lessons sometimes vary. In some lessons, pupils are attentive, but in others they occasionally lose focus or opt out of tasks. Leaders are developing new strategies to support pupils with more complex behavioural needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

There are inconsistencies in teaching across the school. Teachers' subject knowledge is detailed in some subject areas and still developing in others. The teaching of subject- specific specialist vocabulary is inconsistent, and the resulting gaps in language make learning harder for some pupils. Teachers check what pupils know often, but pupils do not always act on feedback. Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is visible in some lessons but is not used reliably across the school. These inconsistencies limit the progress that pupils make through the curriculum. Leaders are taking steps to address these weaknesses, but this work is at an early stage.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have strengthened the curriculum and have a clear view of its quality. The school offers a broad range of subjects that provide a suitable foundation for pupils' next stage of education, employment or training. Leaders place a strong focus on reading. They have brought in extra programmes that support pupils who have gaps in their reading knowledge effectively. Teachers use common routines, such as ‘do now’ tasks and targeted questioning, which help pupils to retain knowledge. Subject leaders can explain the aims of their subjects clearly. They have begun to improve how learning is sequenced.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The school is becoming more inclusive. Leaders have trained staff to support pupils with additional needs, especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged. Leaders are improving the way they spot pupils’ needs by looking closely at information from various sources. However, leaders do not identify the needs of those who are disadvantaged and those who have SEND with sufficient consistency. They do not check how well additional support is working for these pupils. This means that support in lessons is sometimes not matched closely to pupils’ needs.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders use additional funding to improve reading, attendance and access to wider opportunities for disadvantaged pupils. Some pupils are beginning to benefit from this. However, leaders have not reviewed this work sharply enough. They are unclear about what its impact is. Alternative provision arrangements also need stronger oversight to ensure they meet pupils’ needs well.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Many pupils with SEND learn alongside their peers, supported by simple strategies such as visual prompts, coloured overlays and well ‑ chosen questions. Pupils with more complex needs receive appropriate specialised support. Leaders also work with outside specialists to strengthen this work. Pupils known to social care are checked on regularly. Staff give them the support that they need.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The school is led by a team that understands its strengths and weaknesses clearly. Leaders identify the right priorities, particularly around attendance barriers and provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils. They have begun to stabilise the school after a period of turbulence and staffing instability. Leaders have strengthened pastoral structures, curriculum intent and behaviour systems and the expertise of staff. However, many new initiatives and strategies are recent, and it is too soon to see their impact.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Governance has been strengthened, and both trustees and governors now offer clearer challenge, interrogation of performance data and a sharper focus on the performance of pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils. Trustees have supported senior leaders to secure greater ambition and a culture of higher expectations at the school. Leaders provide staff with an increasingly coherent professional learning programme. The school supports trainees and early career teachers effectively. More-experienced teachers benefit from a programme of high-quality professional training and coaching. Leaders take workload seriously, and most staff describe supportive relationships and open communication.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The school benefits from close support from the trust. Trustees have prioritised the trust's resources to support the school to make improvements. Leaders have established a number of working relationships with other schools and specialists that can support them to further improve. The school is further developing engagement with parents and carers. There are promising signs that this is beginning to have an impact.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Leaders are redeveloping the personal, social and health education (PSHE) and relationships and sex education curriculums. This is having a positive impact. For example, pupils talk confidently about topics such as healthy relationships, consent, drugs and alcohol and how to manage online and offline risks. They say the school is a tolerant place where it is ‘okay to be different’. Pupils understand right and wrong and know that adults deal with bullying and prejudicial language. However, pupils’ knowledge of world faiths and fundamental British values is less secure. Some pupils struggle to explain ideas such as democracy. Leaders have strengthened pastoral systems, using clearer tracking and early intervention to support pupils with emerging needs. For example, vulnerable pupils say that having PSHE lessons during tutor time helps them feel supported by a trusted adult.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

The school offers a wide range of clubs and enrichment activities, including crochet, coding, sports and the upcoming musical production ‘Matilda’. Pupils enjoy trips and visits, such as overseas sports and languages trips. Leaders have begun to track participation of pupils across these opportunities. However, there is more to do to identify gaps and remove potential barriers to taking part. Leadership opportunities, such as The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, sports leaders and the school council, help pupils build confidence and social responsibility. Some pupils have put themselves forward for the Sheffield Youth Council.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Leaders have strengthened the careers programme. This is mapped across year groups and key transition points. Pupils benefit from encounters with employers, themed careers weeks, visiting speakers and a careers day. Leaders continue to refine aspects of their approach, for example how pupils' encounters with careers-related experiences are tracked and how careers information is embedded through the curriculum. This is currently limiting how well pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are prepared for adulthood.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils appreciate that this school is improving and feel that staff want the best for them. They build positive relationships with staff, who know them well. Most pupils behave well and respond to the ‘Westfield Way’ expectations. However, some pupils have not developed the learning behaviours needed to help them succeed. Pupils feel safe and say that adults deal with bullying and unkind language when it happens. Pupils know whom they can talk to if they are worried.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Many pupils enjoy their learning, particularly when teachers explain ideas clearly and help them understand how new knowledge links to what they have learned before. This is increasingly the case across the school. However, at times, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities do not experience teaching that is well matched to their needs. Pupils also experience variable support with the development of their literacy skills and with feedback on their work. This limits the progress that pupils make through the curriculum and how well they achieve.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Too many pupils miss school too often. This affects how well they achieve and how fully they can take part in school life. Leaders are working to address this, but more improvement is needed so that all pupils can realise their full potential and achieve well.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy wider opportunities such as entrepreneurial projects, drama productions and creative arts clubs, but leaders do not track who takes part well enough to ensure everyone benefits. Pupils learn important topics in personal, social and health education, but their understanding of citizenship themes remains variable. Some pupils take on leadership roles, including sports leaders and year leaders, which helps to develop a sense of community at the school.

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Next steps

• The school should identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged more precisely and quickly, and make sure that classroom adaptations are used consistently so these pupils get the support they need. • The school should strengthen the consistency of teaching by ensuring that staff use subject-specific vocabulary and literacy strategies effectively so pupils build secure foundational knowledge. • Leaders should ensure that assessment and feedback are used consistently so pupils address misconceptions, respond to guidance and improve the accuracy and depth of their work over time. • The school should further remove barriers and strengthen teaching to enable all pupils, particularly low and high prior attainers and disadvantaged pupils, to achieve well in assessments at the end of key stage 4. • Leaders should embed behavioural routines and expectations so that pupils’ conduct and

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Next steps

attitudes to learning are consistently positive. • Leaders should evaluate and address the specific barriers to attendance for vulnerable pupils and strengthen monitoring of persistent absence so that actions lead to sustained improvement. • Leaders should ensure that all aspects of the personal development programme are further strengthened and consistently delivered, and improve evaluation so they can address uptake, impact and pupils’ experiences, particularly for vulnerable groups. • Leaders and governors should embed and evaluate the impact of recent strategic changes so that the school's provision is improved quickly and effectively.

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Team inspectors:

Natasha Greenough, Ofsted Inspector Chris Fletcher, Ofsted Inspector Richard Jones, His Majesty's Inspector Penny McDermott, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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About this inspection

This school is part of Chorus Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Chris James, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Angela O'Brien.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other leaders and staff during the inspection. They met with members of the local governing board and trustees. Inspectors met with the chief executive officer.

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About this inspection

The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school makes use of 9 alternative provisions, all of which are unregistered.

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About this inspection

The school has undergone a significant change since the last inspection. A new headteacher has been appointed.

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About this inspection

Headteacher: Mrs Gaynor Jones This data is from 20 January 2026

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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English and maths GCSE

Percentage of pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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(provisional)

2023/24 (final) 47.0% 45.9% Close to average

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Attainment 8

A measure of pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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(provisional)

2023/24 (final) 43.9 45.9 Close to average

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Progress 8

How much progress pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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national average

2023/24 (final) -0.21 -0.03 Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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(provisional)

2023/24 (final) 24.4% 25.8% Close to average

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(provisional)

2022/23 (final) 22.5% 25.2% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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(provisional)

2023/24 (final) 31.6 34.6 Close to average

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(provisional)

2022/23 (final) 31.1 35.0 Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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national average

2023/24 (final) -0.75 -0.57 Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) -0.76 -0.57 Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Destinations after 16

Percentage of pupils staying in education or employment for at least 2 terms after the end of secondary school (key stage 4).

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 9.3% 8.9% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 9.5% 9.0% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 24.7% 25.6% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 26.1% 26.5% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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