Westfield Primary School

Westfield Primary School

Address: Ounsdale Road, Wombourne, Westfield Primary School, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, WV5 8BH Unique reference number (URN): 124193

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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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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils’ attendance is a high priority for leaders. They have clear systems in place to manage attendance. Leaders have effective working relationships with families. They support those who have barriers to regular attendance. For example, they work with pupils to encourage positive routines and habits around coming to school. This approach has been effective to reduce persistent absence. Leaders track and analyse attendance effectively. They address any emerging issues quickly. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive targeted help where needed and typically attend well.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils behave well across the school. They have positive and respectful relationships with staff and each other. Pupils are kind and courteous. There are clear behaviour expectations for pupils to follow. Leaders adapt these effectively for those who need them. Staff model expectations, and this helps pupils to understand how to behave. At the start of the day and in lessons, pupils settle quickly. This is because there are clear and established routines in place. However, sometimes in lessons, some pupils are not as focused as leaders would like. Bullying incidents are uncommon, but pupils are confident that staff deal with any concerns quickly. This includes incidents that happen online.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders have a secure understanding of the quality of provision in early years. They ensure that the curriculum is planned in small steps. This provides children with the foundations they need to move to their next stage of learning. Leaders prioritise reading. Children enjoy developing the phonics knowledge they need to decode books with confidence. Children also develop early writing skills. Correct pencil grip is a focus from the start. By the end of the Reception Year, children, including those who are disadvantaged, typically achieve well and are usually ready for Year 1.

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Early years Expected standard

A warm and welcoming environment helps children to settle when they arrive. They follow established routines that develop their independence. These clear routines enable the very youngest children in the early years to make a positive start to their school life. The provision provides children with opportunities to develop curiosity and learn new things. For example, they enjoy exploring capacity at the water table and developing their gross motor skills using wheelbarrows to move wood chippings into their discovery area.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff receive training in phonics and in developing children’s vocabulary and language. As a result, they typically model language well. However, sometimes, staff miss opportunities to maximise high-quality talk.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff build positive relationships with parents and carers from the start. Consequently, children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, feel happy and safe.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have established a broad and well-sequenced personal development offer. It develops pupils’ knowledge, character and understanding of life in modern Britain effectively. Leaders check to make sure that no barrier prevents pupils from accessing this offer. They make adaptations to ensure that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), participate fully in the personal development programme and the wider opportunities available. Pupil passports track their progression through this programme. Teachers also provide opportunities for pupils to identify when their peers have demonstrated a particular characteristic, for example resilience. Pupils recall their learning well and understand the key ideas behind it.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The personal, social and health education curriculum ensures that all pupils learn how to keep themselves safe and recognise risks, for example, through visits to the fire station, water safety talks and how to stay safe online. Pupils learn about healthy relationships through an appropriate relationships and sex education programme. They learn about different religions and cultural diversity and develop an understanding of their place in the wider world. Pupils develop an age-appropriate understanding of fundamental British values.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

There is an effective pastoral support programme in place. Leaders teach pupils the importance of sharing any worries with a trusted adult. This helps them get the support they need quickly. Staff deliver a range of programmes and provide tailored support. This supports pupils to understand and manage their emotions and has a positive impact on their wellbeing.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders provide pupils with a wide variety of enrichment activities and leadership opportunities, for example jobs such as playground buddies and opportunities to represent the school sports teams. These help pupils develop confidence and independence. Leaders provide a wide range of enrichment opportunities to allow pupils to try new activities such as coding and dodgeball. Leaders track who takes part so that each pupil benefits. They remove barriers so that pupils with SEND can join activities, such as music lessons.

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Achievement Needs attention

There are gaps in pupils’ foundational knowledge, particularly in spelling and writing. This includes letter formation and handwriting. While teachers identify some of these gaps, they are not closing quickly enough. Leaders are taking appropriate steps to improve the basic knowledge and skills pupils need. However, this work has not had an impact on pupils’ work across the curriculum. Pupils’ knowledge across the curriculum is inconsistent. Some pupils struggle to talk about their learning, particularly in mathematics. Their written work is not of a high quality.

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Achievement Needs attention

Typically, pupils have the knowledge and skills they need for the next stage of their education. Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and/or disabilities, typically achieve well in national tests taken at the end of key stage 2 in reading and writing. Leaders know that outcomes in mathematics for some pupils need to improve. However, the overall quality of pupils' work seen during the inspection does not reflect these positive outcomes.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have put in place a well-sequenced curriculum that sets out the knowledge and skills pupils need to be ready for their next stage of education. However, leaders understand that teaching is variable across year groups. The checks that teachers make on pupils’ knowledge are not consistently effective. They do not enable teachers to spot and then address gaps in pupils’ skills and understanding. Consequently, misconceptions and errors in some pupils’ work persist over time.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have identified areas that need improvement. This includes a focus on effective teaching strategies and mathematics. This is beginning to strengthen pupils’ experiences in some classes. However, this work has not had a consistently positive impact across all year groups.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teachers generally have the subject knowledge they need to teach the curriculum. They generally make suitable adaptations to teaching to help pupils learn the curriculum, including for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, tasks do not always match the needs of these pupils as precisely as they could.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Daily phonics sessions and interventions targeting gaps in phonics knowledge support pupils in the early stages of reading. A well-planned English curriculum gives pupils access to diverse texts. Relationships between staff and pupils are positive and nurturing.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders are committed to ensuring the school is inclusive and supports all pupils to thrive. However, there is too much variability in the quality of support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face other barriers to learning.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders work well with parents, carers and specialist professionals. This ensures they identify pupils’ needs quickly and accurately. They ensure that pupils have clear targets and support plans that set out the support they need. However, these are not always well implemented in the classroom. This impacts how well staff reduce pupils’ barriers to learning. Leaders draw on support from specialists to develop staff expertise. This training is not yet embedded. Staff do not consistently consider pupils’ needs or use pupils’ support plans well enough. This hinders how successful and independent some pupils with SEND can be.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders and staff understand pupils’ pastoral needs well. They use additional funding effectively, for example, by providing extra interventions or targeted care club provision. These support pupils’ wellbeing effectively. However, the school's use of pupil premium funding has less of an impact on disadvantaged pupils’ achievement.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders are taking appropriate steps to address the inconsistencies in the curriculum and teaching, achievement and inclusion. However, these are at an early stage, and it is too soon to see their impact. Leaders and governors have an ambitious vision for pupils, which drives their work. They have accurately identified the areas that need to improve. They are bringing about positive changes across the school. However, they do not consistently check some aspects of the school’s work precisely enough. As a result, improvements do not happen as quickly as they should. Recent changes to leadership have brought a renewed vision and drive across the school.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Governors fulfil their statutory duties effectively. They are champions for the school. Governors receive a range of information about the school from leaders. This helps them to be well informed and ask relevant questions about leaders’ actions to improve the school. They provide effective support and challenge to leaders.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders and governors are mindful of staff wellbeing and monitor this carefully. They have recently introduced additional strategies to support this further, and staff appreciate this. Leaders and governors consider the impact of changes they make on staff workload. Staff take part in training to develop their skills and expertise. This includes opportunities to work with external partners and specialists. Parents and carers are generally positive about the school and its work. Leaders provide support for families and listen carefully to their views.

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

Pupils at Westfield sit at the heart of every decision leaders make. They enjoy attending this warm and nurturing school. Pupils build positive friendships and look after one another. They are kind, caring and polite and welcome new children into their school with open arms. Pupils know they belong to a school that wants them to do their best. They are proud of their school and enjoy telling visitors about it, including their new mascot ‘Westie’.

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

Pupils develop secure relationships with staff. They feel confident to share their thoughts and feelings. Staff and leaders deal with any incidents of bullying or discriminatory behaviour quickly and effectively. As a result, pupils feel safe and well supported.

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

Pupils know and understand the school rules and routines. They follow them well and understand the consequences of poor choices. However, in lessons, pupils do not always focus as well as they could. Children in the early years receive effective support to develop confidence and independence quickly. Pupils’ attendance is broadly in line with the national average. They understand why it is important to attend school regularly.

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

While pupils achieve well in phonics and in line with national averages at the end of key stage 2, there are variations in the quality of learning in classes. This means some pupils do not reach their full potential or achieve as highly as they could. Pupils who need extra help with their learning or wellbeing receive support through specific programmes. However, support in lessons is not always effective in helping pupils overcome the difficulties they face.

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Team inspectors:

Gill Turner, Ofsted Inspector Luke Bridges, Ofsted Inspector Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, benefit from a range of extra-curricular opportunities. These broaden their experiences and develop their talents. For example, pupils proudly take part in musical performances. They also attend a range of clubs, including sports, choir and chocolate making.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that teachers and other adults provide effective additional support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and for other pupils who face barriers to their learning. Leaders should ensure that gaps in pupils' foundational knowledge are identified and closed promptly, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics, so that more pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or those with SEND, achieve highly. Leaders and those responsible for governance should strengthen the school’s approach to monitoring and evaluation to enable leaders to have a more precise understanding of the quality of provision and address weaknesses quickly.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Kerry Solway-Blower.

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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, senior leaders, staff, governors and a representative of the local authority during the inspection. Inspectors also spoke with parents and carers and children.

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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 currently uses no alternative provision.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 9 September 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 6 years. National average: 26.5%

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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 needs support 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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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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average

2024/25 (final) 66% 62% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 61% 61% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 57% 60% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2023/24 (final) 73% 74% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 79% 73% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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average

2023/24 (final) 69% 72% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 77% 71% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2024/25 (final) 75% 74% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 69% 73% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 72% 73% 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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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2022/23 (final) 50% 60% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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average

2022/23 (final) 70% 58% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2022/23 (final) 30% 59% Below ‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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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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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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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) 5.1% 5.5% 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) 11.7% 14.6% 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.

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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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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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