Westfield Primary School

Westfield Primary School is a smaller-than-average primary school that has recently moved from being a middle school. In its June 2026 full inspection, the school was found to be meeting expected standards across achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, and leadership and governance. Personal development and wellbeing was a strong standard, and safeguarding requirements are met. Leaders know the community well and have built a positive, inclusive ethos. Pupils are proud of their school, behave well, feel safe and benefit from strong pastoral care and a wide range of clubs, visits and sport. The early years provision is effective, and pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils are generally identified and supported promptly, including new arrivals and pupils learning English. Leadership, governance and staff development are also secure, and attendance has improved, although it remains slightly below national levels. However, published outcomes are weaker than national in combined reading, writing and mathematics and in reading, and disadvantaged pupils' attainment and the disadvantage gap are a notable concern. The main inspection next step is for staff to address misconceptions in transcription more promptly so pupils write accurately across subjects. There are also some inconsistencies in writing and mathematics teaching, and the school needs to continue embedding recent curriculum approaches so all pupils secure the basics consistently.

Strengths

• Strong personal development and wellbeing provision.
• Pupils are proud of their school and feel safe and valued.
• Pupils behave well, with clear routines from the early years.
• Kindness, empathy and respect for difference are well developed.
• Pupils learn about democracy, British values and personal safety.
• Pupils take on responsibilities such as eco councillors and school councillors.
• Leaders remove financial barriers so all pupils can access clubs and visits.
• Sport, art and music opportunities help pupils build confidence and thrive.
• Pastoral support and counselling are provided quickly and effectively.
• Early years provision is well designed and children settle and behave well.
• Staff support children's personal, social and emotional development particularly well.
• Inclusion is effective, with accurate identification of SEND and prompt support.
• Leaders support pupils new to English well through visuals and vocabulary strategies.
• Attendance is managed well and persistent absence has fallen.
• Leaders, governors and staff work together effectively and value professional development.
• Safeguarding standards are met and the school has an open safeguarding culture.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils do not write accurately and consistently because misconceptions in transcription are not addressed promptly enough.
• Outcomes in combined reading, writing and mathematics are below national averages.
• Reading outcomes have been below national averages in recent years.
• Disadvantaged pupils' attainment is well below national averages, and the disadvantage gap is wide.
• There are inconsistencies in how well some pupils develop aspects of writing.
• Recent approaches to writing and early mathematics need further embedding so all staff use all elements consistently.
• Some pupils with larger gaps or who are newer to English take longer to secure the basics.
• Attendance remains slightly below national figures, although it has improved.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Westfield Primary School attended 94.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Westfield Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Westfield Primary School had 23.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 12.1% of pupils at Westfield Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Westfield Primary School received £6,335 and spent £6,192 for each of its 298 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £45,000 (-£152 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

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What is Westfield Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Westfield Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Westfield Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Westfield Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Westfield Primary School have?

Westfield Primary School has 298 pupils on roll.

What age range does Westfield Primary School cover?

Westfield Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Westfield Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 48% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Westfield Primary School?

Westfield Primary School is at Chester Road, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK40 4HW.