Westdene Primary School

Westdene Primary School is a highly inclusive and joyful primary school where pupils feel safe, supported and happy. Inspectors found exceptional provision across the curriculum, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years. Pupils benefit from an ambitious curriculum, strong reading teaching, effective support for pupils with SEND, high attendance and a wide enrichment offer; safeguarding arrangements are effective. Leadership is strong, with a clear drive for continuous improvement and a culture in which staff feel supported and proud to work. The school has reviewed curriculum resources to reflect pupils’ identities and added capacity to the SEND team. Behaviour is highly positive, and pupils take increasing responsibility for their own learning. This was the school’s first section 5 graded inspection; it had previously been inspected under section 8. The substantive headteacher has retired and acting co-headteachers are currently in post, with a new headteacher starting in January 2025. Under the current framework, no overall effectiveness grade was given, and no areas for improvement were identified in the report.

Strengths

• Highly inclusive, joyful culture that celebrates individuality and uniqueness
• Kind, supportive and respectful relationships between adults and pupils
• Highly positive behaviour in lessons and less structured times
• Exceedingly ambitious curriculum that builds vital knowledge and ethical understanding
• Strong early years provision using skilful environments to entice exploration
• High priority on reading with systematic phonics and accurate book matching
• Effective bespoke support for pupils who struggle with reading
• Pupils, including those with SEND, learn and progress well
• Meticulous attendance oversight and support for families
• Strong personal, social and health education and wide enrichment offer
• Purposeful leadership roles and strong take-up of activities, including for disadvantaged pupils
• Profoundly inclusive leadership with relentless drive for improvement
• Staff feel proud, well supported and benefit from robust professional development
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

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 Westdene Primary School attended 95.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.7% 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, 1.3% of pupils at Westdene 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 Westdene Primary School had 21.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 23.9% 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, 9.0% of pupils at Westdene Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.3% 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 Westdene Primary School received £7,007 and spent £7,008 for each of its 439 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £62,000 (-£141 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).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Brighton · Brighton and Hove local authority: places and applications

What is Westdene Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Westdene Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Westdene Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Westdene Primary School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Westdene Primary School have?

Westdene Primary School has 445 pupils on roll.

What age range does Westdene Primary School cover?

Westdene Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Westdene Primary School?

Westdene Primary School is at Bankside, Westdene, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 5GN.