High Leigh Primary School

Westfield Community Primary School is a school going through a period of change, and inspectors found that leaders have quickly identified priorities and established an ambitious curriculum. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and under current arrangements no overall effectiveness grade was given. Pupils enjoy school, behave well, feel safe and benefit from good personal development and early years provision. Leadership and management are also strong, with governors knowing the school well and staff feeling supported. The main area needing improvement is the quality of education. In some subjects, staff are still getting used to curriculum updates, so the work pupils receive does not consistently match the key knowledge intended. Checks on what pupils have remembered are not yet robust enough, meaning gaps and misconceptions can remain. Reading is a priority and phonics is well taught in most lessons, but pupils who need extra reading practice sometimes get books that do not match the sounds they are learning, which affects their accuracy, fluency and confidence. Support for pupils with SEND is effective, and safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Strengths

• An ambitious curriculum has been established quickly, with clear sequencing and a strong emphasis on vocabulary.
• Early years provision is effective and prepares children well for the next stage of their education.
• Phonics is well planned and implemented in most lessons, helping children learn to read early.
• Pupils are kind, respectful, keen to learn and generally behave well.
• Effective systems identify and support pupils with SEND, enabling them to access the same curriculum as their peers.
• Personal development promotes mental wellbeing, resilience and understanding of fundamental British values.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Governors know the school well, provide clear direction and hold leaders to account.
• Attendance has improved through proactive support and advice for families.
• Staff enjoy working at the school and feel well supported in their roles.

Areas for Improvement

• The quality of education requires improvement because work is not consistently matched to the key knowledge outlined in the curriculum.
• Checks on pupils' prior learning and recall are not sufficiently robust, so gaps and misconceptions are not always addressed promptly.
• Reading catch-up books sometimes do not match the sounds pupils are learning, affecting their accuracy, fluency and confidence.
• Some staff are still getting used to curriculum updates, meaning older pupils' work does not always meet the ambitious curriculum aims.

In 2024–25 pupils at High Leigh Primary School attended 93.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.9% 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 2025–26 High Leigh Primary School received £8,536 and spent £8,886 for each of its 160 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £163,000 (£1,019 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

• Sheredes Primary School

What is High Leigh Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for High Leigh Primary School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was High Leigh Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

High Leigh Primary School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does High Leigh Primary School have?

High Leigh Primary School has 166 pupils on roll.

What age range does High Leigh Primary School cover?

High Leigh Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

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

Where is High Leigh Primary School?

High Leigh Primary School is at Schofield Way, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, EN11 8GF.