Westwood Academy

Westwood Academy continues to uphold the high standards established in its previous inspection, demonstrating effective leadership and a strong commitment to fostering a positive learning environment. Pupils describe the school as friendly and welcoming, and they exhibit respect for one another and their teachers. The school's curriculum is well-structured and aims to promote language development from an early age, ensuring that all students, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are well-supported in their learning journeys.

Strengths

• Pupils thrive in a friendly and respectful school environment.
• The curriculum is coherently designed to promote essential knowledge and skills.
• Teachers utilize high-quality professional development to enhance their teaching practices.
• Behaviour amongst pupils is exemplary, promoting a calm and productive atmosphere.
• Pupils participate actively in personal development and citizenship activities.

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, the curriculum lacks clarity in identifying long-term knowledge concepts.

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 Westwood Academy attended 94.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.1% 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, 1.6% of pupils at Westwood Academy 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 Westwood Academy had 20.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 9.7% of pupils at Westwood Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.9% 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 2024–25 Westwood Academy received £6,237 and spent £6,633 for each of its 232 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £181,000 (£779 per pupil).

Across all 5 schools of South Essex Academy Trust, income was £7,094 and spending £7,211 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Benfleet · Essex local authority: places and applications

Westwood Academy is part of South Essex Academy Trust, which runs 5 schools. The nearest others:

• Kents Hill Infant Academy Benfleet
• Winter Gardens Academy Canvey Island
• Bardfield Academy Basildon
• Parkwood Academy Chelmsford

What is Westwood Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Westwood Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Westwood Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Westwood Academy was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Westwood Academy have?

Westwood Academy has 247 pupils on roll.

What age range does Westwood Academy cover?

Westwood Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Westwood Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 50% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Westwood Academy?

Westwood Academy is at Beresford Close, Hadleigh, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 2SU.