West Town Primary Academy

West Town Primary Academy continues to deliver a good quality of education, showing notable strengths in its ambitious and well-structured curriculum that addresses the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. The school fosters a positive environment, promoting respect, kindness, and inclusivity among pupils. Although there are high expectations for academic achievement, the school acknowledges that some pupils struggle with reading fluency, indicating areas for improvement in staff training for effective support. This inspection marks the first routine evaluation since the pandemic, following a previous inspection in 2017.

Strengths

• Ambitious and well-designed curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils.
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Effective integration of real-life experiences to enhance learning.
• Clear expectations for behaviour and a restorative approach to conflict resolution.
• Well-planned personal, social and health education programme.

Areas for Improvement

• A minority of pupils do not read with age-appropriate fluency due to insufficient support.

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 West Town Primary Academy attended 94.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.8% 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, 1.5% of pupils at West Town Primary 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 West Town Primary Academy had 22.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.0% 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, 12.4% of pupils at West Town Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.6% 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 West Town Primary Academy received £7,258 and spent £7,006 for each of its 411 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £623,000 (£1,515 per pupil).

Across all 36 schools of Meridian Trust, income was £7,921 and spending £7,857 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 Peterborough · Peterborough local authority: places and applications

West Town Primary Academy is part of Meridian Trust, which runs 36 schools. The nearest others:

• Nene Valley Primary School Peterborough
• Greater Peterborough UTC Peterborough
• Woodston Primary School Peterborough
• NeneGate Peterborough
• Nene Park Academy Peterborough
• Orton Wistow Primary School Peterborough
• Sawtry Village Academy Huntingdon
• Sawtry Junior Academy Huntingdon
• Stamford Welland Academy Stamford
• The Bluecoat School Stamford

What is West Town Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for West Town Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in February 2023.

When was West Town Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

West Town Primary Academy was last inspected in February 2023.

How many pupils does West Town Primary Academy have?

West Town Primary Academy has 412 pupils on roll.

What age range does West Town Primary Academy cover?

West Town Primary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are West Town Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is West Town Primary Academy?

West Town Primary Academy is at Midland Road, Peterborough, PE3 6DD.