West Road Primary Academy

West Road Primary Academy is a safe, happy and well-led school where pupils generally behave well and relationships between staff and pupils are strong. The curriculum has improved considerably since the previous inspection and is ambitious and well thought through in most subjects. Pupils, including those with SEND, usually learn well, and reading and early years provision are particular strengths. Attendance work with families is highly effective, and pupils benefit from a wide range of extra-curricular and personal development opportunities. Leaders, governors and the Brighter Futures Learning Partnership Trust work closely together, communication is robust and staff morale is high. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, and pupils with SEND are fully included in school life. The school’s work has developed rapidly, and it remains part of a multi-academy trust following its previous inspection in November 2023. There are a small number of areas to refine. In some subjects, important knowledge is not broken down clearly enough, so staff do not always emphasise key concepts and pupils’ understanding lacks depth. Pupils’ knowledge of other faiths and cultures is less secure than in other aspects of personal development, and safeguarding records occasionally do not fully reflect the actions taken to keep pupils safe, although pupils remain safe.

Strengths

• Safe and happy school with strong staff-pupil relationships and a calm, purposeful atmosphere.
• High expectations for behaviour are generally met, supported by clear routines and a consistent approach.
• Ambitious, well-thought-through curriculum with regular opportunities for pupils to revisit prior knowledge.
• Teachers have strong subject knowledge and address misconceptions effectively.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND, including bespoke provision and access to expert advice.
• Strong reading provision with well-trained staff, carefully matched books and effective catch-up support.
• Early years curriculum is carefully considered and builds securely from Nursery to Reception.
• Highly effective work with families to secure regular attendance.
• Well-designed personal development curriculum and a broad range of extra-curricular opportunities.
• Strong leadership, governance and trust support, with robust communication and high staff morale.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school takes purposeful action to safeguard pupils.
• Pupils with SEND are fully involved in the life of the school, with wide pupil leadership opportunities.

Areas for Improvement

• Some curriculum content is not broken down clearly enough, so key concepts are not emphasised and pupils’ understanding lacks depth.
• Pupils’ knowledge of other faiths and cultures is less secure than their knowledge in other areas of personal development.
• Safeguarding records do not always fully reflect the actions taken to keep pupils safe.

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 Road Primary Academy attended 96.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.6% 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, 2.0% of pupils at West Road 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 Road Primary Academy had 20.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.9% 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, 22.5% of pupils at West Road Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.2% 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 Road Primary Academy received £7,617 and spent £7,699 for each of its 302 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £614,000 (£2,033 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Brighter Futures Learning Partnership Trust, income was £7,326 and spending £7,314 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 Doncaster · Doncaster local authority: places and applications

West Road Primary Academy is part of Brighter Futures Learning Partnership Trust, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• Dunsville Primary School Doncaster
• Barnby Dun Primary Academy Doncaster
• Kirk Sandall Infant School Doncaster
• Kirk Sandall Junior School Doncaster
• Hungerhill School Doncaster
• Doncaster UTC Doncaster

What is West Road Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for West Road Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was West Road Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

West Road Primary Academy was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does West Road Primary Academy have?

West Road Primary Academy has 276 pupils on roll.

What age range does West Road Primary Academy cover?

West Road Primary Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is West Road Primary Academy?

West Road Primary Academy is at West Road, Moorends, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN8 4LH.