Westminster Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement Despite the sustained improvements in key stage 1, leaders and governors have not been as successful in ensuring that some older pupils in key stage 2 make consistently good progress across different subjects. A legacy of underachievement means that a significant proportion of older pupils lack the skills that they need in reading, writing and mathematics when starting secondary school. Governors do not hold leaders to account rigorously enough.

They pay insufficient attention to how leaders' actions affect pupils' outcomes. On occasion, teachers do not use accurate assessment information to plan learning that allows pupils to... make good progress from their starting points. Teachers do not consistently plan learning that challenges pupils, particularly the most able.

This is especially the case in mathematics. Pupils benefit from a broad curriculum. However, teachers do not plan sufficient opportunities for pupils to apply and develop their subject-specific skills in subjects such as history and geography.

The school has the following strengths Leaders have made strong improvements to teaching in the early years, key stage 1 and some aspects of key stage 2. This has ensured that pupils are now making stronger progress as they move through the school. This school is a safe haven for pupils.

Pupils enjoy school and they feel safe. Children flourish in the early years. Teachers plan learning that is well matched to the needs of children.

Leaders ensure that pupils benefit from high-quality pastoral support. Leaders' work to secure appropriate help and support for pupils and their families is exemplary. Staff have established strong links with parents.

An increasing proportion of pupils achieve the expected standard in phonics and in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 1. This reflects the improvements to teaching that have been made in these year groups. Pupils are friendly and polite.

They follow teachers' instruction and are keen to do their best at school. Low-level disruption during learning is very rare. Leaders use additional funding effectively to support disadvantaged pupils and those pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities.

Information about this school

This is a smaller-than-average primary school. The large majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average.

The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is well above the national average. The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is well above the national average. The proportion of pupils who join the school at times other than the start of an academic year is above the national average and rising, as is the proportion of pupils who leave the school at times other than the end of an academic year.

A new deputy headteacher was appointed in September 2018. Since the last inspection, there have been some changes to staffing including the appointment of two new teachers. Since the last inspection, the school has received support from the local authority and a local national teaching school.