Proud Pupils Celebrate their Outstanding School

AT WESTGATE HILL PRIMARY ACADEMY, the children have been reflecting upon the incredible journey that their school has been on over the last few years.

In October, our school was visited by

Ofsted and we received the highest grading possible, Outstanding. This was such an amazing achievement especially since our school was graded as Inadequate in 2016. Hard work and commitment from pupils, parents and staff paid off!

Ilya Ali from Y5 loves visiting our digital library where children can borrow a range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry books. “The library is such a comfortable space where I can relax and read a book with my friends.”

Tammy Okorados loves coming to school because the teachers are kind, caring, supportive and make learning fun. She states that: “If children arrive who don’t speak much English, then the teachers support them to develop their understanding and to be the best they can be.” Ilya added: “Our school is diverse and I love learning about different people’s cultures.”

Abdelhadi spoke of the young interpreters project, where pupils help to welcome children arriving from other countries. “This has really helped new pupils feel welcome at Westgate Hill and has helped to developed their confidence when coming to a new school. At our school, children speak a wide range of languages so even if someone arrives with very little English, there is always someone who can translate.”

French week has been a highlight this term. Children across school spoke French, cooked French food and located French speaking countries as part of their Geography lessons. Parents even enjoyed a free French café where they could enjoy a hot drink and a pain au chocolat. It was a wonderful end to the week.

Since becoming part of the Laidlaw Schools Trust in 2017, our school has gone from strength to strength. The generous funding we receive from Lord Laidlaw has had a huge impact upon the experiences we can provide for the children attending Westgate Hill.