Otley's Westgate Primary School is top of the class (From Wharfedale Observer)

Otley's Westgate Primary School is top of the class

12:06pm Friday 5th October 2012 in Local news

An Otley school with a “visionary” leadership team has received a glowing Ofsted report.

Westgate Primary School was ranked good with outstanding features by the inspection team.

The report praised the outstanding nature of the leadership team for creating “an environment where every-one is valued and encouraged to have the highest of aspirations”, adding that “high-quality professional develop-ment is driving the school forward”.

It also concluded that:

• teaching is good with many outstanding features, with imaginative ideas inspiring pupils;
• behaviour is outstanding and pupils have an excellent understanding of keeping safe;
• achievement levels are good, with all pupils making good progress and some making outstanding progress, so by the end of Year 6, levels in writing, reading and maths are all above average; and
• provision for disabled pupils or those with special needs is excellent, helping them “thrive, as well as making remarkable progress”.

Westgate’s headteacher, Helen Carpenter, said: “It was great to see the children’s hard work and excellent behaviour being recognised. It was also good to see the great teaching, which the children receive every day, recognised, along with the progress our children make as a result. The inspectors agreed with the priorities in this year’s school improvement plan, picking up the same areas for improvement we had already included.”

Chairman of governors, Pippa McPherson, said: “While Westgate has always been a very good school, the past 12 months have been particularly successful and this fantastic Ofsted report is a testament to the hard work of Helen and the leadership team, along with all the staff and pupils."