Westways Primary School

About Westways Primary School

Westways Primary School sits within the Sheffield local authority, where it ranks fifth out of 106 primary schools based on the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. That puts it comfortably in the top five per cent of schools in the area, and it’s one of only a handful of state primaries in Sheffield to achieve a ranking score of 79. The three schools above it — Dobcroft Junior, Totley Primary and Angram Bank Primary — are the ones to beat, but Westways is close behind. Headteacher Charles Hollamby leads a mixed, non-denominational school for children aged three to eleven, with 620 pupils on roll and a capacity of 636. The school has nursery provision and is currently oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 178 applications for 65 places, with 63 of those coming as first preferences. That level of demand suggests local families see it as a strong option.

Academically, Westways performs well above the Sheffield average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 79 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a local authority average of 57 per cent. The school’s maths and reading average scores were 107 and 109 respectively, and in reading, 46 per cent of pupils achieved the higher standard — a strong showing. Writing and maths also saw good proportions reaching the higher standard, at 27 per cent and 42 per cent. Ofsted’s most recent graded inspection, in December 2018, rated the school Good overall, with leadership and management and early years provision both judged Good. A subsequent ungraded inspection in May 2024 confirmed the school remains Good. That’s a clear improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2016, when it was rated Requires Improvement. The school does not have a sixth form, as it is a primary, but its Key Stage 2 results place it in the top 25 per cent nationally.

The school offers a broad range of facilities, including a sports hall, playing fields, an ICT suite, a sensory room and a forest school area. Sports on offer include football, athletics, cricket, gymnastics, dance and swimming, while clubs range from coding and chess to science and film club. Westways also has a chapel on site. Its SEND provision is notably comprehensive, covering specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate and profound learning difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, visual impairment and social, emotional and mental health support. With an oversubscription ratio of 2.74, families need to apply early and list it as a first preference to maximise their chances. This is a school that suits families who want strong academic outcomes in a well-resourced setting, with good support for a wide range of additional needs.

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