Inclusivity at Westfield Primary School

June 10, 2026

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Westfield Primary School provides a warm and welcoming environment and hub for the Runcorn area, near Liverpool. Adults and children alike are friendly and positive, and warm, well-mannered interactions can be seen at every level and between every member of the school community. Some members of the community have very long-established links with the school over several generations, and they say that it has always wrapped a nurturing arm around its pupils. The vision of the school is to promote independence, individuality and inquisitiveness. These concepts are displayed throughout communal areas and classrooms. Behavioural feedback refers to these terms and assemblies reinforce the message.

An Inclusive Atmosphere

A strong morning routine ensures a very positive start to the day for all and exemplifies the community in action. Senior staff are positioned at each entry to the site, offering a warm greeting on arrival. Children in the Special Educational Needs Resource Base classes are ensured a smooth handover, so any issues are known by the school and support can be given. Adaptions such as some parents dropping off in quieter spaces are available.

A soft start for all is created by having a staggered start time from 8.40, allowing pupils to enter and settle in a calm manner. The school also makes sure to talk to drivers for the Local Authority transport. The site manager will additionally chat to parents and offer information, demonstrating the teamwork and collective responsibility that has been established. The school aims to feel like an extension of family for staff and pupils, with everyone knowing each other well. Families are supported when needed, including financially, and staff can access a well-being station in the staff room. Staff are encouraged to celebrate colleagues and thank them for their contributions.

This calm and deliberate atmosphere is the result of consistent application of key principles. Individuality and individual needs are catered for, and there is consistency from adults. Language and the focus of interactions are kept positive, and adults model ideal behaviour carefully.

The school has recently established Resource Bases which have been a catalyst for change. Teaching and learning within the Key Stage 2 base is highly effective, with pupils achieving good outcomes following constructive input. Many of the techniques used in the Resource Bases have been applied across all classes. Play is valued and this can be seen in how pupils freely and unselfconsciously enjoy and make full use of their play time. Alongside this a strong evidence-based pedagogy is applied constantly to teaching.

The curriculum is broad, balanced and supports strong development in reading, writing, and maths across all subjects. Professionally researched and validated schemes of work form the basis of the curriculum for English, mathematics, and the Foundation Subjects. Adaptations are made with learners in mind. Support staff are aware of how to adapt and scaffold the structures of the English curriculum, for example using Widgit (pictorial) resources and word banks.

Caring Community

The school leadership recognises that their school serves as a microcosm where pupils can learn to exist and operate within a community. They use the school environment to teach values, attitudes and behaviours and prepare pupils to thrive as citizens of tomorrow. Pupils reflect on how the school values operate outside of the school and engage with the local community. Pupils visit the local church three times per year for celebration, learn about the local foodbank, and help provide a community store within the

school itself. The children’s artwork is displayed within a local shopping centre as part of the Halton Primary Arts Network, and links with charities are fostered including with

Halton Haven Hospice, Child Bereavement UK, and SWAN. As part of Aspirations Week, pupils are encouraged to speak to professionals from the community including police officers and a vicar, to explore potential paths for the future.

Parents, staff and pupils all praise the quality and inclusivity of Westfield Primary School. It is a school which is constantly pursuing inclusivity and weaving these through all elements of school life, underpinned by policy.

Westfield Primary school works hard to ensure an inclusive atmosphere for all pupils. We are proud to award them the IQM Inclusive School Award.