Westacre Middle School Achieves Centre of Excellence

January 18, 2023

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Westacre Middle School has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence status.

Prides Itself on Being Inclusive

Westacre is a larger than average middle school situated in the Spa town of Droitwich which has 450 pupils on roll.  It has a mixed demographic with an affluent commuter belt but also an area of high deprivation.  27% of pupils are eligible for pupil premium and 19% of pupils have Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND).  There is also an increasing number of EAL pupils from Eastern Europe.  Children join from a range of first schools including those from surrounding villages.  

The school prides itself on being inclusive and sees this as a strength.  They provide equal opportunities for all learners regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, impairment, attainment and background. 

They understand that this does not mean treating everyone the same but making reasonable adjustments to address needs, remove barriers and overcome disadvantage. 

Inclusion underpins all school policies. 

 In the last academic year, the school created an inclusion team consisting of the leads for safeguarding and inclusion, pupil premium, SEND and pastoral.  Together they have developed an inclusion strategy which has already started to have a significant impact across the provision through improved cohesion.  

Well-Resourced School

The school is very well resourced with a high-quality Art and DT studio, a sports hall and MUGA, a science lab and a separate hub for small group and intervention provision.  A number of pupils access the hub at lunchtime as they may be overwhelmed by the noise and sensory stimulation of the main dining room. 

IT provision is good which facilitated a smooth transition to online learning during the pandemic though this evolved to be more effective in the second lockdown. 

Relationships between pupils and staff are very positive and pupils are enthusiastic about the many opportunities the school provides. 

The school was judged to be good by Ofsted in September 2022 with the report noting ‘the curriculum is ambitious for all pupils including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities’ and that ‘pupils generally achieve well and have closed some of the learning gaps resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic’. 

Inspire, Challenge, Achieve

The school values of Inspire, Challenge, Achieve, permeate every aspect of school life and they are supported through a set of living values and a set of academic values.  These are known and understood by pupils who feel safe at school. 

They describe staff as being ‘fair, they will make sure everyone feels ok and if anyone needs help, they will give it to them.” And stating “No one is left with an incident half solved.  It will be solved.” 

Find out more about the IQM Inclusive School Award

If your school is interested in obtaining the IQM Inclusive School Award or you wish to talk to a member of the IQM team please telephone:

028 7127 7857 (9.00 am to 5.00 pm)

or email: info@iqmaward.com for further details.