Westwood Academy, Benfleet
Westwood Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Benfleet, part of South Essex Academy Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 9th-highest of the 10 schools in Benfleet with published results, and 11,866th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 2 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2017)
- Demand
- 2 first choices per place
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Essex (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Westwood Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils at Westwood Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 63% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 76% in Essex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 83% in reading and 63% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Westwood Academy
For September 2026 entry, 57 families put Westwood Academy as their first choice and 117 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 places offered. That is 2 first choices for every place. 29 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Westwood Academy are Hadleigh Junior School (0.6 miles, Good, 75% reading, 71% maths); Hadleigh Infant and Nursery School (0.6 miles, Good); Thundersley Primary School (1.1 miles, Good, 82% reading, 85% maths); and Wyburns Primary School (1.4 miles, Good, 77% reading, 58% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Westwood Academy.
Hadleigh Junior SchoolHadleigh Infant and Nursery SchoolThundersley Primary SchoolWyburns Primary School
The trust
Westwood Academy is one of 5 schools run by South Essex Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
106 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Westwood Academy (as of September 2025): 72% would recommend the school, 89% say their child is happy there and 48% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (89%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (48%).
Who goes there
7.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 24 pupils (9.7%) received SEN support and 12 (4.9%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Leigh-on-Sea Rail Station, about 2 miles away in a straight line.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Victoria House (opposite), 350 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Westwood Academy issued 6 suspensions, 2.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Westwood Academy are The King John School (0.5 miles) and The Deanes (0.6 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from November 2017, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils thrive at Westwood. They use words such as 'friendly' and 'welcoming' to describe their school. Pupils are highly respectful of each other and the adults who help them. From their arrival in the morning, pupils settle quickly and are ready to learn. School values such as 'challenge' and 'perseverance' reflect in their everyday actions. This means pupils are very well prepared for their next stages of education.
Adults have high expectations of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils listen attentively and follow the directions provided by their teachers. A purposeful and calm atmosphere pervades through the school. This is because pupils are busy and eager to learn. They rise to the challenges set for them and as a result achieve well.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has coherently designed and ordered the curriculum. It sets out the important knowledge and skills pupils will learn term by term. Beginning in the early years, the curriculum promotes children's language through rich and meaningful experiences. Adults model key vocabulary. Children rehearse these words as they play and explore. Pupils build their vocabulary as they move through the school. They discuss their ideas to think deeper about their learning. For example, in mathematics, pupils use key words such as 'less than' or 'more than' to explain their thinking for solving number problems. In a few subjects, pupils do not develop this understanding as deeply. They remember and recall key information successfully. However, they do not link their knowledge to get a deeper understanding of the subject in the long term.
The school has invested in high-quality professional development for all adults. Staff are knowledgeable about how to teach and deliver the intended curriculum well. They use their subject knowledge effectively to provide clear models for pupils' learning. Teachers check pupils' understanding at each stage, addressing misconceptions quickly. Teachers understand how to adapt activities for pupils with SEND. They use information from support plans to tailor pupils' learning. This effective work means that pupils with SEND achieve well from their individual starting points.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its November 2017 inspection - up from Good.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
7.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
106 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 83% to 67% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 63% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 77% to 70% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.2
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
30.3
KS2
6
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Westwood Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Westwood Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Westwood Academy is in Essex; for families living there:
- Essex's school travel policy: Education Transport Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 16
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 12 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
5 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Westwood Academy
Will you get a place at Westwood Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Westwood Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Westwood Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Westwood Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Westwood Academy for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Essex got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
213 pupils
210 places
3 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Benfleet
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Benfleet
Across Essex council
Places available
17,932
Applications
15,737
Got 1st preference
90.3%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All primary applications across Essex council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: 2 first choices per place
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
24
SEN Support
12
EHC Plans
14.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
247
Total Pupils
139
Boys
108
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
20.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£57,882
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£1134k
Total funding
£29k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.4%
Overall absence
9.1%
Persistent absence
186
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Westwood Academy
Questions parents ask about Westwood Academy
What are SATs results like at Westwood Academy?
Of the pupils at Westwood Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 67% reached the expected standard in reading and 63% did so in maths.
What is Westwood Academy's Ofsted rating?
Westwood Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2017, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Westwood Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Westwood Academy is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Westwood Academy?
Westwood Academy was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Westwood Academy?
Classes at Westwood Academy average 30.2 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Westwood Academy?
Westwood Academy has around 247 pupils on roll. 7% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Westwood Academy?
5.4% of sessions were missed at Westwood Academy in 2024/25. 9.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Westwood Academy?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Westwood Academy on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Westwood Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 12 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 5 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Westwood Academy?
Westwood Academy is at Beresford Close, Hadleigh, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 2SU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)