Headteacher's Welcome
Headteacher's Welcome
At The Westgate School our values and ethos are based on the fundamental belief that we are a community of learners - adults and pupils alike - in which every individual should be enabled to enjoy learning, develop as a happy and healthy individual who is able to make a unique and positive contribution to society: learning together, achieving excellence.
As a thriving and highly successful learning community, The Westgate is founded on a tradition of high academic achievement and exemplary pupil support. At the heart of our success is the strength of partnership that exists between pupils, adults in school and, their families. We believe that every young person should feel a sense of belonging in our school community and enjoy their learning. As a result of this, individuals will leave with the skills and resources to take the next step in their lives, confident in their strengths and prepared to meet the challenges of the future.
As Hampshire’s first all-through school, The Westgate School is uniquely placed to understand the learning journey from the Early Years Foundation Stage through to GCSE. We have strong links between the phases in our school and in particular, in Physical Education, the Arts, Modern Foreign Languages and in Mathematics. Colleagues bring a wealth of experience and knowledge about how pupils learn and are always actively seeking ways to extend, challenge and support pupils in their learning.
We enjoy a close relationship with our linked primaries, sharing their values and allowing us to plan for a smooth transition as pupils move from the primary phase into our secondary phase at The Westgate School. Our strong partnership with local schools, working together for the benefit of pupils in our community, is something of which we are proud. We warmly invite you to be part of our success. Visitors are most welcome and if you would like to arrange a visit then please email contact@westgate.hants.sch.uk
Mrs Fae-Anna Dean Headteacher
B.A. (Hons), PGCE, M.A. (Ed.), NPQH, MCCT
Our Ethos and Values
Being a high achieving, successful learning community only happens as a result of genuine collaboration. Every young person is unique and so we seek to provide a range of different learning opportunities in which every individual can excel. The Early Years Foundation Stage is framed around the characteristics of effective learning: playing, exploring, active learning, creating and thinking critically. These provide a foundation for learning upon which our curriculum in the Lower and Upper Schools are built. Our central purpose is for children to develop into young people who are happy and effective learners. We achieve this by being a community of learning where adults and pupils alike are committed to this central aim and work in strong partnership with parents to inspire success for all.
Adults working with children and young people in our school community use a process of observation, assessment and planning to identify the learning and developmental needs of each child. Alongside knowledge of children’s interests, we plan opportunities for learning that are stimulating and engaging, leading to strong progress right from the Early Years Foundation Stage through to examination age. In addition to the planned curriculum, pupils in The Westgate will have the opportunity to experience a wide range of activities that enhance and enrich the curriculum. The all-through setting provides a unique opportunity for young people to learn from their peers and through the teaching of younger pupils. This powerful model for learning is one that permeates our culture and further enriches the community of learning.
Our Development Plan 2024-2027