Westfield School, Newcastle upon Tyne Review 2026: Round Square adventure, small-school attention, all-through continuity

Forest School and Beach School sit comfortably alongside GCSE options and Sixth Form enterprise competitions here. Westfield is a small independent day school in Gosforth, offering co-education from age 3 to 11, then a girls-only Senior House and Sixth Form through to age 18. That structure matters for families who want early years and primary continuity for siblings, while keeping a single-sex secondary experience for daughters. The school’s origins are similarly distinctive, founded in 1960 by parents who wanted a broader girls’ curriculum than was locally available, shaped by the Gordonstoun model and early trustees connected to that tradition.

Leadership has been stable for several years, with Mr Neil Walker appointed as Headmaster in September 2017. The most recent regulatory benchmark is strong, the September 2025 ISI inspection confirmed that all the relevant standards were met, including safeguarding, and it paints a picture of a school where relationships, behaviour and day-to-day care are clear strengths.

A small roll and an all-through structure give Westfield a particular rhythm. Pupils can grow up knowing the staff and routines, while the transition into Senior House feels like a step up rather than a reset. The school’s own history tells the story of growth through purposeful building decisions, from early premises at Westfield Grove to the purchase of Oakfield House, and later the expansion into an all-through offer on a single Gosforth site. A new science block was built in 2017, and the Junior House moved into redesigned premises in September 2019, shaping the current layout and the way younger pupils experience the school day.

Round Square is not an add-on here. It is presented as an organising principle, with the six IDEALS integrated across Junior House and Senior House, and pupils elected into roles such as service captain, environmental captain, adventure captain and Round Square representative. The “Adventure” strand is framed as outdoor education with progression built in, including Forest School and Beach School in the earlier years, then structured residential experiences as pupils get older. The published programme includes Ford Castle for Upper 3 and Lower 4, and Kielder Water for Upper 4 and Lower 5, with further challenge opportunities through GCSE years and into Sixth Form.

Day-to-day culture, as described in the most recent inspection, rests on calm behaviour and respectful relationships, supported by a house points approach and visible leadership roles for pupils. The same external review also notes that bullying incidents are rare and addressed promptly when concerns arise, which aligns with the school’s emphasis on courtesy and responsibility in how it expects pupils and students to treat each other.

Because the school is independent, primary results are not published in the same way as many state schools, so the clearest comparable dataset sits at GCSE and A-level.

At GCSE, Westfield is ranked 1707th in England for outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), and 12th locally within Newcastle. That position reflects solid performance, in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). The Attainment 8 score in the latest published dataset is 52.6, and the EBacc average points score is 4.18.

The Sixth Form picture is more mixed in the latest dataset. Westfield is ranked 2007th in England for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), and 19th locally within Newcastle, placing it below England average overall. The A-level grade distribution shows 36.54% of entries at A* to B, compared with an England average of 47.2% and 9.62% at grade A, with 0% at A*.

For parents, the practical implication is that GCSE outcomes sit around a broadly typical national profile, while Sixth Form outcomes depend heavily on subject fit, cohort size, and the match between a student’s pathway and the school’s support. Families comparing local options should use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to view GCSE and A-level outcomes side by side with nearby schools.

Westfield’s published curriculum story is one of breadth plus structured enrichment. The latest inspection describes a broad and balanced curriculum across the age range, including early years and sixth form, with leaders adjusting provision as needs change. It also highlights that most lessons are well planned and that teachers generally support pupils effectively, but it flags inconsistency in some Senior House and Sixth Form lessons where checking of prior knowledge is not precise enough, leading to work that can be mis-matched for some learners.

In the early years, the inspection describes a planned, play-based curriculum, with staff modelling language and communication and children developing early literacy and mathematics foundations before moving into Year 1 confidently. That description fits the school’s overall design of Junior House as a staged journey, Early Years through BrightStart and then Prep, with the aim of matching teaching to development rather than forcing a single pace for all.

In Senior House, the Stretch and Challenge programme gives a clear window into teaching priorities beyond examinations. It combines a house point system with “The List” of independent challenges, plus whole-school Challenge Days such as Pantomime in a day and Create a book day. The point is not simply entertainment, it is structured practice of resilience, teamwork, communication and problem-solving, with opportunities for students to show strengths that may not always appear in test performance.

Careers education is an area where improvement work is still evolving. The most recent inspection’s recommended next steps focus on strengthening the careers programme and economic education for older pupils, and on monitoring the impact of the new PSHE and relationships and sex education approach, particularly for older year groups.

Westfield’s structure produces three “next steps” moments, progression from Junior House into Senior House for girls, progression into Sixth Form, and post-18 destinations. For boys, the published position is that they are educated through age 11 and then guided towards a suitable senior setting. For girls, continuity through to Sixth Form is a central part of the offer.

Westfield’s own post-18 information focuses on breadth of routes rather than a single destination pattern. It highlights progression to university across the UK and internationally, plus apprenticeships and internships with organisations such as the NHS, Sanderson-Young, Sage, and Turner and Townsend. Named recent courses and destinations include Law at Durham, History and International Relations at Exeter, Food Science and Nutrition at Nottingham, and Medicine at Trinity College Dublin, alongside options such as Architecture and Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence. A recent case study described a leaver securing Pharmacology at the University of Edinburgh after achieving A-level grades of A*, A and A, then planning a gap year placement in the USA.

For the most recent published leavers dataset (2023/24 cohort), 55% progressed to university. Apprenticeships and employment are both recorded at 9% in the same cohort. Oxbridge is a smaller but present pathway in the recorded dataset, with two applications to Oxford and Cambridge and one place secured in the latest recorded cycle. In a small Sixth Form, those numbers are best read as evidence that the school supports high-end applications when the individual profile fits, rather than as a large-scale pipeline.

Parents should also note the breadth of “Plan B” destinations here. The school’s published destinations list includes a range of courses, from biomedical sciences and occupational therapy through to fashion and performing arts, which can be reassuring for students whose ambitions are ambitious but not narrowly academic.

Westfield is clear that it is not highly selective, but it assesses applicants before offering places. The normal process starts with a visit, then registration, then a taster day in the relevant year group. For Senior House entry, the taster day usually includes English and mathematics tests to establish learning levels.

For families targeting September 2026 entry into Years 7, 8, 9 and 12, the published formal assessment date is Tuesday 27 January 2026. The school also positions this day as a New Entrants Day for prospective families to see the school in operation and speak with staff and students. If you see open events listed that are already in the past, the pattern typically repeats annually, so the practical approach is to expect a similar window and confirm the live calendar with the school.

Entry points are flexible in Junior House, with pupils able to join at stages up to age 11, and the school also notes that some children join mid-year or at Easter to help settle before September. Class sizes are stated as capped at 20, which is a meaningful operational decision for parents considering classroom attention and pastoral oversight.

Because the school is an independent setting, there is no catchment boundary in the state-school sense, but travel time still matters. For families trying to understand the real-world feasibility of daily drop-off and pick-up, FindMySchool’s Map Search is useful for estimating door-to-gate travel time across different routes.

Pastoral support is described as a clear strength in the most recent inspection, with high-quality care prioritised, positive behaviour consistently reinforced, and respectful relationships across age groups. The same external review notes that leaders work effectively with external agencies when needed, and that low-level concerns are logged and acted on promptly.

Pastoral support is also built into the school’s leadership structures. The inspection highlights a wide range of student responsibility roles, including house leaders, marketing leaders, challenge leaders and STEM prefects, which creates a culture where older students are expected to contribute actively to the community rather than simply benefit from it.

In Sixth Form, the mentoring model is explicit. The Big Sister and Little Sister mentoring scheme pairs Lower 6 students with younger pupils, supported by training sessions with the school counsellor. For younger pupils, this can make transition into “big school” less daunting. For Sixth Formers, it is a structured leadership role that also strengthens university and apprenticeship applications through evidence of responsibility and service.

Extracurricular breadth is unusually clear on the published programme, especially in Junior House. Clubs listed include Animated Film, Chess, Choir, Cooking, Debating, Eco, Engineering and Enterprise, Gardening, Orchestra, Robotics, Textiles, and UNESCO, alongside a full spread of sport options. The practical implication is that younger pupils can try activities that map to later pathways, from engineering-style problem solving through to creative production and performance, without having to wait until Senior House.

Senior House activities add additional layers: a house system led by Sixth Form house captains, performing arts festivals, charity fundraising, and structured outdoor pursuits. The outdoor programme emphasises teamwork and confidence-building, from Year 7 induction days through to residential visits and overnight camps, with navigation and leadership skills developed through walking and camping in Northumberland.

Round Square provides the “spine” that ties many of these strands together. Beyond Forest School and Beach School, pupils can access exchanges and conferences, international service projects, and challenge programmes including the Round Square Adventure Race. Duke of Edinburgh is part of this strand, with Bronze offered and Sixth Form opportunities extending to Gold.

Sixth Form enrichment adds an employability layer. Tycoon 2K is a national enterprise competition where students write a business plan, receive seed funding, and compete against other schools. Westfield also notes a strong record in enterprise competitions such as Young Enterprise, suggesting that entrepreneurship is treated as a serious co-curricular pathway rather than a once-a-year project.

Fees & Financial Aid

Fees for the 2025/26 academic year are published on a per-term basis. Senior House tuition is £7,255 per term. Junior House tuition is £5,185 per term for Years 1 to 2 and £5,735 per term for Years 3 to 6. Lunch is listed separately at £295 per term in Senior House and £265 per term in Junior House. One-off fees include a £60 registration fee and a £250 acceptance fee.

The school also publishes wraparound charges, including breakfast at £5 and after-school twilight care at £6 per hour. Musical instrument lessons are listed at £220 for a block of 10 lessons of 35 minutes.

Nursery and early years fee details are published by the school, but families should consult the official early years information directly for the current structure. Government-funded hours are available for eligible families, and Westfield indicates participation in the 30 hours scheme.

Financial support is offered through both means-tested bursaries and merit-based scholarships. Scholarships are available at 11+, 13+ (external candidates), and 16+, across academic, performing arts, PE and creative arts routes, and the published policy sets a maximum scholarship remission of up to 25% of basic fees. Means-tested bursaries can provide support of up to 50% of tuition fees, subject to annual review of circumstances. For families with more than one child, the school publishes sibling fee remissions, and it also operates a referral discount scheme for existing families.

The school day begins at 08:30 and finishes at 15:40 Monday to Thursday. Friday finishes at 15:15 in Senior House and 15:10 in Junior House. Wraparound care is available, with pupils able to arrive from 07:30 if attending breakfast club, and after-school care running later into the afternoon for those using twilight provision.

For travel, the school highlights access to Metro stations including South Gosforth, Ilford Road and Regent Centre, and it notes nearby bus routes around Gosforth High Street. Many families walk, and car drop-off is common, but this is a residential area so it is sensible to expect parking constraints at peak times and plan routes accordingly.

• All-through structure with a key transition. Co-education runs to age 11, then Senior House and Sixth Form are girls-only. This suits families who want mixed early years but single-sex secondary education for daughters; it can be less convenient if you want a single co-educational journey to 18.

• Sixth Form outcomes are variable in the latest dataset. The most recent A-level profile shows 36.54% of entries at A* to B, below the England figure of 47.2%. Subject fit and the strength of an individual programme matter here.

• Careers and economic education are in development. The most recent inspection recommended strengthening the careers programme and economic education for older pupils, and monitoring the impact of the new PSHE and relationships and sex education curriculum.

• Fees plus extras require a realistic budget. Tuition is published clearly, but lunch, wraparound, and optional extras such as instrumental lessons sit on top. Families should map the likely full-week cost, not only the termly headline.

Westfield will suit families who want a genuinely small-school experience, strong pastoral systems, and an education shaped by Round Square service and outdoor challenge alongside mainstream qualifications. It is particularly well matched to girls who benefit from continuity, close attention, and a broad set of pathways post-16, including enterprise, mentoring and adventure programmes. The key decision points are structural, whether the co-ed to 11 then girls-only model fits your family, and whether the Sixth Form outcomes and subject offer align with your child’s ambitions.