Headteacher's Welcome

Striving for Excellence, Caring for Children
Welcome to the website of our lovely school. Westgate was founded in 1871 as a mill school and education has been provided on our site ever since. It's a really special place to be and I am very proud to be the head teacher here.
At Westgate, we endeavour to provide education in its fullest sense, where every child can flourish and develop their talents. skills and interests, where they are valued for who they are, and where children strengthen their 'learning muscles' so that they go on to become lifelong learners.
Otley is a wonderful place to grow up and we try to make the most of our local area as a learning resource for our children. We also welcome the families of our pupils into our school community, and the highest compliment you can be paid is to be described as a 'Westgate Always Person'!
As part of our 150 year anniversary, the whole school community contributed to a rewriting of our school aims. The result of this consultation is as follows:

Our School Aims

Westgate Primary School is a happy, nurturing place to be, where everyone is committed to providing a high quality, rounded and inclusive education that enables all children to thrive and achieve.

We aim for everyone in our school:

  • To show kindness, tolerance and respect to everyone around them, celebrating our differences and the things we have in common, and standing up against injustice;
  • To develop the skills and qualities they need to become lifelong learners: enthusiasm, perseverance, resilience, independence and teamwork;
  • To challenge themselves, learning with and from others;
  • To ask questions and think for themselves;
  • To be creative and find positive ways to fully express themselves;
  • To behave responsibly and to make healthy choices;
  • To look after the world around us, for ourselves and future generations;
  • To develop a sense of belonging to Westgate and the wider community, so that they can make a difference to the world in which they live.

 All of Westgate’s policies and actions are designed to support these aims.