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Pupils and staff at St Mary's CE Primary School are celebrating after an Ofsted inspection rated their primary education good – moving them up a grade.
Inspectors found St Mary’s CE Primary School in Burton Latimer a ‘place where children thrive’ and called it ‘a welcoming and inclusive school.’ The school received a two-day visit in March from Ofsted that examined every aspect of life at the school.
During their visit, inspectors observed lessons and spoke with leaders, staff, pupils and parents.
Headteacher Erica Holt said: “Inspectors were incredibly complimentary about the school and we were delighted to have been found good across all categories.
“What is more important than any rating, however, are the many positive comments about our children, our staff and our community.
"One particular piece of feedback that stood out to me was about how conscientious and well-behaved our pupils are, and how clear it was that our pupils feel happy and safe at school.
“It was also amazing to hear the feedback from parents interviewed as part of the visit.
"We do our utmost to build strong relationships with our parent and carer community and to hear feedback on how our community values the culture we have built within the school was incredibly rewarding.”
The report commented upon the ‘overwhelmingly positive’ feedback from parents.
Inspectors also observed how well ‘leaders have ensured that there is a school-wide focus on the school’s values, such as kindness, perseverance, forgiveness and justice’ and how ‘pupils’ well-being and their personal development are supported well through both the taught curriculum and a range of additional opportunities afforded to them’.
Ms Holt added: “This result is testament to the tireless work and dedication from all our staff and school community in making St Mary’s a happy, ambitious and inclusive school where every child can thrive.
"We are particularly proud of how the report recognises our efforts to create an environment that allows young minds to dream, create, believe, excel and to feel a true sense of worth and belonging.”
Leaders were also told that they should ensure that, once developed, their new curriculum plans are implemented effectively so that teachers can assess the ‘precise subject knowledge’ they want pupils to remember and use.
The school was praised for having high expectations of pupils’ behaviour, its structured approach to reading across the school, and the way in which staff take ‘great care’ to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
Ruth Walker-Green, CEO at PDET, said: “St Mary’s is a wonderful school and a fantastic example of what a community can achieve when it works together.
“At every level of the school there is a clear focus on helping every child to be the very best that they can be.
"We are extremely proud of everyone at the school and tireless efforts to go above and beyond in supporting their children to flourish.”
