West Buckland primary school has just been given a cheeringly good report from Ofsted, the school’s inspection agency. Overall, this small village school has moved up a grade from Satisfactory to Good, with only a few minor issues preventing it being judged Outstanding – the top grade Ofsted can give.
Here are a few of the key points from the report:
Over the last year the school’s leaders have taken decisive action to improve the quality of teaching, especially where it was weaker.
The majority of pupils make good progress and reach standards of attainment that are above national averages by the time they leave the school.
The quality of teaching is good. Teachers cater well for the needs of all groups of pupils, including the more able and those who have special educational needs.
The leadership team works well together and checks teaching and learning thoroughly in order to secure the good quality of teaching.
Reading is taught thoroughly so that pupils are acquiring the skills they need to be successful readers.
Pupils have exemplary attitudes to their school work. They behave extremely well and feel very safe because the school provides a safe and supportive environment in which they can thrive.
The curriculum has been successfully adapted to offer more opportunities for pupils to apply their skills in reading, writing and mathematics across other subjects.
The development of social skills is outstanding in the way pupils take responsibility for their own learning and support each other.
The report adds that the behaviour of pupils is outstanding:
Attitudes to learning are exemplary across the school. Pupils are able to sustain high levels of concentration in lessons and this makes a significant contribution to their good progress.