Staff and pupils are celebrating at Waldringfield Primary School which has retained its ‘good’ Ofsted rating.
A broad curriculum which engages the whole classroom, exemplary behaviour, and a “passionate” teaching staff led by Sarah Wood’s strong leadership were key factors in the education watchdog’s judgement.
Last year, 71% of students left with the expected standard in reading, writing and maths following the SATs exams – above the Suffolk (49%) and England (54%) averages.
Keith Pullen, Ofsted inspector, said students “enthusiastically engage” in maths activities.
“Pupils’ workbooks show that they make strong progress from their starting points from Reception to Year 6,” he wrote in his inspection report.
Writing has also further improved. Mr Pullen said: “Pupils of all abilities enjoyed the opportunity to be the class ‘Writer in Residence’, where their writing was celebrated by the school, including in assemblies. When we looked at pupils’ workbooks, we saw that writing is of a consistently high standard across the curriculum.”
He also praised the school’s broad curriculum, saying: “Pupils are highly motivated by their work across the curriculum. This included work about rivers and mountains in geography, dissections of a heart and lungs in science, and work and stories about the Tudors in history.
“The teaching of Latin in key stage 2 provides pupils with the opportunity to develop an understanding of word origins.”
Headteacher Sarah Wood said: “I am thrilled with how accurately the inspector has judged our school and how insightful he was with his comments.
“We know we are a good school but it is lovely to read how someone can spend time in our school and agreeing that our school is an incredibly special and motivating place for children to learn.
“I have a very passionate and nurturing staff team who really care for the children here and make every effort to create exciting learning opportunities.”
Stuart Currie-Cathey, chair of governors, said: “I’m thrilled the school remains a good school and that the report was glowing. It reflects brilliantly on the staff, my fellow governors, and the wider community of parents and helpers who all contribute to making our school such a special place.”
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