Stanbridge Lower pupils '˜at the heart' of Good school, say Ofsted

Pupils describe their school experience as epic, awesome, exciting and just perfect.

Her Majesty’s Inspector, Tracy Fielding, visited on March 16 in what was the first ‘short inspection’ since the school was judged as ‘good’ in April 2013.

In her subsequent report which has been published, Ms Fielding said: “Stanbridge Lower is an inclusive school where children and pupils thrive in the nurturing, happy and safe atmosphere.

“Headteacher, Miss Godwin, governors and staff are committed and passionate about ensuring pupils achieve well.

“They are at the heart of everything...”

Since 2013, Ms Fielding found many improvements.

In maths, pupils are carrying out more practical tasks, with the proportion of pupils in key stage 1 that are on track to reach age-related expectations for maths better than the previous two years.

Teaching was also judged to be a core strength, as the teaching team “expertly” tailor teaching and learning to the needs of individuals.

Phonics has also improved, with “a rising number of Year 1 pupils currently on track to achieve the expected standard this year”.

In 2015, during an Ofsted monitoring inspection, it was noted that some pupils come from the local traveller community, many moving in and out of the school on a regular basis, while the proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs was significantly higher than the national average.

Ms Fielding, in 2017, was impressed with her findings.

In particular, regarding attendance, she noted that the family support worker built “positive, loyal, honest” relationships, meaning parents are increasingly sharing their plans, enabling the facilitation of pupils’ progress. Indeed, actual progress all pupils make from where they start is good.

Proud headteacher, Rosemary Godwin, said: “The Ofsted report highlighted the fact that for pupils who are in school on a regular basis, their attainment is similar to or above their peers nationally in reading, writing and maths.”

Areas for improvement included: broadening the school’s strategic challenge to include not only the attainment, but also the progress of children and pupils from their starting points, and sharpening attendance strategies.