AN OTLEY primary school continues to be a good, well led and managed school, where pupils feel safe and enjoy attending.
That was the verdict on The Whartons Primary School following a recent Ofsted inspection - the first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Parents agreed with one representing the views of many when they said: ‘My children have blossomed and are developing in confidence every day. This is down to the care and nurturing ability of the school’.
The outcome has delighted the school and governors. Headteacher Mrs Julia Dickson said she was particularly thrilled inspectors identified support for pupils' personal development as a strength of the school, highlighting the calm and purposeful atmosphere and high expectations of behaviour at The Whartons.
This was alongside the respectful and very polite way that pupils address one another and others in the community. The report complimented the well-designed curriculum, developing a detailed understanding of subject content, plus the high expectations the school has for all pupils.
The report praised the children's accurate knowledge in maths and pupils’ love of reading.
The school’s focus on developing children’s enterprise skills and building responsible citizens of the future, through pupil led and planned Youth Social Action Projects supporting the local community, were also held up as a positive aspect of school life.
Whilst focusing on the school’s music provision the inspectors talked to children about their learning. The report highlighted how children could discuss pitch, tone and notation as well as their own compositions.
Mrs Dickson said it was pleasing to hear the inspector recognised the carefully considered progression in whole class musical instrument teaching; supporting skills progression over time.
Mr Alan Padden, the Chair of the Governing Body expressed satisfaction that the report confirmed what the Governors already knew: that the high standards of leadership, teaching, learning and behaviour has created a school ‘where children have blossomed and are developing in confidence every day’ which ‘is down to the care and nurturing ability of the school’.
To reach their conclusions the Ofsted inspector spoke with the headteacher, assistant headteachers, subject leaders, a range of school staff, a representative from the local authority and members of the governing body.
During the inspection, the inspector spoke to pupils about their work and school life. She observed pupils’ behaviour at playtime and lunchtime.
The inspector spoke to parents and considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. She also considered the responses to the online staff survey.
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