Airmyn Park Primary School continues to be a ‘good’ school according to a recent inspection by education watchdog, Ofsted.
The glowing assessment was the school’s first since the pandemic and was completed on Tuesday, October 18. The subsequent report was released on Wednesday, December 7, and said: “Pupils are very proud of their school. They know that staff care for them and listen to them if they have any worries or concerns.” The youngsters were also praised for their polite and respectful behaviour towards other people and were reported to have said during the assessment: “We treat people as we would want to be treated ourselves.” The report detailed that pupils received a well sequenced, broad and balanced curriculum, and particularly flourished in the early years groups when taught phonics.
An example was given in the report which said: “Books are well matched to the sounds children know and the reading age of younger children. Most pupils read fluently, as they are well supported by staff and parents if they are struggling.” Children in early years were also said to co-operate well with each other. The report highlighted that these youngsters had well-developed communication skills and could focus on complex learning activities. One example used explained that teachers helped to break down complexities of the human skeleton into small digestible chunks using the ‘Funnybones’ book they were reading and singing to.
The report did find, however, that despite having ambitious learning goals for students, some teachers at the school did not have the right support to help put in place plans for the pupils to achieve these goals. However, the schools special needs coordinator (SENDCo) was praised by the inspector, who acknowledged their efforts to keep children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) on the same learning path as their peers. The school’s SENDCo was reported to be trusted in school and by parents, who were appreciative of the ways in which the needs of children with SEND were met. According to the inspector, pupils across the school has access to many extracurricular clubs and sporting activities.
They said: “Pupils know they have a voice in school. They are involved in arranging school events and charity collections.” Leaders at the school were also commended for their work pulling everything together at the small school, with teachers saying that they felt the Headteacher of the school took into account their larger workloads. Head of the school Natalie Dodds said: “After only being in post since Easter, I am still relatively new to Airmyn Park Primary School. In the short time, the team has developed the school to ensure the children are exposed to a rich and progressive curriculum. I am proud of the whole team, everyone at Airmyn Park Primary School works tirelessly to ensure that the children receive a positive experience at school.”
Airmyn Park Primary students and staff were delighted after they were deemed a ‘good’ school by Ofsted. (15-12-210 SU)
