‘All pupils are treasured’ - South Shields school receives top praise from Ofsted
A South Shields school is celebrating top praise from Ofsted inspectors.
Children at a South Tyneside school have proved themselves real gems – with inspectorate Ofsted finding they are ‘treasured’ by staff.
Youngsters at Holy Trinity Church of England Academy were further praised for behaving consistently well and having respect for their environment.
They also demonstrated a love of knowledge, excitement about their subjects and took pride in their work and displayed high levels of engagement in lessons.
High standards maintained
Ofsted’s report found they benefit from opportunities that widen their experiences, enjoy a broad, balanced and engaging curriculum – and even understand the importance of exercise,
Their progress was supported by staff who are ‘knowledgeable and ambitious’ in their teaching mission and have a deep understanding of the additional needs some pupils have.
All in all, it allowed the 228-pupil Brockley Avenue school, in South Shields, to be judged at ‘strong standard’ in three of seven areas.
It was given the mark – the second highest level – in ‘attendance and behaviour’, ‘early years’ and ‘personal development and wellbeing’.
And it was at next best ‘expected standard’ in all four other categories – ‘achievement’, ‘curriculum and teaching’, ‘inclusion’ and ‘leadership and governance’.
Although using a new framework, the report, which followed a two-day inspection in September, confirmed high standards had been maintained since a last check in 2022.
‘All pupils are treasured’
Headteacher Tina Murphy said: “I’m delighted with the report and its outcomes. It very much reflects the hard work of everyone involved in this school.
“I’m particularly happy that Ofsted acknowledged the excellent attendance and behaviour of the children, who I am very proud of.
“A secret of the school’s success is that all pupils are treasured, just like Ofsted said.”
In ‘attendance and behaviour’, leaders were found to promote the importance of high attendance, with that of disadvantaged pupils being well above average.
And in ‘early years’, children make a positive start and quickly settle into established routines, begin to develop independence and play well together.
For ‘personal development and wellbeing’, they are well prepared for modern life and benefit from a diverse range of books and literature.
In ‘achievement’, Ofsted found most pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, achieve well, ensuring they are ready for the next stage of their education.
And in ‘curriculum and teaching’, leaders were praised for designing a broad, balanced and engaging curriculum, sequenced to ensure pupils build their knowledge and skills over time.
In ‘inclusion’, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs precisely assessed, with plans to support them and those known to children's social care being well thought out.
Lastly, in ‘leadership and governance’, staff have high aspirations for pupils and understand the challenges many face.
Ofsted said significant actions had been taken in areas of the school’s work that leaders identified as needing improvement.
It recommended only that they further embed the new curriculum, the teaching of handwriting and approaches to assessment, so pupils can build on their prior knowledge and close any gaps in their learning.
They should also develop strategic analysis of the impact of their actions in areas such as inclusion, behaviour and safeguarding incidents.
You can view the full Ofsted report by visiting: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/21/141160.