EDUCATION bosses have lauded a Barnsley school’s achievements and placed it among the country’s top-performing primaries after a glowing inspection was revealed.
As of November, Ofsted ditched its single-phrase, overall effectiveness judgements - such as ‘outstanding’ or ‘good’ - in favour of a new five-point, colour-coded report card system.
Seven aspects of the school are assessed - from pupils’ behaviour to teaching standards - with ‘exceptional’ now being the highest mark and ‘urgent improvement’ being the lowest.
Birdwell Primary achieved the second-highest ‘strong standard’ ruling in six of the seven categories, with one at ‘expected standard’.
It’s thought to be one of the best achievements of a school since the new standards were brought in.
Leadership at the school, which is run by HCAT, received praise for being consistent and effective.
Steve Honeyman, executive leader, told the Chronicle: “We are absolutely delighted to share that Birdwell Primary School has recently received a glowing report following our latest Ofsted inspection in January.
“Whilst it is a relatively new framework, it represents one of the best judgements awarded nationally so far as all areas were graded as ‘the strong standard’ with early years foundation stage (EYFS) getting ‘expected standard’.
“This is a tremendous achievement for our pupils, staff, families and the wider community, and one we are immensely proud of.
“The inspectors highlighted a number of areas of excellence and these outcomes are a reflection of the dedication of every member of our school community.”
The report - compiled by three inspectors - described the 210-capacity Sheffield Road setting as ‘warm and friendly’ and also paid tribute to leaders’ ‘relentless focus’ on ensuring pupils achieve highly.
A total of 85 per cent of its youngsters are hitting the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics - much higher than the 62 per cent national average.
It added: “The corridors are filled with inspiring artwork and high-quality displays that celebrates pupils’ achievements.
“All staff demonstrate high expectations of pupils in every aspect of school life and they demonstrate exemplary behaviour, welcoming visitors warmly.
“Pupils feel safe and bullying is rare, they’re punctual and move sensibly into their classrooms to begin learning.
“Staff know pupils well and they identify needs quickly, supporting them to close gaps in their learning.
“A consistent and relentless focus from leaders to ensure that all pupils at the school achieve well is being realised.
“Staff appreciate the regular professional learning opportunities given to them and opportunities for them to develop as teachers - and in wider roles - are regular and focused.
“Newer staff are prioritised and understand and implement the school’s policies consistently.”
