Primary school is given top rating by Ofsted

A YORKSHIRE PRIMARY school has been rated as outstanding by Ofsted, with inspectors praising its drive to boost reading and writing skills that has seen pupils’ results soar above the national average.

The rating comes just weeks after Jerry Clay Academy was awarded Model School status for its excellence in literacy teaching.

The academy, near Wakefield, is just one of 60 Read Write Inc UK Model Schools, which uses a system that concentrates on a programme called Phonics.

As well as praising the school’s approach to literacy, the inspectors were also impressed with the “vibrant curriculum”, the quality of teaching and the pupils’ “exemplary behaviour”.

The report said: “Pupils are incredibly proud of their school and everyone who works within it. When pupils offered to show one of the inspectors round areas of the school at playtime, they were careful to point out the great work people in their school did.”

Headteacher Tracy Swinburne said the inspection result reflected the school’s motto of always ‘Striving to be the best we can be’.

She added: “We all passionately believe in delivering an extremely high quality of teaching in an inspiring learning environment and have worked hard to ensure our curriculum and facilities enable this.

“We have made rapid progress since our last ‘good’ Ofsted inspection in 2013 and this is in recognition of the staff, governors, pupils and their families for their amazing hard work and dedication to being the best they can possibly be.”

Meanwhile, Bowling Park Primary School in Bradford has received a second good Ofsted result, which reflects the continued and sustained improvements it has undergone in the last few years.

In 2008 two schools were merged to create the new primary. Before this, both schools were struggling to achieve and Usher Street Primary had been in special measures for a number of years. Ofsted noted that “significant improvements” have been made in with maths and the quality of teaching.