Hard work pays off with glowing report (From Cotswold Journal)

Hard work pays off with glowing report

5:00pm Wednesday 14th November 2012 in News By Sarah Davies

PUPILS and staff are celebrating at an Evesham school following the success of their latest Ofsted report.

Inspectors graded St Andrew’s First School, Hampton, good in all areas and outstanding for the behaviour and safety of pupils, and its overall rating has risen from satisfactory to good. They said the children do as well as they can because they receive the teaching and support they need.

Pupils with lower starting points who need to catch up are given individual support and more able pupils receive extra challenges, while disabled pupils and those with special educational needs also make good progress.

Inspectors praised the “very rapid” progress children make in the reception class because of the outstanding teaching they receive and the wide range of activities on offer.

According to the report, teaching is generally at least good and is sometimes outstanding and pupils behave exceptionally well and feel very safe in school.

It said the headteacher provided strong leadership and the staff shared his vision for the school and, together with the senior leadership team and the governing body, he had made sure that pupils’ achievements had steadily improved since the last inspection.

Areas that need work include bringing the level of boys’ reading and writing up to the level of girls.

Headteacher David Coaché said: “Following three years of very hard work by pupils, staff, parents, governors and volunteers, we have been graded as a good school.

Inspectors found many aspects of the school to be outstanding and it is to our collective credit that our achievements have been recognised.”