'A phenomenal milestone' - Boston primary school rated as 'outstanding' in all areas
A primary school in Boston – which at the start of the last decade was placed into special measures – has been rated as ‘outstanding’ in all areas by education watchdog Ofsted.
St Thomas CofE Primary Academy, part of Infinity Academies Trust, received the top rating for: the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision.
It follows a two-day inspection last month.
The school’s previous rating – given after its last full inspection in 2012, prior to it becoming an academy – was ‘good’, one down from ‘outstanding’.
The previous year, though, it was rated as ‘inadequate’, the lowest rating, and placed into special measures.
The latest report is glowing with praise – the word ‘exceptional’ (or an offshoot of it) appears repeatedly. For instance:
- “Pupils thrive in this exceptional school. Their experiences are rooted in the well-embedded school values, which are, ‘compassion, trust, resilience, fellowship and respect’. These values are lived daily. Pupils are very happy and safe. They are very proud of their school.”
- “Consistently high expectations are established for learning. Pupils work diligently. They are highly motivated. They appreciate the school’s calm and focused atmosphere. They learn exceptionally well across the whole curriculum.”
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“Pupils’ work is of a consistently high standard. They know and remember more of the school’s well-sequenced and ambitious curriculum. Pupils are exceptionally well prepared for their next stages of their education.”
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“The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is of an exceptional quality. Staff accurately identify pupils with SEND and their needs. Staff are highly skilled in adapting their teaching, enabling these pupils to access the same curriculum as their peers.”
Other praise includes:
- “Leaders, including those with responsibility for governance, lead with a strong moral purpose that places pupils at the heart of all they do. They lead with humility and dedication.”
- “Staff provide high-quality learning experiences. They have expert subject and teaching knowledge.”
Headteacher Joanne Sharples said: “At St Thomas’ we live by our ethos of ‘encouraging each other, overflowing with hope’, it underpins all that we do for our children, our staff and our wider community every day.
“It means that we are relentless in our focus on providing the best possible learning environment, opportunities and support to enable every child to flourish – so I am incredibly proud that this has been recognised by Ofsted’s outstanding ratings.
“I cannot thank our pupils, parents, staff and Infinity Academies Trust enough for helping to make our school such a special place. It is truly a team effort, and this achievement simply wouldn’t be possible without everyone playing their part.”
Gavin Booth, chief executive officer, at Infinity Academies Trust, added: “This is a phenomenal milestone for St Thomas’ and I am delighted for the whole team, which is exceptionally led by Joanne Sharples.
“It was heartening to speak with the inspectors who continuously used words like ‘ambitious’, ‘exceptional’ and ‘humility’ to describe this wonderful school. Everyone has worked tirelessly, not for an ‘outstanding’ label, but to provide the very best for every child.
“The school’s journey from once being in special measures to now achieving the highest possible Ofsted grades reflects the tenacity, dedication and unwavering ambition to make St Thomas’ CE Primary the very best it can be. I could not be prouder.”