Double joy for school following inspections

St Botolph’s CofE Primary School, in Rookery Avenue, has recently had its latest Ofsted and SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) inspections.

Ofsted has now graded the school’s ‘overall effectiveness’ as ‘good’, up on the previous rating in March 2015 of ‘requires improvement’. All sub-categories were also found to be ‘good’.

Praise in the report included: “During the inspection, strong evidence was seen of pupils’ effective learning in many subjects.”

SIAMS inspections aim to evaluate the distinctiveness and effectiveness of a school as a church school, and how well its particular Christian character and ethos ensures the development and achievement of its pupils. They have overseen by the Church of England Education Office.

Following its latest inspection, St Botolph’s has been declared as ‘outstanding’. It was also found to be ‘outstanding’ when it was last inspected in 2012.

One comment from this latest report reads: “At the heart of the school is a shared and explicit commitment to sustaining the Christian character and values of the school in the pursuit of enabling all learners to flourish.”

Headteacher Debbie Wilson said: “I am so proud of the staff, pupils and governors. We all have a shared vision and believe that we give our children a good education and emotional support in a safe and caring environment.

“The children are at the heart of the school and we always make sure that their needs are met, we know that this is the key to allowing the children to reach their full potential and to recognise that they can achieve their dreams and goals in life.”