School celebrates after being judged as Good by inspectors
A rapidly improved school has been rated Good by Ofsted, which also found many elements of provision to be Outstanding.
Inspectors visited St Benedict Biscop CE Primary School in Wombourne earlier this year and, in their report, judged behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision all to be Outstanding, with the quality of education Good.
They found that leaders have created a strong and inclusive community' and 'work hard to ensure that pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their learning.
The report also spoke of how pupils get off to a strong start in nursery thanks to a well-developed curriculum which takes children’s early learning into account and builds on it successfully as pupils move through key stages 1 and 2.
Leaders were found to have planned the curriculum to ensure that pupils develop their knowledge and skills over time and had a clear vision to enable pupils to achieve well, are knowledgeable about what makes high-quality education and use this to secure further improvement.
Teachers were said to be ambitious for what pupils, including those with SEND, are able to achieve at the school and make successful adaptations to support all pupils to access the curriculum. They use their knowledge of pupils to support and challenge them; as a result, children build on the strong start from the early years.
The inspectors also said: "Learning is supported by a rich variety of additional opportunities, from visits to different places of worship to a very wide range of clubs and activities such as football, art and creative writing which are enjoyed by many pupils, including those with SEND.
"Leaders also take 'highly effective action' to support pupils’ personal development, offering a variety of opportunities for pupils to take on additional responsibilities, like joining the school council or being a play leader.
"Leaders have a 'clear commitment to pupil and staff well-being' which begins in nursery.
"Leaders and teachers model the school's Christian values in all aspects of school life. Consequently, they can be seen in the daily behaviours of children and pupils, who are 'exceptionally mindful', kind and thoughtful to one another.
"Pupils 'enjoy school' and demonstrate St Benedict Biscop's values of generosity, forgiveness and perseverance and display 'exemplary behaviour'."
They also praised the leaders for showing impressive determination to rapidly improve the school since the last inspection, when it was found to require improvement and said safeguarding arrangements were found to be effective and up to date.
Headteacher Nicola Scott-Worthington said: "We are delighted with the outcome of our inspection and feel that the report reflects the tremendous progress our school has made.
“It is lovely to have the hard work and dedication of our staff and children recognised.
"Our inspection team really recognised the strengths of our school and identified that our values are lived through all aspects of school life.
"This report is a great stepping stone for us to continue to build St Benedict Biscop from strength to strength."
Katy Kent, CEO of the St Bartholomew's CE Multi Academy Trust, added: “I’m delighted the report has recognised the many exceptional areas of our flourishing school and Trust.
"It’s a testament to the highly effective leaders, teachers, and our delightful children here at St Benedict Biscop School.”
