Sundorne Infant School in Shrewsbury told to improve by Ofsted inspectors
A school says it has already taken action after being told to improve by an education watchdog.
Sundorne, in Corndon Crescent, Shrewsbury, was told it ‘requires improvement’ by government inspectors following a site visit on November 1.
Ofsted, which rated the school ‘good’ in 2013, said it now needed to improve in almost all areas.
However, staff and governors were praised for having the skills and commitment needed to help the school improve, while pupil behaviour was also highlighted as being a strength.
The report said the quality of teaching, learning and assessment was variable across the school. The most able students were not challenged enough and some of the teachers’ expectations were also judged to be “not high enough”.
Pupils did not have enough opportunities to develop their spiritual and cultural understanding of the world and individual support plans for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities were not yet “sharply focused”, according to the report.
The report added: “Some staff in the early years foundation stage have not received appropriate training so cannot support children’s learning well enough.”
But the inspectors also identified a number of strengths, adding that relationships between staff and pupils were strong.
It stated: “There is mutual respect and a powerful sense of shared values in the school. Students are safe and well looked-after at school. They behave well in lessons and around school.”
Leaders and governors were also praised for have the skills and commitment to help the school improve. The early years outdoor environment was highlighted as an area that “enriches” children’s learning opportunities, while parents who responded to Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire were “overwhelmingly positive” about the school.
Headteacher Christine Maddox said: “We are of course disappointed with the overall grade but pleased that the inspectors recognised the many strengths of our school. Inspectors acknowledged the fact that leaders and governors are committed to improving the school and also recognise they have the skills and capacity to make further improvements.
“The areas for development had already been identified by leaders, governors and staff, and a school improvement plan is in place to address the developments needed to ensure continued improvements and these improvements had shown significant impact in raising standards across the school in 2017.”
