School delighted with Ofsted report

Ofsted inspector Jonathan Keay visited Mereside Church of England Primary School last month.

The school had been judged as good in a previous inspection in June 2014 and Mr Keay said the school, which has more than 280 pupils, continued to be good.

In his report, sent to headteacher Liz Holmes, the inspector said: "Mereside School has developed further since its last inspection. Leaders have a wide range of skills, Expectations are very high and pupils' conduct is exemplary.

"Staff feel very proud to work at the school. The governors are talented people and are passionate about the school. They have supported and challenged the school through a journey of rapid improvement. Leaders have transformed assessment systems.

"By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils progress is above that found nationally. All pupils are challenged.

"The school development plan focuses on exactly the right priorities. However, some targets lack precision. Expectations of pupils' progress lack clear milestones that can be monitored fully by staff and governors."

He added that the school is developing rapidly and has a number of 'key strengths'. These include the overall quality of teaching, learning and assessment, pupils' personal development and outcomes.

But he did note that gaps in achievement between boys and girls needed further monitoring. "There is scope for governors to extend their monitoring so that they take greater account of leadership development, compliance of the school's website and target setting.

"Though there is a culture of learning and collaboration in the school, teachers do not yet share their best practice widely enough so that the level of challenge for pupils is consistently high."

He also noted that the safety of the children at the school was a 'priority' and that the quality of record keeping was 'a particular strength of the school.'

He added: "Above all, staff know pupils exceptionally well. Relationships between staff and pupils are strong. There is a clear sense of safety and inclusion in the school."

Mrs Holmes said she was delighted that the hard work of all concerned had been recognised. "We work as a team and that is what makes this school so special. It was especially pleasing to see that the children were recognised for their conduct and learning.

"Our hard work has been recognised by Ofsted and also by the parents and it was lovely to hear their comments."