Shropshire primary school maintains 'good' rating
A small rural primary school in Shropshire has been praised by inspectors for its “good quality of education”.
Claverley Church of England Primary School, in the village, near Bridgnorth, has not been fully inspected by Ofsted since 2015.
But inspectors visited the school last month for a “short” or interim inspection, finding it had maintained its “good” rating.
Patrick Amieli, lead inspector, said: “The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection.
“You have established a culture of high expectations for staff and pupils.
“With the support of dedicated staff and effective governors, you make sure that pupils are well looked after and receive a well-rounded education.
“The school serves a rural and socially diverse community. It is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.
“The caring ethos and strong sense of community that prevail at the school were praised by parents and pupils during the inspection."
Mr Amieli said that parents had shown their support for the school in comments and conversation with the inspection team.
He said: “Parents’ comments included: ‘the school has a warm and friendly feel and younger children are supported by both staff and older children.’
Topics
“This comment reflects the views of the vast majority of the parents who responded to the Ofsted survey, Parent View, and of those I talked to during my visit.
“In spite of its size, the school provides a wide range of enrichment and extracurricular activities.
“There are many trips and visits related to the topics that pupils study.
“Every year, Year 6 pupils take part in a week-long residential stay where they do a range of outdoor activities.
“Pupils can take part in sport, music, art or drama at after-school clubs.
“These varied opportunities contribute greatly to pupils’ enjoyment of school. Relationships between pupils and staff are harmonious and pupils behave well in lessons and around the school at breaktime and lunchtime.
“Attendance is above national averages for all groups.”
He added: “Leaders and governors have addressed the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection.
“Work in pupils’ books and the school’s records of the monitoring of teaching show that pupils are routinely given problem-solving activities that challenge them.
“There is also clear evidence that teachers check pupils’ learning in lessons and are alert to the need to promptly address misconceptions.”
