Challenge Partners 2024
At the beginning of November 2024, Challenge Partners conducted an incredibly rigorous but supportive quality assurance review of our school over three days, and we are delighted to have been accredited with, ‘Effective’ in all areas. We were also accredited with an ‘Area of Excellence’ for Early Literacy and Reading in EYFS. Challenge Partners is a long-standing national education organisation, best known for its thorough quality assurance work. The review team was led by a highly experienced professional with significant experience as an Ofsted inspector.
The team reviewed a wide range of core aspects of our school and the resultant report, which can be accessed by clicking this link Challenge Partners QAR is a perceptive and exceptionally positive review. The reviewers loved being in lessons, where ‘exciting lessons capture pupil’s interests’ interest’ and where ‘very positive relationships, built on mutual respect, abound in all classrooms’. They saw at every turn that our values ‘represent the heartbeat of the school.’
We were delighted to have our EYFS literacy and reading provision recognised as an area of excellence. This achievement reflects three years of dedicated development and review, effectively bridging the gap between early communication and language difficulties and achieving outstanding EYFS outcomes by the end of Reception.
“The school is deeply committed to delivering a robust phonics programme through the Read Write Inc (RWI) scheme, which forms a cornerstone of the daily curriculum. Targeted one-to-one interventions are provided, based on half-termly assessments, for those pupils who require it so that staff are able to address individual developmental needs more precisely. Parental engagement is vital, and this is achieved by sending home books that align with each pupils’ phonetic level, along with ‘books to share’ for family enjoyment. Parents are further supported through home learning phonics packs, meetings, and tailored guidance shared via SeeSaw.“
OFSTED 2025
Building on this success, the school was equally proud to receive a strong set of judgements in its Ofsted inspection in March 2025, with all areas graded as good. The report highlights the significant progress made since joining Kings Academy Trust, recognising the school as a happy, inclusive environment where pupils are well cared for and thrive.
Inspectors praised the school’s ambitious and engaging curriculum, alongside consistently high expectations that enable all pupils, including those with SEND, to achieve well. They noted pupils’ excellent attitudes to learning, respectful behaviour and enthusiasm for school life, as well as the strength of the school’s reading provision and the clear improvements in attendance.
The report also celebrates the wide range of opportunities available to pupils, from leadership roles to enrichment activities, which help to build confidence, resilience and independence. Inspectors recognised the positive impact of strong leadership and trust support in driving these improvements, with staff feeling motivated and valued. This latest outcome reflects the school’s continued journey of improvement and its commitment to providing a high-quality, well-rounded education for every child.
