Delight as Ofsted gives school excellent report

This week the school celebrated praise in a report by an Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education) team which visited the school in December last year.

It found a very good school providing a caring, supportive and secure learning environment for all pupils. Teaching was judged to be very good and the leadership and management by the head teacher, senior management team and key members of staff, excellent.

Some 95 per cent of lessons observed were either good or very good. There was no unsatisfactory teaching. Inspectors praised the professionalism and good subject knowledge of all teachers and recognised their high expectations for behaviour and academic achievement.

Class teachers were judged to be well supported by support staff who were seen to have a significant impact on the standards achieved by pupils with special educational needs. All staff were seen to show a high commitment to ensure that all pupils achieve their very best.

Derek Barton, the school's chair of governors, said: 'This excellent report has been achieved through the hard work of the staff, children and whole school community. We are all absolutely delighted.'

The pupils were seen as a strength of the school with very good attitudes to learning, behaviour, personal development and relationships with one another. The achievement of all groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs, was judged to be very good.

As a result of the inspection the school will draw up an action plan to improve attendance and punctuality of a minority of pupils.

The school is one of five in Peacehaven built and managed through a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) project which includes the new Peacehaven Community School.