Harpenden primary school celebrate Ofsted report (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

The Lea Primary School and Nursery in Harpenden celebrate Ofsted report

9:00am Thursday 10th January 2013 in News By Zoe Forsey, Senior Reporter

Staff at a primary school in Harpenden are celebrating after finding out they have received a good grading by Ofsted.

The Lea Primary School and Nursery in Moorland Road impressed inspectors enough for them to increase its rating from satisfactory.

A team of representatives from the schools watchdog observed 15 lessons on December 6 and 7.

Headteacher Sharon Swinson said: "We are just so delighted and we feel extremely proud.

"We are all really pleased with how the school is going.

"For a while we have thought everything was going in the right direction and to have this from Ofsted is so reassuring.

"We’ve all been working away to get to this point. It has been a real team effort."

In the report, issued after the visit, head inspector, Raminder Arora stated that the attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 is above national figures.

She said: "Parents and carers, staff and pupils are full of praise for the school."

"It is a safe and harmonious community where pupils’ behaviour is consistently good. Pupils enjoy school and feel safe, valued and well looked after.

Ms Arora also praised the school’s staff.

She said: "Good and sometimes outstanding teaching motivates pupils to do their best.

"Teachers, skilfully supported by well-qualified and experienced teaching assistants, establish a purposeful and productive atmosphere in lessons."

"Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage enables children to make good progress.

"As well as effective teaching of key skills, children are helped to think about what they are learning and to develop the skill of working by themselves."

The team of inspectors also looked at pupils’ work and listened to them read.

They attended assemblies and watched the school’s Christmas performance.

More than 50 parents took up the opportunity to share their experiences and opinions on the school by filling in an online questionnaire. However the report also highlighted certain areas that the school needs to focus on in order to achieve an outstanding grade.

The report said: "Teaching is not yet strong enough to promote outstanding progress across school.

"Although pupils’ progress has recently accelerated, the more-able pupils do not do as well in reading and mathematics as they do in writing, particularly in Key Stage 1.

"Although some marking of pupils’ work is excellent and helps them to understand how to improve, this is not yet consistent across the school.

"Teachers do not always insist on high standards of presentation of pupils’ work."

Ms Swinson added: "We have all been working towards this outcome since the last inspection and we won’t stop now. We are still looking to make further improvements."