Primary school that was in special measures celebrates good Ofsted

8:30am Tuesday 9th February 2010

By Alexandra Womack

A PRIMARY school in Yate is celebrating a good Ofsted report just four years after it was placed in special measures.

In 2006, Kings Court Primary School, in Sundridge Park, was branded inadequate and was told it was failing to provide pupils with an acceptable standard of education. However, following a change in leadership the school is now expected to achieve an outstanding grade at its next inspection.

Ofsted inspector Christine Huard said: "Kings Court is a good school. There has been considerable improvement since the last inspection in both pupils’ attainment and their personal development.

"The school now provides a stimulating curriculum which motivates the pupils, relates to their interests and focuses on the main areas for development enabling them to achieve well."

She said headteacher Maddy Kent, who was brought in to turn the school around, was ‘outstanding’.

"Good leadership and management are at the heart of the school’s success," said Ms Huard. "The leadership of the headteacher is outstanding and her determined and resolute tackling of weaknesses has driven the school forward."

She said although pupils’ attainment was well below average when starting school they were well motivated and wanted to do well. Behaviour is said to be ‘excellent’ and standards in English were above average by the time pupils leave school in Year 6.

Teaching was said to be consistently good with some outstanding features but the school has been told to improve standards in maths and pupils’ awareness of cultural diversity.

Headteacher Maddy Kent said: "We are thrilled to bits. The inspector said that she fully expects the next report to be outstanding.

"There has been a huge amount of work by everybody to improve the standards of teaching and to raise achievement. We are very much working as a team to make sure that the school is coherent and consistent and pupils are receiving a really high quality education."

She added: "We are very happy with the outcome of the report. It recognises all the hard work we have put in. Our children are outstanding and it is nice for them to be recognised."

The school is due to take on pupils from Rodford Primary School when it closes in September.

Mrs Kent said: "We will have additional pupils and staff and we are looking forward to that.

"We feel we are a really safe and secure good school now and we will continue to go from strength to strength."