Toftwood pupils 'love' their school

PUPILS at Toftwood Junior School love their school - and that's official.

And a comment about the school from a pupil that 'I am happy in this school because everyone smiles' reflects the views of other pupils and staff at what is a very happy school with a real sense of community.

These comments about 'loving the school' and being 'happy' in the classrooms were at the top of a report of the main findings following a recent Ofsted inspection which rated the school as being 'good with many special qualities'.

'The way you are looked after and the way the school helps you to be healthy are both outstanding,' said inspector Heather Weston.

But they did suggest that those pupils finding learning comes easy were not always challenged enough to help them make further progress.

So they have asked the school staff and governors to implement a plan to help address this issue.

The report found that the school has several outstanding aspects, including pupils' behaviour, their attitude to learning and their social and moral development.

Pupils' enjoyment is further enhanced by the school's 'outstanding partnerships' contributing to both extra-curriculum activities and to pupils' well-being.

Outstanding care, guidance, and support help pupils to overcome any barriers to their learning, and outstanding attention is paid to ensuring pupils are safe, says the report.

Pupils' adoption of healthy lifestyles is also described as 'outstanding'.

'They really shine at sporting and other events, such as dance competitions, and all are keen to exceed the Golden Mile Challenge to walk 50 miles in two terms'.

The report pays tribute to the dedicated leadership of headteacher Alex Gelling and the enthusiasm of her staff.

'The headteacher and the acting deputy head have a clear commitment to making sure all pupils are excited and enthused by their learning and to enabling them to all make good progress'.

Senior leaders at the school are all involved in evaluating the work of the school with increasing rigour and accuracy. Improvement planning is considered detailed and thorough, reflecting the leaders' ambition for improving standards. Teaching is described as good, with some said to be outstanding.

Miss Gelling said in response to the report that staff are particularly pleased that the school's specially designed Toftwood Learning Adventure has been praised as they have worked extremely hard to develop a curriculum which makes learning relevant and fun for all pupils.

'The staff here are a terrific team and work tirelessly to provide children with every opportunity to succeed and experience a wide range of activities,' she said.

She explained that changes in the way Ofsted carries out its inspections allows for greater discussion between the inspectors and senior leadership team which is extremely worthwhile.

But she feels the anticipation and preparation for the inspection, including a huge amount of paperwork, is far too stressful for staff at every

level.