Christmas Cheer As Guildford Grove School Maintains Its ‘Good’ Rating By Ofsted

Published on: 20 Dec, 2018
Updated on: 20 Dec, 2018

Pupils at Guildford Grove Primary School put on some fantastic Nativity plays as the school announced it has maintained its rating as ‘good’ by Ofsted.

Pupils in the nursery class and Years 1 and 2 performed Nativity plays at Guildford Grove School.

The school in Park Barn, Guildford was visited by inspectors in late November, and their report comments that pupils “love their school” and “relish learning about the world in which they live”.

The report highlights the exciting learning opportunities provided at the school that helps pupils to progress well in all subjects. It also points to the sense of pride that everyone has at Guildford Grove, and the collective desire to make the school the best it can be.

The report points to a whole range of positive attributes at the school, in particular: the passionate leadership that all leaders bring to their roles. High expectations that is reflected in the quality of the school environment. Vibrant displays of pupils’ work in classrooms and corridors. Increased numbers of pupils who are reaching the higher standards in reading, writing and maths. Disadvantaged children and those with special education needs and disabilities are suitably challenged and are making rapid gains in their learning and well on track to meet stretching targets.

Ofsted also praised the effective working relationship between Guildford Grove and the GEP (Guildford Education Partnership) Academies, having joined the trust in 2016. The report notes that Guildford Grove staff have benefited from visiting other schools in the trust to learn from each other and share skills to drive further improvement.

In county-wide performance tables also released this week, Guildford Grove came 24th out of about 225 primary schools in Surrey for its pupils’ progress in maths.

Guildford Grove’s head teacher, Rona Mackie, said: “The Ofsted report has confirmed what we have always known, that the children, families, staff and governors work incredibly hard to make the school the best it can be. The parents should be thrilled to hear of their children’s exemplary behaviour. We are all incredibly proud of this report because it truly reflects the excellent education that we offer to all our children.”

The chief executive of GEP Academies, Chris Tweedale, added: “The report is really great news for local families – we are delighted that Ofsted have seen the quality of education that is on offer at Guildford Grove, and my huge congratulations to Rona Mackie and her team for their dedication and commitment to providing the very best education to all pupils.

“This is exactly what being part of GEP Academies is all about, and I have every confidence that Guildford Grove will build on this brilliant result even more in the months and years to come.”

A parent cited in the report said: “This is a lovely school and I couldn’t be happier. The teachers are approachable and create interesting and exciting lessons that my daughter is excited to tell me about after school.”