CELEBRATIONS are under way at a Sheffield primary school which has shaken off troubled times to be rated ‘good’ by a visiting inspection team.
Walkley Primary was found to have serious weaknesses during its last check up and was said to need significant improvement.
But now the quality of teaching is good, pupils are making good progress in reading, writing and maths and headteacher Val Sian was found to be providing clear and purposeful leadership.
The inspectors said good progress had been made since their last visit and they felt the school was well placed to continue its improvements.
There were good procedures in place for measuring and improving the school’s effectiveness and there was good support from the governing body.
The youngest children made a good start to their learning, while pupils will special needs achieved well because they received carefully targeted support.
Teachers made good use of ICT in lessons and linked subjects together to make learning exciting.
The pupils behaved well, rising to their teachers’ high expectations for good behaviour and learning in a calm and friendly environment.
There were still areas to improve on, as sometimes pupils did not start on activities that fully challenged them soon enough, while occasionally teachers missed chances for children to practise reading and writing skills during lessons.
Mrs Sian said to be rated ‘good’ was a fantastic accolade.
“It is almost unheard of for a school to make this sort of progress in so short a time and this achievement is a monumental tribute to the spirit, professionalism, dedication and talent of the staff at our school,” she added.
Chair of Governors Jo Meagher added: “I am absolutely delighted that the hard work and commitment of staff, children, governors and parents has been celebrated in this report and that the significant and sustained improvements we have made have been so clearly highlighted.
“We have a clear vision for further improving the school and I am in no doubt that with the continued commitment and support of everyone involved, Walkley will go from strength to strength.”
See Ofsted - Inspection Report for the full report.
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