Stanstead Nursery & Primary School continues to be a Good school says Ofsted

‘Staff put pupils’ needs at the heart of everything they do.’

Stanstead Nursery & Primary School in Rise Park continues to be a Good school, say Ofsted inspectors.

Inspectors said they found that pupils liked attending the school and behaviour is good saying, ‘…pupils and staff are cheerful and caring’ and that ‘Staff put pupils’ needs at the heart of everything they do. Pupils say that they feel safe. They know that staff are quick to sort out any worries for them.’

Inspectors said children knew their school’s values, embodied in the ‘Stanstead star’, and used this example in behaviour and learning. It said, ‘The values and vision for the school drive the curriculum well. ‘Language, experiences, aspiration and diversity’ are carefully considered in the curriculum design.’

The report said that parents and carers were positive about the school and that the new senior leadership is having a positive impact. It said parents recognised the efforts made by the school saying. ‘One parent, typical of many, said, ‘new teachers and new leaders; everything has changed and the school is improving’.

Tanya Smith is Head Teacher at Stanstead Nursery & Primary School and she said, “We are delighted that so many of the school’s strengths are recognised in the report including the strong curriculum and that children learn well and remember their learning. Our staff are relentless in their efforts to make children’s experience at school the best it can be. Everything we do is aimed at providing the best educational opportunities for our children and preparing them well for their next steps.”

The report said that the school prioritises the teaching of reading and that, ‘Teaching is sharply focused on the planned learning. Teachers use questioning well. This encourages the pupils to think hard about their learning.’ Inspectors said that if pupils fall behind, ‘…staff are quick to provide support. Leaders provide high quality support to pupils in small groups. This helps pupils to catch up quickly if they fall behind what is expected for their age.’

The report had high praise for Stanstead pupils saying, ‘Pupils’ good behaviour in lessons means they are ready for their learning.’ Also, that children, ‘…know that everyone should be treated fairly, irrespective of sexuality or gender. Pupils know that in some parts of the world people are not treated fairly. Teachers pose carefully thought out questions to extend pupils’ thinking about equality.’

The school is described as providing good provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), using additional adults well to provide support. Safeguarding was found to be effective with regular and robust training for staff reporting that ‘Leaders are tenacious in ensuring that vulnerable families receive support.’

Early Years Provision at the school was praised for the well-equipped environment saying, ‘Leaders provide lots of opportunities for children to explore many different areas of learning. The numerous and varied learning experiences on offer help children develop a broad range of skills and knowledge. Adults in the setting work effectively alongside the children. This includes high-quality questioning alongside targeted learning to support children’s development.’

The inspectors found that good support was provided to the school by its multi-academy trust, The Flying High Partnership ensuring that pupils continue to receive a high quality education.

Tanya Smith said that the school has addressed the next steps needed to continue on its improvement journey. “The Good report is evidence of the hard work and dedication of staff and children, and they should be proud of the report. However, our intention is never to stand still, and so we are constantly looking at ways of improving the learning experience for our children at Stanstead, and because of our collective commitment to achieving excellence, we know that the future will be bright for the school. I would like to thank the children and their families for their ongoing support of the school and to the staff for their untiring hard work.”