Chirbury school praised for providing 'extraordinary range' of enrichment activities by Ofsted

In a report published yesterday (April 8), the school has been described as "nurturing" and "welcoming" and commended for its care.

Inspectors were impressed by a wide range of enrichment activities available to children outside of the classroom.

Pupils are said to "benefit highly from an extraordinary range of experiences" which include mountain biking, residential activities and hands-on practical learning experiences.

The report said: "These experiences exemplify the school’s motto of 'take a risk to be the best you can be'. Resilience, integrity, support and kindness are at the heart of the school’s work."

Ofsted added that pupils behave well and are happy in the learning environment.

The report continued: "Staff take time to get to know pupils and their families well. They genuinely care about pupils and their well-being. Pupils know that they can talk to staff about any worries or concerns that they may have. They are happy here and find it an exciting place to learn. Pupils arrive at school with an eagerness to learn."

However, the education watchdog concluded that the school and nursery's work "may not be as strong" as what was on show at a previous inspection in 2019 where the school was graded 'Good'.

The regulator stated that the next inspection will be a graded inspection.

Ofsted said the school with 110 pupils on its roll, aged between two and 11-years-old, is "emerging from a period of staffing instability". Inspectors said this has "slowed the pace of improvements over time".

The school has been told to "ensure that pupils who have fallen behind with their reading receive the support that they need to become fluent and confident readers".

The report added: "The school aspires for all its pupils to achieve well. Actions taken to improve some aspects of the curriculum have been effective. However, pupils do not achieve as well as they could. Pupils who have fallen behind with their reading do not get the support that they need to become fluent and confident readers.

"Low achievement over time has not prepared pupils well for their next steps.

"Staff and governors know where the school is doing well and what needs to improve further."

The full report can be found here.