A SOUTH Shropshire junior school has been praised as “outstanding” when it comes to caring, guiding and supporting its 264 children.
Ludlow Junior School was visited by Ofsted inspectors back on March 3 and 4.
Overall the school was given a satisfactory rating but it was graded as outstanding in the area of care, guidance and support.
Head teacher, Sally Swann, praised her “brilliant” staff and said that the school’s senior management team was already working to improve attainment and the progress made by all pupils.
Ofsted Inspector Declan McCauley said: “Staff at the school know the pupils well and take very good care of them. The school supports pupils very effectively. The work which the school does with pupils , their families and a range of outside support groups has a very positive impact on the ability of pupils facing challenging circumstances.”
The inspector said pupils were well prepared for their next stage of education by Year 6. The inspectors’ comments were echoed by parents, with the vast majority overwhelmingly positive about the school and its work. More than a third filled in a questionnaire and some wrote letters to expand on their views. One parent wrote: “Ludlow Junior school has offered my son a very positive and happy learning experience.”
As for the children themselves, Ofsted said they were well behaved, knew how to eat healthily and “care well for others, both at school and in the wider community.”
Overall, the inspector stated: “Ludlow Junior School is a very welcoming and happy school which provides a satisfactory education.
“The headteacher has made many improvements and the vast majority of parents are pleased with the children’s experiences of school.”
The inspector was critical of some of the teaching standards in school, describing the quality of teaching as “variable” and stating that teachers sometimes did not move pupils on fast enough.
The inspector said: “In some lessons, teachers expect pupils to spend too much time sitting on the carpet listening to them instead of engaging them in active learning tasks.”
Ofsted wants the school to build on its success by offering more challenging work for some of its pupils and to ensure that effective evaluation procedures are in place.