Head's praise for staff after positive Ofsted report

A headteacher has heaped praise on her staff after receiving a positive report from Ofsted.
Staff and children at Colgate Primary SchoolStaff and children at Colgate Primary School
Staff and children at Colgate Primary School

Following a two-day inspection, Colgate Primary School was rated ‘good’ in all areas by inspector Julie Sackett.

While Ms Sackett’s report placed credit for improvements at the school largely with Rebecca Winn, who took over the headship in 2016, she in turn made clear that it had been very much a team effort.

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The report said Mrs Winn had brought “significant improvement” since her appointment.”

It added: “The headteacher has won the respect of pupils, staff, governors and parents since her appointment in 2016. She has improved staff morale and established a confident, hardworking and positive atmosphere in the school. All staff who completed Ofsted’s online questionnaire feel that the school has improved since the previous inspection and say that they are proud to work in the school.”

The children were described as “considerate, respectful and polite” and were seen to be making strong progress in reading, writing and maths.

Ms Sackett said standards were rising across the school and, as a result, pupils were “increasingly well prepared for the next stage of their learning”.

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Every parent who completed Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire said their children were happy and well taught at Colgate, adding that they would recommend the school to others.

Looking at areas for further improvement, Ms Sackett called on the school to ensure teaching “deepens and extends” learning for the most able pupils.

In addition, teachers were called on to have high expectations of the children’s written work and to embed recent improvements into the teaching of writing to further strengthen the progress made by pupils.

Mrs Winn said: “The process was really hard work, so when the report came in we were really pleased with the positivity about our school. We’re very much a team.”

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She said it had been a “privilege” to work with her team these past 18 months, describing the high morale as core when it came to providing “strong teaching and learning and getting really happy children”.

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