Staff, parents, governors and pupils at Culgaith C of E School in Penrith are celebrating today after Ofsted inspectors praised the school for their hard work and achievements.
Inspectors said that the school is an effective and inclusive school. By Year 2 standards are above the national average for English Maths and Science. The headteacher and governing body provide good leadership and management. All in all the school provides good value for money.
Lynn Harrison, Headteacher at the school said:
"We are really proud of the achievements and successes acknowledged in the report, all of which are to do with the whole community and the way we all work so well together - children, parents, staff, governors and the wider community. I am particularly pleased that the children can hear from the report that their very good behaviour and positive attitude to their learning are significant features of our success. This report is a very positive affirmation of what happens in school and of our plans for future improvements."
The main findings in the report were:
1. The headteacher motivates colleagues well to achieve the best for the pupils
2. There is a strong sense of teamwork within the school
3. Good teaching is leading to good achievement and support staff make a significant contribution to pupils' learning throughout the school
4. Pupils have good attitudes to learning and behave very well
5. The school's very positive ethos successfully promotes the very good spiritual, moral and social developments of pupils
6. There are very good links with the community, parents and other schools which supports pupils learning offering good opportunities to enrich the curriculum
7. Resources for ICT are used well and supports learning in other subjects
8. The school's assessing process is used appropriately to inform future learning but more needs to be done to explain to pupils how they can improve. Strategies are already in place in the school improvement plan to ensure this is addressed.
The school was last inspected in 1999 and improvements since then have been good. Parents continue to be very pleased with the quality of education, the standards achieved by pupils and the standard of care provided at the school.