‘Unique and nurturing’ Suffolk primary school rated good after Ofsted visit

Sandlings Primary School has been rated as good following a visit by school inspectors Ofsted.

Sandlings Primary School in Sutton, near Woodbridge has been given the rating less than three years after being rated as requiring improvement.

Inspectors visited the school in March, just a week prior to the closure of all schools by the Government in the wake of the coronavirus.

In their previous visit in October 2017 inspectors had raised concerns about the progress being made by pupils and raised concerns about the impact of “staffing” turbulence on pupils.

In the latest report, however, inspectors were quick to praise the changes that had been made at the school and the impacts these were having on pupils.

“Leaders have improved the quality of education since the previous inspection,” read the report.

“This is reflected in the standards pupils now achieve at each stage of their education.”

The report also praised how pupils felt that they were part of a ‘unique and nurturing’ school.

It said students felt that their voices were heard at Sandlings and highlighted they way that pupils could make a contribution to school like including through its council.

Inspectors also praised the culture of high expectation in place at the school which it said was helping pupils to achieve well.

At the last visit concerns were also placed on the role of the governors at the school

This time inspectors described them as “well-informed” and said they were keeping a close eye on progress being made under the school’s leadership.

The report did raise a few areas which the school needed to work on including curriculum plans for subjects like history and music.

“Leaders need to ensure that the plans for these subjects are further developed so that pupils can develop their conceptual understanding and can apply their knowledge and skills across the full range of curriculum subjects,” said the inspector.

It also called on the school to communicate more with parents about what the school’s curriculum so that they can understand what their children are learning about.

In a statement on their Twitter the school said: “We are delighted to let it be known that our OFSTED inspection in March found us to be a good school.”

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