Stanton Community Primary School near Bury St Edmunds continues to be a ‘good’ school, says Ofsted

A village primary school has been praised by the education watchdog for its support for pupils, ‘broad and ambitious’ curriculum and ‘extensive’ range of trips, clubs and experiences.

Ofsted said Stanton Community Primary School in Stanton, near Bury St Edmunds, continued to be ‘good’ following an ungraded inspection on May 8 and 9.

The school was graded good in all areas at its last full inspection in 2019.

Following the visit earlier this month, Ofsted said the school had high expectations for all pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) know that staff go ‘above and beyond’ to help them achieve, enabling them to be active members of the school community.

The report said: “Pupils enjoy coming to school. There are warm, positive relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils say teachers ‘take care of them’ and Samson the therapy dog helps them if they feel sad.

“Pupils feel safe and know who to talk to if they have a concern.”

The report said pupils achieve in line with others nationally for reading and writing and above others nationally in multiplication checks.

For pupils with SEND, their individual needs are identified precisely and they receive support to access the same learning as their peers.

Children in the early years are enthusiastic about learning and priority is placed on developing children's communication and language skills.

The report also said pupils behave well and those with persistent absenteeism receive the right support that improves their attendance and punctuality.

Opportunities for learning beyond the curriculum was also praised in the report, with mention to the wide range of clubs and many educational trips and experiences that bring learning to life for pupils. These include meeting astronomers, visiting historical sites and the theatre.

To improve, Ofsted said the school should focus on checking how well the curriculum is being implemented in the foundation subjects – something the report said leaders were in the early stages of.

The watchdog also said leaders should work together to make sure that new members of the governing body understand their role and carry this out effectively so that they can hold leaders to account for the quality of education.