Bedfield Primary School, in Cemetery Road, near Framlingham, secures good rating following first Ofsted inspection since becoming academy

A pet dog has taken a starring role in a primary school’s latest Ofsted inspection, which praised the institution for having ‘extremely happy’ pupils.

Bedfield Primary School, in Cemetery Road, near Framlingham, was visited by Ofsted on October 15 and 16, securing an overall good rating in all key areas, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership.

It is the school’s first inspection since converting to an academy in 2021.

Imogen Wallis, executive headteacher, expressed her delight with the results and was pleased that inspectors recognised what a wonderful school it is.

She added: “It’s lovely our school dog Cleo gets a mention in the inspection – she acts as a therapeutic presence when children feel anxious and they love her so much.

“As the report recognises, this school is like a big family – we see lots of examples of older children caring for the younger children and helping them in their work.

“Although we are a small school, we have big ambitions for what children can achieve both academically and socially.”

The report praised the staff for looking out for pupils, ensuring they have a place where they can share their concerns.

In turn, pupils are ready to learn and bring ‘tremendous enthusiasm’ to everything they do.

“They love reading and finding out about the world around them,” the report said. “When faced with a problem, they are resilient and do not give up.”

The school was recognised for its ‘dazzling range’ of clubs and extra-curricular activities, which help students hone new skills and enhance curriculum knowledge.

Pupils visit farms, the zoo and look after the chickens, which helps them to build an understanding of animal welfare and the environment.

The report also highlighted the school’s ambitious and inclusive curriculum, particularly for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), who are equipped with the language to express how they feel.

As a result, pupils know how to modify their behaviours without prompting.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge and ensure pupils revisit what they have learned, which helps them to remember and grasp more complex ideas.

In maths, this helps them to multiply with ease, and in science, they can use subject-specific language to explain food chains, the ecosystem and life cycles.

“The knowledge pupils learn builds on prior learning,” the report said. “At their best, teachers meticulously identify gaps in knowledge and misconception.

“Pupils receive precise support to help them improve.”

The curriculum was also matched by the priority given to reading.

The inspectors said: “Pupils apply their phonics knowledge to read unfamiliar language and read with fluency because they practice often.

“Older pupils read with expression and retell stories in their own words. The books pupils read help them to build a rich vocabulary and understand grammar. “

However, some teachers do not rigorously identify spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors in the work of some younger pupils.

As a result, some pupils sometimes continue to make the same mistakes.

The school must support teachers to ensure they identify mistakes in pupil’s writing and provide pupils with the help they need so that they learn better.