Kersey Church of England Primary School, near Hadleigh, celebrates glowing Ofsted report

The headteachers of a primary school near Hadleigh have offered their heartfelt gratitude to its community after a glowing Ofsted report.

Inspectors praised the ambitious curriculum at Kersey Church of England Primary School, which they said ensures pupils achieve well, during a visit in June.

Jess Damant and Claire Dunnell-Paley, co-headteachers, were delighted to share the results of the report.

Highlights included a focus on high-quality teaching, strong leadership, outstanding behaviour, attitudes and personal development as well as strong community values, they said.

Ms Dunnell-Paley said: “We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated staff, supportive parents and, most importantly, our wonderful students.

“Your hard work, enthusiasm and resilience have been instrumental in achieving this recognition.

“We will continue to build on this success, ensuring that our school remains a place where every child can thrive, learn and grow.

“We are all on a journey together, leaving no one behind.”

Kersey achieved an overall good rating following the inspection, with behaviour and attitudes, as well as personal development, securing outstanding ratings.

Inspectors Rob James and Rebecca McCutcheon said pupils were proud to be part of the ‘Kersey family’ and were given many opportunities to become more confident and resilient and develop leadership skills.

They could also influence school decisions, they said.

However, in some areas, teachers did not always check what pupils have learned routinely, which meant they could not help plan learning that helps pupils build on what they already know.

In addition, the opportunity to read a wide variety of books is not sufficiently well planned, they said.

Kersey Church of England Primary School, which is celebrating its 150th birthday this year, became an academy in 2021.

It had 41 pupils on its roll at the time of the inspection.