Reydon Primary School, in Jermyns Road, part of the Active Learning Trust, celebrates retaining good Ofsted rating

A village primary school has celebrated retaining its good rating from Ofsted.

Reydon Primary, in Jermyns Road, was visited by the education watchdog on February 28 and 29 and maintained the grading it received five years ago.

The school, which is part of the Active Learning Trust, achieved the rating across all five inspection areas.

Inspectors Sue Child and Rachael Judd noted the education establishment’s ‘calm and purposeful’ atmosphere and said that pupils are happy at the ‘welcoming school’.

Martyn Payne, executive headteacher of Reydon Primary School, said: “I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to our dedicated staff, our wonderful pupils, and their supportive families.

“This achievement is a collective effort and I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished together.”

Trust chief executive Lynsey Holzer praised Mr Payne and congratulated the Reydon community for fostering a positive learning environment.

The report said pupils at the school are well looked after by caring staff and that it has a family ethos.

Students are curious and stimulated by interesting learning activities, including in early years, and the curriculum is under constant review, inspectors noted.

Special Educational Needs and Development (SEND) pupils are supported effectively, with staff identifying those who need extra support from early years.

The school organises extra-curricular opportunities to contribute to students’ wider learning and promote talents and interests, including to historical sites such as castles, sporting venues and places of worship.

Inspectors praised the behaviour of children at the school, with pupils motivated by its reward system and the chance to have their name recorded on the ‘high recognition board’.

Safeguarding arrangements are regarded as effective.

The report did note that, in some subjects, the knowledge pupils should learn and when they should learn it has not been precisely identified.

This meant that in these subjects teachers did not make sure new learning builds on what pupils already know, so they do not learn well enough in them.

Mr Payne acknowledged this and said it provided ‘valuable insights’ into areas for future development and these will remain a priority on the school’s ‘journey to excellence’.