Suffolk school Bacton Primary, near Stowmarket, is rated ‘good’ by Ofsted following June inspection

Pupils have been praised for their kindness and attitude to learning by inspectors who graded their school ‘good’ in every area.

Bacton Primary School in Bacton, near Stowmarket, had previously been rated ‘requires improvement’ by Ofsted, in 2019, but an inspection on June 6 and 7 raised it to good.

As well as being graded good for overall effectiveness and five sub-categories, safeguarding was deemed effective, which is the highest level.

Inspectors said pupils at the John Milton Academy Trust school are ‘enthusiastic learners’ who are ‘keen to do their very best’ and enjoy being at school.

The children follow the school’s ‘Bacton behaviours’, including kindness, respect, cooperation and trying one’s best, and its mission of ‘working together, aiming high’.

The Ofsted report said: “Pupils say Bacton School is a great place to be. They enjoy being at school and feel safe and well cared for by staff.”

Sarah King, head of school at Bacton, said: “All of us at Bacton are so pleased to see our pupils praised throughout the report, alongside the great work by our staff in driving improvements at our school.

“Our children are exemplary young learners and are a credit to our entire school family. It is a pleasure to teach at a school where children are given the confidence and enthusiasm to excel.

“Bacton truly is a great place to be and we are pleased this has been recognised.”

Other areas commended by inspectors included the school’s approach to leadership, with children ‘excitedly’ taking on roles such as reading ambassadors and eco-rangers.

The school’s curriculum was labelled ‘ambitious, broad and inclusive’, with solid foundations in place for future learning in Early Years.

Its approach to reading was also praised, alongside support for SEND pupils (those with special educational needs and/or disabilities) and extra-curricular activities.

And inspectors said pupils have access to a wide range of experiences that enhance their learning, including close collaboration with the local church, visits to Suffolk farm fair and participation in reading and mathematics cafés.

Tessa Sait, executive headteacher at Bacton, added: “It is great the hard work of staff and pupils has been recognised.

“Our improvement journey is ongoing and we will continue to provide our children the best opportunities and prepare them for the next stages of their learning.

“I would also like to thank all parents and carers within the Bacton family, as we would not be in this position were it not for their input.”

To improve further, Ofsted said the school needs to work on ensuring all pupils are challenged to extend and deepen their knowledge.

“For a few pupils, learning tasks do not always provide enough challenge to further deepen their knowledge. This means that these pupils do not achieve as highly as they could,” the report said.