Ofsted
Our recent Ofsted report makes clear that our pupils are 'happy and safe'. It also acknowledges that we have introduced a long-reaching plan to transform all aspects of learning, support and development for every child
Cotham Gardens Primary has seen considerable change and turbulence in leadership and governance over the past few years and Ofsted inspectors who visited before Christmas said that standards were not as high as they should be.
Inspectors said recent work to solidify governance and introduce a more strategic approach is ‘laying the foundations’ on which to build for the future. Ofsted no longer delivers a one-word judgement on schools, but the inspectors said Cotham Gardens needed to improve in all aspects of school life (quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and early years).
In the key area of safeguarding, Ofsted inspectors said arrangements were ‘effective’ and acknowledged that school improvement was still ‘in the early stages’. Inspectors commented to several positive aspects of school life:
- The curriculum is well-designed to identify what pupils will learn from Reception to Year 6.
- Children learn to read as soon as they start in the Reception Year. At this early stage, children read books that match the sounds that they know. They also develop a strong grounding in numbers and early mathematics.
- There is a rigorous approach to securing pupils’ attendance at school. Staff work closely with families and external agencies to gain an understanding of the causes of any absence. This work has had a demonstrable impact.
- Recent changes within the trust board are in the early stages of bringing stability and a more strategic approach to planning and implementing the improvements that are required. This is beginning to lay the foundations on which to build.
The staff team is motivated and determined to address the issues raised by Ofsted while consolidating the work already done in the past few months. Cotham Gardens is a happy place and we have tried to foster an environment where children have the chance to showcase all their talents. We will be continuing to engage with parents as we continue on this exciting journey, and are extremely grateful to everyone for their overwhelming support of the school since the report's publication.
You can download the full report by clicking here.