A Croydon primary school, previously shut down by the Government’s education watchdog Ofsted, has attained Outstanding ratings in most key areas after reopening as an academy.
West Thornton Primary School was temporarily closed in February 2020 following an inspection which found that the school’s performance was largely “inadequate”.
In the most recent inspection, however, West Thornton was rated Outstanding in four of Ofsted’s five key areas: behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and early years provision. The remaining area, quality of education, was classed as Good.
The school joined the Inspire Partnership Academy Trust (IPAT) in 2020 and has undergone substantive improvements to pupils’ educational experience. Including West Thornton, IPAT now runs nine separate schools, two of which are deemed to have Outstanding provisions. The other seven schools all have Good ratings.
Rob Carpenter, CEO at IPAT, said: “We are incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication of our staff, pupils, and parents at West Thornton Primary School.
“This Outstanding rating in 4 out of 5 categories is a testament to their commitment to providing an exceptional education for every child.”
Ofsted’s report finds that school leaders “have been committed to the journey of improvement and have a detailed and accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and the areas they want to improve further,” creating an “ambitious culture that puts pupils’ learning, and their readiness for the next stage, at the centre of everything they do.”
Inspectors commended West Thornton’s leadership team for their commitment to the IPAT’s “golden thread”, which focuses on allowing students to “see themselves through their community, school and curriculum, building the confidence and the skills to meet the world”. The report says that these foundational values have allowed students to thrive.
Staff’s “relentless focus” on developing pupil’s language and vocabulary has seen marked improvements in overall learning outcomes and has ensured West Thornton students are well-prepared for future learning.
At a time where education is notoriously underfunded and teachers are often strained and overworked, the report suggests that school staff are “overwhelmingly positive” about leader’s management of their workload:
“They feel listened to, and valued, and are extremely proud of the school’s progress since it joined the Inspire Partnership Academy Trust.”
The report does suggest, however, that refinement of West Thornton’s curriculum is necessary to facilitate a “deeper understanding” of certain subjects. While recall in these subjects is still strong, it says, further consolidation is required to maintain the school’s high standards across the board.
