Head's delight as Shrewsbury primary school is rated 'good' by inspectors

Condover C of E Primary School, near Shrewsbury, received a "Good" rating from Ofsted at its most recent inspection. The watchdog gives schools one of four grades - Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement or Inadequate.

When inspectors visited Condover at the end of May, they praised the relationships between staff and pupils.

Inspectors said that "leaders and staff have a clear vision for the school", that pupils’ behaviour is a strength, and that they are "proud to attend their school".

Special mention was also given to the school dog, Mabel, who "greets you at the door with a wagging tail".

From an academic perspective, Ofsted inspectors noted that reading has been prioritised across the curriculum, while in mathematics and history there is a "coherent and embedded curriculum" that helps build pupils’ knowledge over time.

Positive evidence was seen to show the personal development of pupils is promoted throughout the school and that the pupils themselves have a ‘strong voice’ in decisions that are taken.

Inspectors also found that school leaders have high expectations of pupils with special educational needs and disability, and that as a result of this they receive "good support" and are "fully included in all aspects of school life".

In terms of improvements which could be made, inspectors said: "At times, assessment is not used as effectively is it could be for some pupils. This means that occasionally pupils are not being moved on as quickly with their learning as they could be. Leaders need to ensure that assessment is purposeful and used effectively to ensure that the curriculum is having the strong impact that they intend."

Kerrie Lewis, executive headteacher at the school, said: “We are absolutely delighted with this report. It fully reflects why we are so proud of this school and why it is such a fantastic place. To be rated as ‘Good’ once again is really pleasing and it shows that the many improvements made over the years have been sustained.

“From a personal point of view, it is incredibly satisfying to read that pupils are proud of their school and that they are happy here. These comments are a clear demonstration of the hard work that our staff do, and it was great to see the strong relationship between them and the pupils highlighted.

“I’d like to thank everyone from the school community for everything they do to ensure this school remains such a positive environment and can offer reassurance that we will all continue to work as hard as we can to give our children the very best education possible.”