PUPILS have won high praise for their ‘exemplary attitude to learning’ after Government inspectors visited their village school.
Staff and children at Pickhill Church of England Primary School, near Thirsk, celebrated after Ofsted officials reaffirmed their ‘good’ rating four years after their last inspection.
Inspectors were impressed with teaching and learning right across the curriculum and had nothing but high praise for the pupils themselves.
In his report inspector Phil Scott said: “Pupils are a credit to the school and themselves. They display exemplary attitudes to learning, clearly motivated to always do their very best, simply because they want to be successful.
“They are kind, caring and tolerant of each other. They show great pride in their well-ordered and attractive school, enhanced by high-quality displays. During my visit, the key stage 2 children sang with gusto in preparation for their end-of-year show.
“Pupils show a strong sense of responsibility and independence, exemplified by their knowledge of the ‘3 Bs’ if they need help with work – ‘brain, buddy, board’ before asking the teacher.
“Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. They proudly explained their interaction and money-raising exploits for partner schools in India and Ghana. Parents appear to be in full agreement, one stating that their ‘child’s potential is being realised and supported’. Another said, ‘we feel lucky’ to be part of this ‘fantastic small school’.”
The lead inspector also praised the leadership team for maintaining the standards of education in the school and for being ‘resolute in your determination to improve the quality of teaching’.
Of the leaders he said: “Since September, you have tackled your role with a calm yet passionate approach.
“Your determined leadership has also brought about improvements to teaching and learning. Well supported by the governing body, you have rigorously addressed any issues of underperformance or weakness and have brought together a skilled and enthusiastic school team.”
He highlighted the investment the school had made in training and support to enhance the professional expertise of staff, especially in the teaching of mathematics.
He said: “She has blossomed in this role and is, in a large part, responsible for the substantial improvements made in this historically weaker area for the school.”
Teachers’ creativity, which wove Harry Potter and Treasure Island into a range of lessons, including maths and English, was also highlighted for its effectiveness.
Headteacher Rowena Sykes said she was delighted with the report. “The praise given to pupils is richly deserved and I am thrilled that we have managed to create a safe and stimulating learning environment in which they can flourish.
“Staff, governors, pupils and their families share a common purpose here at Pickhill School, to create the perfect learning environment to maximise outcomes and give our young people the very best chances in life.”