Pupils have ‘positive attitudes’ to learning, says Ofsted inspector

Rake C of E Primary School received the report last week and was delighted to retain its rating, which it has had since 2012. It was rated ‘good’ in all five categories of the inspection – overall effectiveness, the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and early years provision.

Ofsted last visited the school in April 2016 for a ‘short’ one-day inspection and gave it an overall ‘good’ rating but the visit last month was a full two-day one and one of the first under a new Ofsted framework.

The report said Rake pupils ‘develop important skills in a range of subjects,’ that the school’s leaders are ‘passionate about providing pupils with a rich learning experience’ and have ‘planned the skills and knowledge they want pupils to learn in all subjects’.

The report said: “Pupils enjoy coming to school. Pupils and staff are friendly and welcoming, making school a happy place to be. Relationships at all levels are kind and caring.

“Adults are supportive and nurturing. Teachers encourage pupils to work hard and do their best. Pupils respond well to this. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They work hard.”

The inspector also praised the school for its ‘enrichment opportunities’, including visits, forest school, STEM and art days and PE.

Executive head David Bertwistle said: “I am particularly proud that our staff have created an environment in which, as Ofsted says ‘pupils enjoy coming to the school’ and that ‘relationships at all levels are kind and caring’. As the report clearly recognises, ‘pupils respond well to this’ and therefore ‘have positive attitudes to learning’.

"To me, that’s what small schools can do best and it’s the main reason why parents choose this school – and our partner school Rogate.”

Co-chair of governors, Nicholas Taylor added: “In her feedback to the governors, the inspector praised the strong partnership we have formed with Rogate and the joint work we are doing together.

“We look forward to doing even more to prove that small, rural, C of E schools cannot only provide the quality of education Ofsted is looking for but can also ‘ensure that pupils learn how to be responsible citizens’.”

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