Ofsted Report March 2015
Thurton is an outstanding school, where: “not only does the school nurture pupils’ intellect and academic prowess; the outstanding teaching also develops the whole child through sport, visual and performing arts, design technology and cooking food.”
Mrs Williams the headteacher said: “The staff and governors are proud and humbled to be graded as outstanding in every area, but also told by the Ofsted inspectors that the school had met every single part of the outstanding judgement in the Ofsted framework. This is a truly special place!” She was particularly pleased that the school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure was judged to be outstanding. The inspectors spent a long time looking at safeguarding and during the inspection, the school was told that the work of safeguarding practices, including monitoring behaviour of pupils, risk assessments and ESafety was exemplary.
The governors of Thurton Primary were pleased that the Headteacher Mrs Cassandra Williams, who is ably supported by the assistant headteacher Mr Jonathan Barber, were recognised to have created a culture and ethos that is outstanding in the way that it focuses relentlessly on teaching and learning and strives for excellence now and the future. Being able to develop a ‘Team Thurton’ spirit where staff and pupils work together harmoniously. Where everyone is immersed in a ‘can-do culture’, where nothing is seen by pupils or teaching staff as a potential barrier to successful learning. As part of the outstanding leadership and management, the governors were praised for fulfilling their core responsibility and statutory duties very effectively.
The inspectors said that “the broad, balanced and superbly enriched curriculum is outstanding in promoting effective spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and provides valuable opportunities for pupils to experience life beyond Thurton, including a residential to London. This ensures that pupils not only appreciate and understand fundamental British values – they live by them and develop an excellent understanding about life in modern Britain.”
In her report, the inspector Linda Killman stated: “Well judged and often inspiring teaching methods and approaches promote pupils’ exceptionally positive attitudes to learning. Pupils love to learn.”
The school was particularly proud that the behaviour of the pupils was judged to be outstanding. The inspectors found them to be “polite, well-mannered, respectful and extremely keen to talk to inspectors about their work and school life generally. They are exceedingly confident young people but at the same time they demonstrate humility and celebrate their own and each other’s achievements with equal pride. The children live up to their value statement of doing my best, being my best and trying my best.” Mrs Killman was particularly impressed as the children show resilience in learning and are unafraid to make mistakes because they know they will learn from them.
Mrs Killman wrote in her report: “At the start of each day children come into school smiling with a spring in their step because they enjoy it so much.”
The local authority describe this outstanding school as ‘inward looking and outward facing’.
The parents are thrilled as well, and many have told the staff that they weren’t really surprised as Thurton Primary is such a lovely place to come; one parent mentioning their child was disappointed that holidays were coming because they couldn’t come to school.
The staff and governors would like to thank the school community for the continued support to ensure that Thurton was able to become the best school it could be at this time: we aim to be even better!