Ofsted heaps praise on improved Grantham school

Staff and pupils at a Grantham primary school are celebrating after improving their Ofsted rating to ‘good’ after a two-day inspection last month.

Belmont Primary School, in Harrowby Lane, was told it ‘requires improvement’ in October 2016 but has recently been praised by Ofsted for creating “a culture of team work and high aspirations” and for the significant progress made since the last inspection.

In her report, inspector Donna Moulds said: “Staff and pupils identify themselves as being part of ‘Team Belmont’.

“Values, such as respect, resilience and reflectiveness, resonate throughout the school.”

She also noted that staff morale was high and leaders take decisive action to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.

Also during her visit, the inspector reported: “Pupils relish challenging work. They have positive attitudes to learning and show high levels of resilience and perseverance.

“As one pupil said, ‘We never give up’.

“Teachers know the pupils well and have a secure understanding of what pupils need to improve in their learning. Work is well matched to most pupils’ abilities. As a result, pupils engage quickly in learning and make good progress.

“The development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong.”

She also praised pupils’ behaviour, describing them as being “well mannered and friendly”.

The “rich and engaging curriculum” also prompted praise with pupils being taught about a wide range of interesting topics, such as ancient Greece, the Holocaust and refugees.

Proud headteacher Matthew Davidson told the Journal: “We are extremely proud of our new overall grading of ‘good’ and are committed to continue to work hard as we strive for an outstanding judgment in the future.

“The outcome of the inspection represents fantastic progress from the previous grading in October 2016 and it is as a direct result of the continuing tireless work of the staff team, the children and their families.”