'Impressive' Ofsted report marks end of great year for Braunston school

Following an inspection in early November, inspectors gave Braunston, which is part of the Peterborough Diocese Education Trust (PDET), a ‘good’ rating overall. The report says that pupils are “proud of their friendly school”, with pupils saying to inspectors that their school is a family “because we care and help each other”.

The report goes on to say that “leaders and staff are ambitious for all pupils” and “have created a positive and purposeful environment for effective learning.”

This learning environment is equally important both in and out of the traditional classroom with the school being particularly proud of its recently opened forest school provision.

Headteacher Lianna Willis said: “We are delighted with the outcome. This judgement is a brilliant reflection of our school’s many strengths.

“What I particularly like are the comments about our children - they truly are the best reflection of what we do well as a school. The inspection team found them to be caring, happy and flourishing in their learning.”

The report states that “pupils aim to be ‘courageous advocates’ and be responsible citizens in their community and beyond. They fundraise for charities. Older pupils are considerate helpers around the school.” They also found that “leaders have ensured that pupils have developed a clear understanding of right and wrong.”

Mrs Willis added: “In addition, the quality of education that we provide has also been captured by the Inspectors. We put a real focus on reading, and I was delighted that the report says how much our children love reading and can talk about their favourite authors and books they enjoy engaging with.”

“Being able to share the report makes a wonderful end to what has been a fantastic year for our schools and our community.”

The quality of mathematics provision at the school, was highlighted in the inspector’s report, commenting that teachers help: “pupils to build their mathematical knowledge securely, so pupils feel confident and are successful.” The report went onto explain that: “Teachers explain new ideas clearly, step by step. They check that pupils understand concepts before moving on.”

The inspectors also praised the school’s sense of community. The report concludes: “Parents appreciate that their children are happy and learn well at this school. Staff are proud to work here… they say that they are well supported by the trust, leaders and colleagues.”

Ruth Walker-Green, CEO of PDET, added: “Alongside the great feedback on learning, what strikes me the most when I read the report is how there is a real team effort to ensure the very best provision for the children.

“My colleagues, both in the school, on the governance committee and across the wider PDET family should be applauded. This is an impressive outcome and one that the whole community should be proud of.”