Outstanding Ofsted grade for Lowdham Church of England Primary School

A primary school has received an outstanding Ofsted report — the only school in Nottinghamshire to have retained the rating.

Lowdham Church of England Primary has retained its outstanding rating after first achieving Ofsted’s highest grade back in 2011.

The school, which caters for five to 11-year-olds, was rated as outstanding across all areas during the latest inspection, which took place in July.

Head Ben Waldram said: “For a school to achieve outstanding is incredibly rare. We are the only school in Nottinghamshire to have retained that judgment, which is quite amazing really.

“I did a little bit of digging. There are just over 1,500 primary school in the East Midlands and to date there are only 15 that have retained the same judgment, which just goes to show what an incredible achievement it is.”

The report praised the quality of education, saying that leaders had designed a highly-effective curriculum with plans mapping out what pupils need to know and remember in all subjects, and in all year groups and accessible for all pupils with no barrier for those with disabilities.

This curriculum is forensically planned and taught throughout the school and right from the start of a child’s education the students are engaged in learning with each activity given clear purpose in supporting and adding to knowledge, said the report.

Reading was also prioritised and staff were experts in the teaching of phonics. Pupils quickly learn the sounds they need to know in order to read and pupils who struggle to read, get extra help.

Teachers provide parents with information about how they can help their child to read at home and the use of high-quality texts is central to the English curriculum.

Pupils become accomplished readers after being encouraged to find books they enjoy and to read independently.

Leaders have the highest expectations for what their pupils can achieve and the pupils value their learning and work hard in lessons.

The inspectors said kindness was at the heart of the school’s work and every pupil was known as an individual.

Adults notice when pupils are upset and provide the help they need. Pupils also look out for each other.

The report also noted the schools strong sense of teamwork, trust and appreciation between leaders, staff and governors, helping the school to establish an outstanding learning environment for all.

“I was pleased to see the report talks about all children making progress and being included, about children with special needs flourishing and that fits our mission of making sure that all our staff and children shine like stars, which is our motto,” said Mr Waldram.

“For us, it’s not just about lessons, we try to provide our students with the life skills they need that when they leave us in year six they are armed with the cultural and social knowledge to go out into the world.

“By no means are we a perfect school but we do things for the right reasons and I’m so grateful that the inspectors saw the school that we see every day.”

“We know that we are better than good and it is nice to have that validation, but even more than that it provides reassurance for the community and our parents that they know their children come to a such a good, happy school.”

Mr Waldram has been at Lowdham for six years, but will now be moving on the take up the top position at Fernwood Primary School in Wollaton, with the hope of replicating the same success he had in Lowdham.

He said: “For me to leave the school in such a position for the staff and the incoming headteacher, I am absolutely thrilled.

“Ultimately, I am responsible for overseeing everything but there is no chance I could have done this without the staff, they’ve been incredible.

“Their contribution has been huge. Their love for Lowdham is transparent in everything they do and will be more than capable of carrying on without me.

“I will be very sad to leave the staff, children and the community but I hope to take the many valuable lessons I’ve learned here with me.”

The school also runs a change makers scheme, which tries to encourage children to think about how they can make a change in the world with successes including raising money for good causes, funding for a school defibrillator and working with a village in Ghana.