Praise for school where reading a priority

A Staffordshire headteacher says she is proud a recent Ofsted inspection had found "continued high standards" at her school.

St Nicholas Church of England First School had taken "effective action" to maintain the standards identified during a previous visit, according to inspectors.

Headteacher Jodie Parker, chief executive officer of Codsall Multi-Academy Trust, said she was pleased all three schools had been recognised with positive inspection outcomes over the last 18 months.

"The most recent inspection at St Nicholas CE First School celebrates inclusivity, staff expertise and the high levels of care," she said.

Ms Parker added: "We look forward to continuing the work to ensure that the children and young people in our area get the best that we can offer."

In their report, inspectors described it as a welcoming school, where pupils had "a deep sense of belonging".

"The school's values of respect, perseverance, care, trust and thankfulness are central to its work", they said.

Inspectors felt the curriculum had been carefully designed and staff were clear about the expectations in each year group.

Reading was a high priority, they said, and school governors shared the school's ambitions for its pupils.

They noted the writing curriculum was not consistently implemented, however, and as a result standards in writing were not as high as those in other subjects.

The school had also not made sure all staff knew how to support all pupils effectively and that this had affected how well some pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) had achieved.

Teachers were advised to ensure all staff had the necessary expertise to support pupils with SEND effectively.

However, the report highlighted that St Nicholas was an inclusive school, and pupils with SEND were included in all aspects of school life.

Ofsted also found teachers were ambitious for what pupils could achieve and children attending the school achieved high standards.

They expected pupils to follow rules and routines called "The St Nicholas Way" which were followed well, according to the report.

It continued that children were "incredibly polite and respectful".

Extra-curricular activities included football, a vocal group and a first-aid club.

Pupils have also visited a farm to learn about growing food - as well as growing vegetables at school and making soup.

Some children had learned to play musical instruments and performed alongside the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the report said.

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