Our school has had an interesting journey in terms of Ofsted; the pre-amalgamated Infant and Junior schools were inspected separately in 2009 and 2013. In 2019 the two schools amalgamated and BVP as it is now, inherited the URN (Unique reference number) of the Junior school, and in doing that, inherited the Ofsted grading from 2013. Inspections have changed quite a bit since then. Under the current framework, the day before December's inspection, as HT I needed to be able to tell the lead inspector where I thought we were in terms of school improvement and what our strengths and areas for development were. Whilst in school, inspectors then checked to see if staff, children, parents and Governors said the same things... and they/ you did!

 

The report says we are 'good' in all areas, which of course is a positive, and throughout the report there are many statements indicating that the school is heading in the right direction. Descriptions of general positive elements include working hard to ensure pupils attend regularly, that we set high expectations for behaviour and we have a good range of clubs to help children develop talents and interests. Inspectors recognised children settle well when they join us in Reception, that we have an ambitious curriculum and that children learn to read well.

 

Ofsted reports are often quite generic due to the limitations placed on lead inspectors, however during the inspection itself and at the final feedback sessions, senior leaders were given much more detail. I am very aware that some of the statements in the report (although positive) will not be a reflection of some children and parents' experience of BVP. Please don't think I am unaware of the issues we continue to have; on the contrary, I am acutely aware of the work we need to do across many elements of school life before we can say, hand on heart, we are solidly 'good' in all areas.

 

The really good news is that everything the team asked us to improve on were already school priorities and the inspectors recognised that with early identification of the areas for improvement back in January 2023 and the rate in in which these have been achieved, we have the capacity to continue in the upward direction we have secured over the last twelve months.