STAFF and pupils at a West Devon primary school are celebrating their Ofsted inspection report, which has graded them officially as ‘good’.

The teachers and other staff of Horrabridge Primary and Nursery School are praised for providing a ‘purposeful and inspiring’ environment which is reflected in their behaviour.

The pupils are said to gain a ‘wealth of experience and opportunities to develop their talents and interests’ with parents valuing the positive outcome on their children.

Staff are said to be ‘committed to get the very best from pupils’. ’Pupils are taught a ‘rich and ambitious’ curriculum for pupils right from the start, with reading a ‘priority and strength’.

The children’s wide experiences include sport, music and art and curriculum links with the local community.

The report says pupils have ‘trusted relationships’ with adults and ‘feel safe and want to attend’. Also, the school is ‘tenacious in securing the right support’ for pupils. As a result, children flourish at the school and talked about life and their achievements there with pride, including holding roles of responsibility ‘conscientiously’. 

The children also encourage and support each other, valuing the inclusive culture and treating everyone equally — reflected in the staff. Parents too, were ‘overwhelmingly’ positive about their children’s education at Horrabridge. Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is an area of strength. The school knows the barriers to learning which is adapted successfully.

John Clarke, headteacher, welcomed the report, saying he and all staff were ‘delighted’ with the ‘good’ grading which came with some very positive feedback from the inspector. He explained that the grading system had been changed since the school achieved ‘outstanding’ in 2011 within a different framework. The school had been exempt from routine inspection since the previous inspection until 2020: “We are genuinely delighted. Our ‘good’ grading came with some very positive feedback and we couldn’t be happier.  We found the inspection experience to be a positive one and feel validated that the report aligns with our own evaluation of our school’s strengths and areas for improvement.

“We are particularly proud that the inspectors noted that the school is a purposeful and inspiring place for pupils to learn in. And that pupils contribute positively to this through their conduct and behaviour.”

He added: “We extend our gratitude to our pupils who continue to do their best at school and who represented the school so well during the inspection. We’re extremely grateful to our parents/carers for the support provided to our pupils and school and for the wealth of positive feedback given to the inspectors.

“We’re extremely fortunate to have such a dedicated and skilled staff team, supported by a highly committed and passionate governing body. We look forward with confidence to continuing to provide a wealth of experiences and opportunities to develop pupils’ talents and interests.”