A DEVON village school, which has already seen a rapid rise in standards, has also been praised for its caring nature. The latest Ofsted inspectors? report says Winkleigh Primary is an effective school which provides a good quality of education which is set to improve even more. After a time of significant changes, headteacher Jane Rivans has now gathered a committed and competent team of staff behind her, backed by capable and supportive governors. ?The headteacher is making certain that the school is moving forward rapidly,? states the report from the school standards agency Ofsted, which carried out an inspection of the school last November. ?Standards are rising and the school?s capacity to continue to improve is secure.? As well as the improving academic standards, the school also provides very good care for its pupils, says the report. The inspectors continue: ?The care, guidance and support offered to pupils are very good. ?Pupils enjoy life at Winkleigh School and are particularly impressed with the friendliness of their classmates. ?Parents like the welcoming atmosphere and the ethos, and express very positive opinions of the school.? Standards are rising and, at the end of their primary career in Year 6, pupils are reaching above average standards in maths and meeting national expectations in English and science. Other highlights of the report include: l Provision for pupils? spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, their attitudes and behaviour are all good l Pupils with special educational needs achieve well l There is very good extra-curricular provision which enriches and broadens pupils? learning very effectively l The school grounds are stimulating and offer pupils many additional learning opportunities l Partnerships with parents and affiliations with other schools and colleges are very good l There are good and productive links with the community. In common with the vast majority of Ofsted reports, the inspectors highlight areas for further improvement. They say the school needs to continue raising standards, challenging higher attaining pupils to achieve more and enabling pupils to develop their writing, mathematical and ICT skills. But the inspectors point out that Winkleigh has an established plan for school improvement which already clearly highlights these areas. Headteacher Jane Rivans said: ?We are delighted that Ofsted has endorsed our identified priorities for improvement. ?We will continue to strive to improve our standards further to ensure that all of our children are given the opportunity to reach their potential.?
