We’re on the way to even greater success! (From Worcester News)

We’re on the way to even greater success!

8:30pm Wednesday 24th October 2012 in News By Sarah Davies

A ONCE troubled school that has turned around its fortunes is celebrating its latest Ofsted report.

Gorse Hill Community Primary School in Holly Mount Road, off Tolladine Road, Worcester, was deemed good overall by inspectors for the first time since it came out of special measures.

As previously reported in the Worcester News, the school was said to be failing its pupils in March, 2006, but pulled itself out of special measures just two years later.

It has continued to improve ever since and, during their visit in September, inspectors said the school was now good overall with some outstanding features.

Headteacher Vivienne Cranton, who joined the school in September 2006, said staff, parents, pupils and the school’s supporters were delighted by the outcome. She said: “We’ve had tremendous help from the local community and the local authority.

“That’s one of the things that makes Gorse Hill so special because we really are a community school.

“We’ve had everybody on our side and our future goal is to become an outstanding school. “We had some outstanding maths and reading lessons and we were very close to outstanding in early years.

“The school has a history where it was in serious weaknesses twice before it went into special measures, so for some of the staff it’s the first time they haven’t had that pressure of knowing Ofsted could walk through the door at any minute.”

According to the report, high expectations are communicated and shared by all staff and there is a very strong sense of teamwork.

Skilled teaching assistants support disabled pupils and those with special educational needs very effectively in lessons.

The caring ethos of the school was described as “a strong feature” and promoted effectively through the respectful relationships between staff and pupils.

Pupils are friendly, care for each other well and are respectful and courteous to others, and pupils from all backgrounds get on well with each other.

The curriculum is planned well and enriched well. In order to become an outstanding school, Gorse Hill needs to further improve writing so that more children exceed age expected levels and raise the proportion of outstanding teaching.

FACTFILE

ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Gorse Hill Community Primary School is slightly larger than the average sized primary school. Just over half of the pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which is considerably more than most other schools.

REPORT FINDINGS

• What the school does well
• A caring ethos which is promoted effectively through the respectful relationships between staff and pupils
• High expectations are communicated and shared by all staff and there is a very strong sense of teamwork
• Skilled teaching assistants support disabled pupils and those with special educational needs very effectively during lessons
• Pupils are friendly, care for each other well and are respectful and courteous to others, and pupils from all backgrounds get on well with each other
• The curriculum is planned well and enriched well.

WHAT IT CAN DO BETTER

• Further improve writing so that more children exceed age expected levels
• Raise the proportion of outstanding teaching by ensuring that teachers have sufficient subject knowledge
• Improve the monitoring of pupils’ achievement