A NATIONAL accolade for quality has been awarded to Pitmaston Primary School in Worcester for its work in improving the well-being, resilience and self-esteem of its pupils who are vulnerable to underachievement.

The Quality Mark Award recognises the impressive work being done by the school to improve progress in reading, writing and maths for all pupils, particularly those with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities.

The award has been developed by leading education charity Achievement for All (AfA), which offers support programmes to schools and settings to help them improve outcomes in the lowest achieving 20 per cent.

Pitmaston Primary School has been working in partnership with Achievement for All since September 2014 and has seen a marked improvement in many aspects including working with parents and carers on children’s targets as part of the AfA framework.

Kate Wilcock, headteacher at Pitmaston Primary School, said: “We are delighted to be awarded the Achievement for All Quality Mark which recognises our hard work and commitment to all our pupils to achieve the very best possible outcomes they can.

"The process has proved invaluable for parents, staff and children alike supporting learning and emotional well-being, clearly seen through the progress our pupils make.

"We are currently engaging in the Achieving Early programme focusing on our youngest pupils and hope to become an Achievement for All Quality Lead school in the near future.”

Achievement for All works closely with parents, carers, teachers and the individual child to secure the best outcome and attainment for their students through personalised and specific targets.

The unique programmes are delivered directly to schools and settings via a highly skilled and trained team of expert coaches and specialist online support tool called The Bubble.

Schools are assessed for the Quality Mark Award within the second year of the Schools Programme.

The award focuses on a variety of categories such as strategic planning, quality of teaching and learning, effective use of interventions, pupil progress and community relationships.

Sue Burrows, regional lead at Achievement for All, said: “We are thrilled to present Pitmaston Primary School with this much deserved award. They have shown a high quality of leadership and teamwork, and most importantly, the target groups have made more than expected progress and are closing the gap with their peers.

"Our programmes are designed to be a whole school improvement tool and Pitmaston has shown a continued commitment and success in improving outcomes for their children.

“Achievement for All believes that every child can progress, and through our programmes we hope to enable every child to be the best that they can be regardless of background, challenge, or need. Huge congratulations to teachers, parents, carers and children at Pitmaston Primary School for all their hard work.”