THERE was a double celebration at a primary school as it marked a significant birthday, following a successful inspection by Ofsted.

Staff and leaders at Broadwindsor Church of England Primary School were praised for creating a 'caring, supportive and welcoming culture' during a recent Ofsted inspection.

The visit from Ofsted inspector, Steve Smith was the first short inspection carried out since the provider was judged to be 'good' in 2013.

The school maintained its 'good' rating when an inspector visited in February.

In his report, Mr Smith said: "You invite all staff to make a contribution, share ideas and lead on initiatives. "Consequently, staff feel positive about working in the school because they know they are valued by you and trusted to do their jobs."

He added in a staff survey, all staff stated, many strongly so, that they were proud to be members of staff at the school.

The inspector found pupils felt at home in the school because staff had nurtured a 'caring, supportive and welcoming culture.'

"This explains why many pupils who attend the school come from outside of the catchment area. Pupils want to do their best and this shows in their behaviour and the way they treat each other. Pupils are friendly, cheerful and loyal to their school," Mr Smith said.

The report said school leaders have successfully addressed areas for improvement from the last inspection and teachers set clear targets for pupils so that they know what they are expected to achieve in both individual lessons and over time.

For the school to become 'outstanding', Mr Smith said staff needed to continue to make use of training to increase the accuracy of writing assessment and pupils needed given further opportunities to develop their reasoning skills in mathematics.

Last week, the school hosted a celebration to mark the its 50th birthday. The school was established in June 1844 but has been on the current site for 50 years.

Headteacher, Nigel Arnold said pupils, staff, governors and old friends of the school joined in with tea and cake to mark the milestone.

Mr Arnold said: "I am delighted to receive such a good report for this school. With it being more difficult to achieve 'good' in the current inspection framework, for us to achieve such a glowing report, is evidence of the strength and support the school gives to children from all the staff, governors and parents.

"This is my fourth Ofsted inspection as headteacher of this school and each report has got stronger.

"It will also be my last as I take early retirement and leave this school at the end of the summer term after eighteen years as headteacher here and thirty years of teaching.

"I will leave this school in a very strong position, for the next headteacher to take it forward and continue to develop."

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