Swallowdale head teacher 'incredibly proud' of Ofsted rating being upgraded

This was the first inspection for the school, which has 366 children on roll, since before the Covid pandemic.

The inspector made special mention of the support teachers give to helping pupils to read.

"Skilful staff quickly identify if pupils fall behind. They receive swift support to ensure they catch up,” the report states.

The curriculum was said to be well planned and pupils with special educational needs felt well supported.

Behaviour of pupils was good and children are well aware of school rules relating to this.

The inspector concluded that there was a strong emphasis on promoting the well-being of the children: “Considerable effort goes into supporting pupils with their mental health. There is regular use of counsellors. The use of talk boxes and happy boxes provide opportunities for pupils to share their worries and feelings.”

The school was found to be ‘well led’, governors understand their roles and responsibilities and staff appreciate the efforts made by leaders to reduce their workload.

Safeguarding was found by the inspector to be important, with their report stating ‘Pupils say they feel safe. One pupil stated that learning about how to keep themselves safe was the school's number one priority. They learn how to keep themselves safe online. Bullying is not tolerated’.

The school’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) were found to settle quickly into the routines of the school day and high expectations were seen to be set of how children should behave and what they can achieve.