A West Cumbrian primary school’s focus on improvement has led to it receiving a good rating from Ofsted.
Hensingham Primary School, part of Cumbria Education Trust, has been graded good overall with the same rating across the five areas of inspection – quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and early years provision.
It was the first inspection at the 140-pupil, Main Street school since it joined the trust, the county’s largest multi academy trust, in 2019.
In that time the school has been focusing on school improvement, attendance, behaviour and its curriculum and developing its relationship with the trust’s nearby secondary, The Whitehaven Academy, for which it is a feeder school.
Ofsted inspectors said pupils were happy and proud to belong to their school, which is welcoming and friendly.
Inspectors recognised the school expected all pupils to succeed academically and it had an ambitious curriculum. They also noted that staff placed a high priority on reading and that older pupils developed sophisticated tastes in reading.
In the two-day inspection in April, they found: “Pupils, especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), flourish at the school and they grow in confidence.”
The school values of respect, responsibility and resilience shone through, inspectors said, with pupils learning to celebrate diversity, supported to understand the richness of their local and wider community, with disruption to learning rare.
Inspectors said staff ensure that the curriculum provides ample opportunities for pupils’ wider development.
Young people are supported to build their understanding of how to stay safe and healthy and they learn how to recognise and develop healthy relationships.
Headteacher Amanda Brotherhood said: “We thank our staff, parents, children, and community for their ongoing support. We will continue this school improvement journey, to give our young people the best opportunities within the heart of our community.”
Lorrayne Hughes, chief executive of the trust, said: “This is a positive outcome for Hensingham Primary School and I am delighted for Amanda and her team; they have all worked so hard and this outcome recognises their achievements.”
