'Good' Normanton school is helping pupils 'reach for the stars', Ofsted says

It will be one of the last schools to be awarded one of the judgements 'outstanding', 'good', 'requires improvement' or 'inadequate'

A Derby school which pupils say they "love" attending is encouraging them to "reach for the stars", according to its latest Ofsted report. Arboretum Primary School in Corden Street was judged to be 'good' in all areas by inspectors, who visited the school just before the summer holiday break.

The newly-published report praises the school for being at the heart of the community and highlights several particularly strong areas, including its ambitions for pupils, inclusivity and behaviour. Inspectors said the pupils told them they loved their school, they feel safe and know they are valued as individuals. They added that their teachers "are the best".

They also talked about the Arboretum Promise, which provides them with the opportunity to try 50 experiences before they leave school. These include activities such as zorbing, fishing in a pond and starring in a musical show.

Head teacher Helen Phillips, who took her post in April 2023, said: “It is a wonderful report to read, we are pleased that inspectors picked up on the improvements made since our last inspection, our determination to help pupils reach for the stars and just how much our Arboretum Promise means to the children.

“I’m very proud of the whole school team and would like to thank our children, parents, staff and governors – we are a real community.”

The school underwent an ungraded inspection in April 2023 and inspectors suggested the school needed to make improvements in five key areas; reading, the curriculum, behaviour and safeguarding arrangements

In this latest report, inspectors noted that the school had acted "swiftly and effectively" to improve the ambition of the curriculum and how it is taught. They commented on the teacher’s secure subject knowledge and their deep care for all children who attend the school. They also said the school had "transformed the teaching of writing, leading to significant improvement in the accuracy and sophistication with which pupils write".

The prioritisation of reading and phonics was also praised, with inspectors noting that children read from a variety of texts, including books written by the authors their classes are named after, such as Malorie Blackman and Charles Dickens.

The school’s focus on inclusivity was another area judged to be strong, with pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND), receiving personalised support in the Orchard provision to help them achieve their potential.

Dr Sarah Clark, chief executive of Derby Diocesan Academy Trust, of which Arboretum Primary is a member, said she was delighted with the latest findings.

She said: "The school is wonderfully warm and welcoming and we are delighted with the specific comments inspectors made around how staff have continued to strive to achieve the best for the children and in turn are helping them to have high ambitions and expectations of themselves and to reach for the stars."

The Normanton school will be one of the last to be inspected using the single-word judgement scheme. The overall single word grading was scrapped by the Government recently. Ofsted will continue to inspect schools against the same standards, but will now only issue gradings related to individual aspects of performance.

Education professionals had been divided on whether one overall grade could sum up the complexity of a school. This debate took on new urgency after head Ruth Perry took her own life after her school slipped from "outstanding" to "inadequate".