Pupils 'grow to be the best they can be' at Derbyshire school

A Derbyshire infant and nursery school has been praised by Ofsted inspectors for helping all pupils "grow to be the best they can be". Elmsleigh Infant and Nursery School in Swadlincote has been rated as "good" in every area.

The school is part of the Esteem Multi-Academy Trust, which specialises in special and alternative provision schools. Elmsleigh is the only mainstream school in the trust. Since becoming an academy and joining the trust four years ago, when the school was judged to "require improvement" by Ofsted, Elmsleigh school has made huge improvements.

Its commitment to supporting all pupils, including those with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND), has been recognised in the Ofsted report.

Head teacher Nicola Price said: “All pupils, parents, carers and staff are immensely proud of the recent inspection. At Elmsleigh, everyone puts in exceptional effort to help each child achieve their fullest academic potential, while also ensuring that their personal development is nurtured and reinforced."

Inspectors noted that the school’s vision to "grow to be the best we can be" was well-embedded and that pupils achieved well against their starting points when joining the school.

They also commented on the high expectations for behaviour and achievement and how pupils were encouraged to reach these levels through incentives such as golden certificates for trying their best. In particular, the report highlighted how pupils with SEND were quickly identified and supported and that those who accessed the school's dedicated enhanced resource unit benefitted from strong support and a well-adapted curriculum.

The main curriculum taught throughout the school was also commended for being ambitious and coherent and the staff were praised for using their subject knowledge well to support children with SEND to learn the curriculum alongside their peers.

Reading was given special attention during the inspection and pupils were said to have told inspectors about their love of reading, particularly the outdoor reading shed. Teachers were praised for the way in which phonics and reading were taught. The school’s "calm and purposeful atmosphere" and pastoral support were both deemed strengths of the school by inspectors who noticed pupils modelled the school’s values of respect, resilience, responsibility, community, ambition and compassion.

In addition, the trust, school and governors were said to be working in harmony to ensure the success of staff and children. Staff were noted to be exceptionally positive about the support they received to manage their workload and wellbeing.

Clive Lawrence, trust chief education officer, said: “This is a fantastic outcome for the Elmsleigh community. Leaders, staff, pupils and their parents/carers should be immensely proud of their hard work and tireless efforts.

“As a trust, we are predominantly made up of special schools and alternative provisions, so to successfully support and drive up standards in a mainstream primary school is a rarity but a real achievement. Cross-sector working in this way is a necessity if we truly want to embed a culture of belonging and inclusivity across every school, every day, for every child, regardless of their needs and background."