An Isle of Wight Primary school has been given the highest grade possible in a recent Church of England inspection.
Oakfield C of E was awarded an ‘Excellent’ rating for its RE provision in a statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools by the religious body’s education office in June.
A triumph for faith school and community
Headteacher, Vikki Reader, said it is a huge achievement for the school as it is the only faith school on the Island to have been awarded this standard, and it had only been given to around ten per cent of faith schools nationally.
She said,
“It is always an honour when families choose Oakfield so having this inspection outcome is our way of saying thank you.”
Unwavering commitment to pupils’ development
Ms Reader recognised the achievement would not have been possible without the amazing staff team, and their solidarity.
The C of E inspector’s report said the standard of RE is high and continued to rise each year.
Building strong local church partnerships
‘Bold decisions’ in curriculum delivery with strategic and inventive approaches to enhance well-being and spiritual development, empower the whole community, the inspectors said.
This reflects the unwavering commitment of the school to every pupil, building hope for a bright and fulfilling future.
No need overlooked
The inspectors say no need is overlooked at the school and the responsiveness of leaders means staff and governors make ‘bold decisions’ and challenge themselves to find ways to meet those needs.
Children find it a safe place to explore their thinking and engage with a breadth of world views, they said, and they love their school.
Inspiring curriculum broadens children’s perspective
Staff see the many challenges that exist and work tirelessly, inspectors said, changing, extending, and adapting the curriculum and extra-curricular offer, until they find ways that each child can shine.
The school actively builds on local church partnerships and works with other Christian organisations, the body said.
Parents and staff acknowledge positive impact
Parents told inspectors they see the impact of worship on the increasing self-worth demonstrated by their children.
Staff confidently select and shape teaching materials that inspire and challenge children with a wider perspective and look through a global lens.
Scope for further development identified
Inspectors did find areas for development, including enabling pupils to take a more active part in the evaluation of collective worship and increasing the expertise of the wider RE teaching team.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
Image: aaron burden under CC BY 2.0
