Gorse Hill Primary School receives 'Good' rating from Ofsted

Following a recent inspection from Ofsted, Gorse Hill Primary School has been rated 'Good', improving from its last rating of 'Requires Improvement.'

Staff and parents at Gorse Hill Primary School have been celebrating after receiving a much-improved Ofsted report last week.

Previously visited by Ofsted in 2018, inspectors were said to have been shown dramatic improvement at the school during their inspection in early September, with the school now being rated Good in all areas.

Within the report, the school was praised for creating a welcoming learning environment with the inspectors saying 'leaders and staff are very supportive to all children - they talk to them with respect and treat them as equals, which is very refreshing to see.’

The school was also praised for their handling of bullying. A quote from the report reads: “Low-level disruption is rare. Pupils understand what bullying is. They are adamant that bullying does not happen. They know it would be dealt with quickly and sensitively if it did.”

Having undergone such a dramatic improvement in only a few years, and through unprecedented disruption due to covid, the school’s new Principal, Luke Graham was said to have been praised, with inspectors writing: 'Leaders are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff appreciate the collegiate approach and culture shift in the school since the appointment of the current principal.''

Reflecting on the report, Principal Luke Graham said: “It fills me with a great sense of pride that the Ofsted inspection team have recognised the significant improvements that have been made, judging our school to be Good.

"This is a very positive outcome for our school, our pupils and our community. It is testament to the dedicated and hard-working staff team, who have worked tirelessly to improve the educational offer we provide to our children, and to our wonderful pupils who exemplify our school’s CARE Values so brilliantly.”

“It is also the result of the continued support that our school receives from The White Horse Federation, our Local Governing Body and our parents and carers. Excellence is not a destination; it is a continuous journey that never ends, so we will build on this strong foundation to provide the very best educational experiences and outcomes for our pupils.”

Simon Cowley, Executive Director for Primary Education at The White Horse Federation said: “The staff and whole community at Gorse Hill Primary School should be extremely proud of this result. With the support of The White Horse Federation school improvement team, Luke and his colleagues have demonstrated an amazing togetherness, positivity, and enthusiasm that has seen them overcome disruption and build an extremely healthy school environment.

With such an impressive and hard-working team, I am sure we are yet to see even more improvement at Gorse Hill.”