Education inspectors praise Hartlepool's St Helen's Primary School in new Ofsted report
Education watchdogs say pupils are proud to attend a primary school which is “at the heart of its local community”.
St Helen’s Primary School, in Durham Street, on the Headland, in Hartlepool, has received its first full report from the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) since becoming an academy.
It is also the first inspection since the Ofsted grading structure was altered.
Previously described as a “good” school in 2019, the new report says St Helen’s “has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection”.
Inspectors say school leaders and staff share high expectations for all pupils, adding: “It is brought to life through the ambitious curriculum and the school’s wider offer beyond classroom.
“Pupils rise to the expectations set for them and achieve well in school.”
St Helen’s is part of Northern Lights Learning Trust.
Headteacher Marcus Newing said: “We are pleased that Ofsted inspectors had a chance to see some of the wonderful work done across the school and in our local community.
"They said children are enthusiastic and eager to learn – which I agree with – and I’d like to say a special thank you to them and parents, carers, staff and governors who all helped show inspectors how fantastic the school is.”
The report noted that pupils work in calm and purposeful classrooms. They behave well in and around school.
It added: “Thoughtful community work with local older residents in school and contributions to the local food bank help pupils to understand the difference they can make in the world."
There was praise too for St Helens’ outlook on children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
The report added: “The school is skilful in identifying pupils with SEND. In classrooms, staff support pupils with SEND to use a range of resources well.”
Inspectors, however, said some SEND plans are “too broad”.
They added: “This means some pupils are not effectively supported in their learning as they could be. The school is prioritising work with staff to make this more consistent across school.”
“Delighted” Northern Lights chief executive Jo Heaton said: "Congratulations to Headteacher Marcus Newing and his talented team for ensuring the school continues to go from strength to strength.”