"Honesty, respect and trust" at heart of Good-rated school

A school which has put the values of 'honesty, respect and trust' at the heart of daily life has been judged to be Good by Ofsted.

Inspectors visited Grove Primary Academy earlier this year and, in their report published recently, rated the school as Good across the board.

They found that pupils are 'polite and respectful', and 'work hard in lessons and do their best'.

Children settle well into school life in the early years, and are 'well prepared’ for the next stage in their learning.

Grove Primary has adopted a 'well sequenced curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils'. The school prioritises reading and writing, with pupil librarians, book club sessions, reading competitions, author visits and a book tasting café 'create a buzz' about reading.

Skilled staff teach early reading very well, with pupils who fall behind quickly given effective support to catch up, while the writing curriculum has been revised and thoughtfully developed to reflect the needs of pupils.

Pupils with special educational needs or disabilities are identified swiftly and get effective support to be successful in school.

Meanwhile, the school's work to enhance pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is 'high quality', ensuring they are 'well prepared for life in modern Britain'.

Inspectors noted that, while staffing issues had hampered progress in recent years, the school 'is now back on track'. Leaders have identified the right priorities for improvement, and work to address these is 'well underway to ensure that pupils achieve consistently well'. Recent work to ensure pupils attend regularly has also had a 'positive impact' on attendance.

Inspectors judged the overall effectiveness of Grove Primary to be Good, with each inspection area – the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision – also rated Good.

Headteacher Philip Salisbury, who joined the school, part of St Martin’s Multi Academy Trust, last September, said: "I am very proud that this inspection recognises the hard work that everyone has put into making Grove the great school that it is. “We are proud to be part of St Martin's Multi Academy Trust and we are very lucky to have such dedicated and professional staff, who work extremely hard to provide a rich education for our wonderful children."

Councillor Jacqui Coogan, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: "This is a very positive Ofsted report which recognises the challenges that Grove Primary Academy has had in recent years, and the excellent work that is taking place to deliver improvements.

"This is testament to the hard work of Philip Salisbury, his staff, governors, the trust and of course parents and pupils, and I would like to congratulate them on their achievements."

Latest figures show 92% of schools in Wolverhampton are now rated either Good or Outstanding, above the regional and national average. In addition, more than nine in 10 Wolverhampton pupils attend Good or Outstanding schools, the best in the West Midlands.

Pupils from Grove Primary Academy celebrate their Good Ofsted rating with teachers Danielle Burgoyne and Lucy Trainer, Headteacher Philip Salisbury, and Assistant Headteachers Christine Ivory and Zac Price.