Link with Gambia fires school to inspection praise
CELEBRATION -- head teacher Melinda Amos and pupils celebrate an good OFSTED report at Butlers Hill -- DISPIC NHUD-G121204-2b
A LINK with children in The Gambia has helped Hucknall’s Butlers Hill Infant School to achieve a highly-praiseworthy ‘good’ grade from government inspectors.
They referred to an exchange of ‘thoughtfully-worded’ letters with youngsters at a school in the African country, which was helping the Butlers Hill chldren to learn about other cultures.
The ‘good’ rating by the inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) was an improvement on the ‘satisfactory’ result in a previous inspection.
It covered the categories of pupils’ achievement, quality of teaching, behaviour and safety of pupils, leadership and management.
The inspectors, who visited the school on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 13 and 14, found that it had worked hard and significantly improved both teaching and achievement.
“Progress has been made by the pupils in reading, writing and maths,” their report states.
The inspectors said head teacher Melinda Amos had a ‘highly-focused’ and caring approach which ensured that she provided very strong leadership.
“She is highly respected by the pupils, staff, parents and carers and the school governors,” the report went on.
“The pupils are very well cared for and feel safe in school. They enjoy going to school, their attendance is above average and their behaviour is good.”
“Staff morale is high and the teachers are determined to make the school outstanding.”
The inspectors said disabled children and those with special needs made good progress because the school quickly identified how best to support the needs of each child.
Governors understood the strengths and weaknesses of the school and provided a good level of support, visiting it regularly.
The inspectors added that the school had a strong partnership with Broomhill Junior School and the SureStart Children’s Centre, on the same site.
“For example, the school works well with the children’s centre to ensure that young children are well prepared for starting school,” they said.
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Weather for Hucknall
Tuesday 18 June 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 14 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
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