Burntstump Seely School thrilled by ‘Good’ rating from Ofsted

Burntstump Seely Church of England Primary Academy, at Burntstump Hill in Arnold, opened under its current guise in September, 2016 and has 96 youngsters, aged to 11, on its books.

Head teacher Heather Gabb said: “We are thrilled at the overall judgement of ‘Good’ and especially pleased with so many incredibly positive comments from the inspector.

“The staff and children all work so hard and make the school a caring and joyful place. This is reflected in the fantastic feedback we receive.

“We will use this Ofsted report as a springboard to implement further improvements, and with the best interests of children at the heart of all our decision-making.”

The report rates Burntstump Seely as ‘Good’ in all five categories, covering leadership, teaching, learning and behaviour.

It singled out Mrs Gabb for praise, saying she had “brought about substantial improvements to all aspects of the school”.

Classrooms had “a positive atmosphere” and teachers delivered lessons that motivated pupils, ensuring they developed their knowledge of a broad range of subjects.

Pupils responded well to the school’s values of ‘Confidence, Hope, Understanding, Respect, Community and Honesty (CHURCH), and the inspector concluded that Burntstump Seely was “a happy place to learn”.

However, the report also pinpointed areas where the school needed to improve. These included improving pupils’ handwriting, spelling, punctuation and grammar, and reducing the levels of absence.

Mrs Gabb added: “We have no intention of resting on our laurels. We have already impplemented robust improvement plans.

“We know Burntstump Seely has a bright future, and we thank everyone for making it such a dynamic and vibrant school.”

The school is part of the Nottingham Multi-Academy Trust, whose chief executive officer, Chris Moodie, said: “The report captures Burtnstump Seely very accurately. The pupils clearly enjoy going to this wonderful academy.”