Inspectors who visited Goldthorn Park Primary School recently found that leaders are ambitious for their pupils and want each child to 'leave well prepared for the next stage in their education'.
Headteacher Joanne Hemmings, who took up post in September, her leadership team and leaders from the Elston Hall Learning Trust have helped to bring about 'significant improvements across the school', creating a 'carefully considered and ambitious' curriculum and providing high quality training to staff.
Leaders prioritise the teaching of reading, and pupils love getting lost in a story. Teachers make regular checks to see how well pupils have understood their learning, in order to help fill any gaps in their knowledge.
Staff and pupils treat each other with respect, with inspectors reporting 'a family atmosphere about the place'. Pupils 'enjoy life at Goldthorn Park', show kindness to others, respond well to the school's high expectations of how they should behave in lessons and support their peers in their learning.
Pupils are given many opportunities to develop leadership skills, including as being part of the school's 'young interpreters' group who support new pupils who do not speak English well.
Goldthorn Park Primary is an 'inclusive community' with pupils with special educational needs and disabilities or those who speak English as an additional language doing well in school. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with pupils' safety, welfare and well-being being ‘leaders' number one priority'.
The personal development of pupils is high on leaders' agenda, with teachers planning 'rich and exciting experiences' for youngsters. They enjoy a variety of clubs and have equal access to all the opportunities offered. Meanwhile, governors 'fulfil their roles well', visiting the school regularly to keep themselves well-informed.
The Ward Road school was rated Good in all five inspection areas - the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and Early Years provision.
Kevin Grayson, Chief Executive of Elston Hall Learning Trust, said: "Everyone at Elston Hall Learning Trust is incredibly proud of the Ofsted judgement achieved by Goldthorn Park Primary School.
"The Trust has supported the school and its leaders to ensure an Ofsted outcome that was ‘good’; we are delighted inspectors have validated this work. We are particularly proud that the collective ethos of the school was seen as positive.
"I would like to thank all staff at the school for their work over a number of years, which culminated in this outcome, and I know everyone remains determined to build upon this success with the children and families at Goldthorn Park."
Councillor Chris Burden, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Work, said: "I would like to congratulate everyone involved in this very positive report which highlights the significant improvements that headteacher Joanne Hemmings and her team have brought about at Goldthorn Park Primary and, just as importantly, the warm and welcoming environment which the school provides for its pupils."
