Springfield Primary School in Spondon was described by pupils as ‘incredible’ during a recent Ofsted inspection which rated it as ‘good’.
The inspector highlighted the high expectations leaders at the school have for pupils and noted the children feel happy and safe there. In her report, lead inspector Liz Moore said: “A typical pupil comment about the school was: ‘It’s incredible!’”
The school was last inspected in 2018 when it was also judged as good. For headteacher David Blackwell, retaining that standard is confirmation of the hard work and commitment staff and pupils have put in during the past five years.
“The school has gone from strength to strength, and we are particularly pleased with the progress we have made developing the curriculum which was acknowledged by Ofsted,” he said.
“As a parent there are three things I want from a school: that my child is happy there and enjoying attending school, that staff care and go the extra mile to help each child to thrive and that they are safe. That’s why I’m pleased the inspector noted that pupils here are happy, feel safe and benefit from all the experiences the school offers.”
One area highlighted in the inspector’s report is the school’s enhanced resource facility which was created to provide small group learning in a tailored environment for children with autism. Staff working within it were praised for the ambitious and tailored curriculum followed in the facility and the emotional and pastoral support they provide.
Mr Blackwell said it was also rewarding to see the work which the school had put into embedding a new approach to teaching early reading and phonics being acknowledged as effective in the report.
“We start phonics learning as soon as pupils join our school in early years and have recently adopted a new approach to teaching this which is really helping children move through their phonics learning quickly. We know the importance of reading to the wider success of children, so we are pleased our work in this area is so effective.”
The school is part of the Odyssey Collaborative Trust. Chief Executive Officer of the Trust, Ian Dewes, said: “I’m really pleased that Ofsted recognised the hard work of the staff at Springfield. As an oversubscribed school with enhanced provision for children with autism, the school is an important part of the local community. Since the school joined Odyssey Collaborative Trust in 2019, we have seen how tirelessly the school works to give local children the best possible start in life.”
