‘Let your light shine’ – North Devon school praised by inspectors

A North Devon primary school where pupils are encouraged to ‘let your light shine’ is celebrating a successful Ofsted report and praise from education inspectors.

High Bickington Church of England Primary Academy achieved a ‘strong standard’ rating across key areas, including Attendance and Behaviour, Early Years, Inclusion and Personal Development and Wellbeing. Three other key areas achieved ‘expected standard’.

Ofsted has changed its rating system, moving from the previous ‘outstanding’ to ‘inadequate’ range to ‘exceptional’, ‘strong standard’, ‘expected standard’, ‘needs attention’ and ‘urgent improvement’.

At High Bickington and following the March 17 visit, inspectors praised the school’s vibrant community, high academic achievements and the ‘exemplary’ behaviour of its pupils.

Their report highlighted the schools vision and ethos of ‘let your light shine’ and said it was “lived out daily by the pupils,” describing it as a nurturing environment where “children fall in love with learning.”

Inspectors found that pupils show an “intrinsic motivation to behave well,” creating a calm, focused and welcoming atmosphere. Older pupils act as role models and attendance rates are high because children genuinely enjoy coming to school.

Referring to early years, inspectors said staff ensure that nursery and reception children benefit from an ambitious, well-planned curriculum. Reading is heavily prioritised through rigorous phonics teaching from the very start.

The report said most pupils achieve outcomes in national tests that exceed the national average, including disadvantaged pupils. Inspectors noted that by the end of Year 6, pupils are highly prepared for the next stage of their education.

The school was highly praised for embedding equal opportunities into everything it does. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils were exceptionally well supported.

The report found pupils benefitted from an enriching curriculum and additional activities, from playing the trombone and performing at a local theatre proms event to rock climbing, finance management and trips to London and Bristol.

Rob Norton, head of school at High Bickington Academy, said the report was a testament to “the hard work, dedication, and passion of our entire school community.”

He added: “Hearing our pupils describe our school by saying ‘everyone treats each other kindly’ is the ultimate praise. We are delighted that Ofsted recognises our children are not only achieving above national averages academically, but are also developing into well-rounded, resilient and polite young people.”

Dan Polak, acting CEO of TEAM Multi-Academy Trust, said: “We are incredibly proud of High Bickington Academy. The report highlights how effectively our close knit team works together.

“By sharing best practices across the trust, we have reduced staff workload while keeping the laser focus on high-quality, ambitious teaching. The future is incredibly bright for High Bickington.”

The inspection also noted the school’s leadership team and governors “know their school well” and have already prioritised more actions to further refine classroom assessment, ensuring teaching remains consistently adapted to ensure every child reaches their highest potential.

You can read the full High Bickington Church of England Primary Academy inspection report on the Ofsted website.