Chulmleigh Primary School celebrates ‘good’ rating across the board

Chulmleigh Primary School has been rated ‘good’ in all areas by education watchdog Ofsted.

It follows a two-day visit to the school by Ofsted inspectors at the end of September. The school’s previous rating was ‘requires improvement’ following an inspection in 2019.

Inspectors said there are many aspects of their provision which ensure the children of Chulmleigh Primary receive an excellent education and school experience.

Video by Christian Rushbrooke

Their report said: “Pupils enjoy coming to this happy school. The school encourages pupils to be kind, compassionate and respectful to each other. Pupils live up to this expectation” and added: “Parents value the school’s nurturing environment and its high ambition for what pupils can achieve.”

Head of school Martin Evely welcomed the report, saying: “There are so many wonderful comments which highlight the amazing job the staff do every day.

“The final report quite rightly shows what an incredible improvement journey Chulmleigh Primary has been on since the last inspection.

“I would like to thank the staff for their determination, commitment, and passion for what they do every day. I would also like to thank our parents and carers for their support and encouragement of the school.

“More importantly though, I would like to thank our wonderful children who make each day a joy to be in Chulmleigh, due to their kindness, compassion, ambition, and teamwork. They really do live our values every day and Ofsted saw this first-hand during their inspection. I am so proud of every single one of our children and honoured to be their head.”

Chulmleigh Academy Trust executive headteacher Michael Johnson added: “The improvement journey of Chulmleigh Primary School has been wonderful to observe and we’re delighted with the result of the Ofsted inspection.

“The staff at the school have shown very high levels of leadership. The Ofsted report, combined with the rapid expansion of the school, show that Chulmleigh Primary is in a very strong position.”

As with most inspections, the Ofsted report did highlight some areas for improvement. For example, inspectors said the trust should ensure that the curriculum sets out precisely what pupils should learn and by when in all subjects.

They also said the school and trust should ensure that assessment is used to identify and rectify any gaps or misconceptions in pupils’ learning.