Bexhill school praised by Ofsted for its 'welcoming and inclusive community'

Glenleigh Park Primary Academy, in Gunters Lane, was rated ‘Good’ overall by education inspectors.

In their report, inspectors said: “The school has a well-established, welcoming and inclusive community ethos. This is reflected in the warm, trusting relationships between staff, pupils and parents. These relationships can be seen in all aspects of school life. Consequently, staff support pupils highly effectively in their learning and development.

“Pupils are rightly proud of their school and eagerly rise to the high expectations that staff have of them. They cherish the rewards they receive to celebrate their successes. These rewards include ‘star of the week’, ‘pom pom recognition’ and ‘millionaire reader’.

“Pupils know how they should behave. Pupils are polite and respectful towards staff and their peers. Older pupils have opportunities to ‘apply’ for job roles across the school, which develops their leadership skills. These include roles such as ‘midday supervisors’, ‘office helpers’ and ‘librarians’, which pupils take great pride in carrying out.

“Staff deeply care about pupils’ well-being and provide bespoke support to enable them to thrive. Pupils have access to pastoral care and enjoy their time with the school dog, Maeve.”

Ofsted added that the school’s staff are ‘resolute in ensuring that all pupils achieve their fullest potential’.

The report said: “There are high ambitions for all pupils to achieve well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The expertly planned curriculum is well-constructed and takes into account what pupils should learn right from the early years.

“Reading is prioritised across the school. Pupils’ progress and ability to read are checked regularly and systematically. There is a passion for reading across the school held by staff and pupils. This is achieved through daily supported reading sessions and regular story time in class.”

Laylee Pocock, headteacher, said: “I am so proud that this report highlights the dedication shown by the whole staff team to provide an excellent educational experience for all pupils. In particular, we know that learning to read is so important and we’re glad that the inspectors identified the great support children have from the moment that they join Glenleigh Park.”

James Freeston, chief executive officer, said: “Glenleigh Park has led the development of the Aurora Curriculum for all schools in our trust which has consistently been praised when inspected by Ofsted. It’s a testament to the hard work of the staff team that inspectors described pupils ‘thriving’ at Glenleigh Park.”

Glenleigh Park is part of Aurora Academies Trust.

Martha Burnige, chair of trustees of Aurora, said: “We are extremely proud of the great education children receive at Glenleigh Park. Our high expectations are reflected in the outcomes of pupils which are above national averages. We know the whole school community in Bexhill will be delighted with this report.”