A "warm and welcoming" primary school where pupils "shine like a light into the world" has been handed a new Ofsted rating following an inspection.

Whiteparish All Saints CofE Primary School is now a 'good' school according to inspectors who visited on December 5 and 6, 2023.

They said the school has responded well to address the areas for improvement which were identified in a 2020 inspection.

Staff have worked collaboratively to design a new curriculum, starting in Reception, which is ambitious for all pupils.

Reading is at the heart of this curriculum and pupils learn to read as soon as they start school which helps many develop a passion for it.

However, in some foundation subjects, the important knowledge that pupils need to learn and remember has not been identified.

Salisbury Journal: Whiteparish All Saints CofE Primary School.Whiteparish All Saints CofE Primary School. (Image: Google Maps)

The school has been told it should ensure that learning is adapted where necessary to enable all pupils to progress as well as possible.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported and the school acts quickly to identify pupils’ needs, according to the inspector.

The parents praised the "friendly and approachable" staff at the school and specifically commented on the school's "transformation" since the last inspection.

In a letter to parents, headteacher Jon James said he was "immensely proud" of the report but added: "This is just a stepping stone on the journey of making Whiteparish the very best school it can be.

"The OFSTED inspection regime has received a lot of bad press over the past 6 months, I must however, say that from the perspective of Whiteparish, we found the whole process both supportive and developmental."

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Mr James explained how staff are "under no illusions" that there is still work to be done to embed the curriculum and to ensure pupils are able to build on their prior learning across all subjects.

"I am so pleased that the report recognises the strength of our reading curriculum, as this is an area the staff team have worked hard on to get right, so it effectively meets the needs of all of our pupils," he added.

"As a staff team, we will continue to work hard to ensure that we enable all children to progress well from their starting points and to build on the knowledge already taught and accumulated."

To read the full Ofsted inspection report visit allsaints.wilts.sch.uk/ofsted-siams-and-performance-data/.