Ofsted has rated Brightlingsea Primary School and Nursery as ‘Good’, describing it as a “calm and welcoming” place with caring staff and an ambitious, broad curriculum.
Following the school’s last inspection in 2020, Ofsted gave the school a ‘Requires Improvement” rating. Now it says pupils have experienced “many changes for the better in the past few years” and are responding well to the “much higher expectations that teachers have of them”.
Ofsted ranked the school’s behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management as ‘Outstanding’, with the overall quality of education and early years provision said to be ‘Good’.
With 674 pupils, the school, which takes children from ages 2-11, is one of the largest in Essex. A new headteacher, deputy headteacher, two assistant headteachers and over half of the staff were not working at the school when it was previously inspected. There are also new co-chairs and several new members of the board of governors.
Pupils are courteous and well mannered. The school establishes high expectations
for behaviour from the start of early years.
Ofsted
Headteacher Laura Khine said: “We do everything we can to give Brightlingsea children better chances. We’re aspirational for them and want to prepare them to get the best results when they move on to secondary school.”
She said the school’s links with the community were very important, helping to give children a feeling of belonging and a sense of identity.
The Ofsted report said the pupils enjoyed an “extensive range of activities where they can develop their talents or follow new interests” – such as the school’s award-winning school choir, learning at the beach and the different clubs on offer.
Inspectors said: “Pupils are courteous and well mannered. The school establishes high expectations
for behaviour from the start of early years. Children learn to share and take turns. These positive relationships are maintained as pupils get older. Teachers encourage pupils’ good behaviour through conversations and rewards.”
When dealing with children having special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) teachers were said to “skilfully adapt activities so that most pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as others”. Inspectors added: “A small number of pupils with SEND receive highly individualised support to meet their needs. This helps them to achieve well.”
The school’s emphasis on being able to read well was also noted, starting from early days in the nursery. “Many pupils become confident, fluent readers by the time they leave the school,” said the report.
The full report can be seen here.
