Cedar Road Primary School in Northampton rated Good by Ofsted

Cedar Road Primary School, a David Ross Education Trust (DRET) school, is celebrating its latest Ofsted rating following an inspection in May 2023.

The Northamptonshire primary school has maintained its ‘Good’ Ofsted rating from 2017.

The Ofsted report is overwhelmingly positive, and in particular inspectors highlight the clear focus on attendance, behaviour, effort and kindness, and say that pupils know that teachers care about them.

The school is calm and orderly, it adds, and the whole school community understands the clear behaviour routines and expectations, which means that pupils behave well.

There are robust systems in place to monitor attendance and teachers deal with poor behaviour quickly. All staff feel valued, and leaders are mindful of workload.

The report also notes that:

• Leaders have prioritised early reading, phonics and a love of reading, and as a result, pupils are becoming confident and fluent readers.

• The mathematics curriculum is well established and carefully sequenced, which ensures that pupils become confident mathematicians, and can recall what they have learned.

• In the early years, children are provided with a strong foundation of learning, and the classroom environment is well organised, bright and engaging.

• Leaders are ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and they are fully included in all aspects of school life. Appropriate training for staff means that pupils are accurately and quickly identified if they need additional help with their learning, and the right support is put in place.

• Pupils get many opportunities and experiences to learn about the wider world, and they embrace difference between people and understand that people have different beliefs, values and opinions from their own.

• Pupils are safe, and staff receive regular and appropriate training so that they can recognise the signs that a pupil may be at risk of harm.

Clair Mills, Principal at Cedar Road Primary School, said:

“I am delighted that this report reflects the hard work and commitment of all our staff here, as well as our pupils and the whole school community.”

“At Cedar Road Primary Academy, we remain committed to providing a world-class education in a rich and exciting learning environment.”

“I am looking forward to continuing to work alongside our pupils, parents and staff to ensure that we build on all of our successes”.

Simon Rose, Director of Primary Education at the David Ross Education Trust, said:

“Congratulations to Cedar Road Primary Academy and well done to all our staff and pupils - you should all be proud of this success. I am very grateful to Principal Clair Mills for her dedication to upholding such high standards.

“I am very pleased to see so many positive comments reflected in this report and I look forward to supporting the school in their continued mission to make sure all pupils achieve their very best.”