Northampton primary school ‘over the moon’ to be awarded first ever 'good' Ofsted rating

A Northampton primary school is “over the moon” to have been awarded its first ever ‘good’ Ofsted rating, after only ever ranking in ‘requires improvement’ and ‘inadequate’.

Blackthorn Primary School, in Waingrove, received the report in September and there are questions as to whether it has ever been rated good since it opened in 1975 – as the school has no record.

Becca Williams took over as executive headteacher in September this year, after being appointed as deputy headteacher in September 2017 and head of the school in December 2019 – as well as for Rectory Farm Primary School in Olden Road.

She said: “This is a seismic event in the history of the school, which has been in and out of special measures for as long as anyone in the town can remember.

“To achieve a high-quality provision for the children of Blackthorn, with a report that states the school is ‘thriving’, is monumental for our community and the town. To turn around a school that has struggled for so long is not a common occurrence.”

The headteacher went on to say this Ofsted report “recognises the enormous amount of hard work and dedication that has gone into improving the school” and gives the community “a much needed reason to celebrate and feel proud”.

A school celebration was held last Friday (November 18) and Mayor Dennis Meredith was in attendance, who was formerly on the chair of Governors at Blackthorn Primary School years ago.

Michael Ellis MP will also be visiting on December 2 in recognition of what a turning point this report is for the Blackthorn community.

Blackthorn Primary School was taken on by Northampton Primary Academy Trust (NPAT) in 2018 and Becca says the school has “worked tirelessly with the trust to provide the very best education” – and are pleased with Ofsted’s “seal of approval”.

“The school has transformed,” added Becca. “You give absolutely everything to things that mean so much, and we do it because the children and community deserve it – even if many, many long hours have been involved.”

The parents were “thrilled” with the Ofsted outcome, and the headteacher says they have been a huge support in getting the school to where it is today. They were also eager to get involved with the celebration last Friday (November 18).

Becca says there was a “lovely atmosphere” in the packed hall, which saw performances of poetry and a song that was written by a member of staff to capture the journey they have been on.

The students, staff and parents were joined by members of the trust, governor team and council.

“Children having a great start in life matters,” said the headteacher. “Our older students and their parents talk about how much the school has changed as they have progressed through the years, and it’s an incredible feeling that this has been captured in the Ofsted report.”

Becca added that the school “wants to create a family environment that is warm and welcoming, but also driven by expectations that encourages students to be change makers in their communities in the future”.