‘Wonderful' school rated as Outstanding in all areas by inspectors

A 'wonderful' Wolverhampton school where 'pupils thrive' is celebrating an incredibly successful Ofsted inspection, having been graded Outstanding in all five inspection areas.

St Bartholomew’s Church of England Primary School, where children have a ‘compelling thirst for learning’, achieved the highest accolade for Quality of Education, Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development, Early Years Foundation Stage, and Leadership and Management.

Inspectors visited the Penn school last month and found that children get off to a 'flying start as they join and continue to do well throughout their time in school'.

All pupils 'achieve exceptionally highly' and are very well prepared to move on to the next stage of their education.

The school has crafted a curriculum which builds in a highly connected way, enabling pupils to build on their prior knowledge confidently, regardless of the subject. Pupils have time to practise what they are learning and improve.

Teachers have a 'strong, shared understanding' of the curriculum and effectively check pupils’ knowledge and understanding of what they have learned. The school ensures that staff receive timely and focused support to develop their practice even further.

All pupils, including those with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), learn to read confidently and accurately, with children 'immersed in the school’s reading culture, developing a real enthusiasm for all forms of reading'. Inspectors explain that the strong start in early reading is built upon as, ‘the transition to reading widely and writing well has been carefully considered and implemented robustly.’

Pupils understand what it means to be part of the school community and 'contribute greatly to the buzz of enjoyment that exists throughout the day'. Pupils, even the youngest ones, demonstrate a 'strong understanding of the routines and expectations', which helps ensure that learning time is maximised.

Ofsted further praise the school’s focus on character development, noting that pupils ‘have a strong understanding of British values, especially the importance of democracy and equality’. Behaviour is 'exemplary' with inspectors describing pupils as 'polite, courteous and extremely well behaved' while character development 'is truly exceptional'.

Pupils particularly enjoy the school's musical theatre productions, the regular ‘Friday Disco’ and range of clubs that are on offer and take on leadership opportunities to help shape their school, including contributing to the eco-council, the faith team and building links nationally and internationally. As a result, pupils have a strong sense of being a part of the ‘St Bart’s family’.

Leaders at all levels have pupils 'at the very heart' of their decision-making, while leaders and governors have a 'clear, shared vision'. Staff are 'very proud' to work at the school, while parents told inspectors they hold St Bartholomew’s 'in very high regard'.

Headteacher Rachael Kilmister shared her pride in the achievement. She said: “We are exceptionally pleased to have been rated as ‘Outstanding’ in every inspection area. “This accomplishment reflects the hard work, dedication, and commitment of our wonderful pupils, staff, and the entire school community, and our school’s ethos, where each child is valued and supported, is clearly reflected in the inspection report. “We remain committed to nurturing our students, both academically and personally, to ensure they reach their full potential. The partnership with our parents and carers is also central to this success.”

Councillor Jacqui Coogan, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: "St Bartholomew’s Church of England Primary School has been rated Outstanding since 2009 and this is another fantastic report which, once again, reflects tremendously well on leaders, staff, governors, pupils, parents and the whole school community."

The school is part of St Bartholomew’s CE Multi Academy Trust, which also includes the Outstanding-rated Woodfield Primary School, also in Penn, and Oak Meadow Primary School in Ashmore Park, which is yet to be inspected as an academy.

Katy Kent, CEO of the Trust, said: “We are incredibly proud of the outcomes of the recent inspection at St Bart’s. This is testament to the fantastic attitudes of our pupils, the dedication and passion of the staff and support of our parents and carers.

“We look forward to continuing to work together to ensure every child in the school, and our Trust, continues to flourish.”

Celebrating St Bartholomew’s Church of England Primary School's outstanding report are pupils with, left to right, Katy Kent, CEO of St Bartholomew’s CE Multi Academy Trust, Rachael Kilmister, Headteacher, and Steph Banks, Deputy Headteacher.