The Town primary school, which teaches more than 460 children aged between four and 11 years old, scored good in all categories, except personal development and welfare, which was marked as excellent.
Headteacher Gary Hind said he was proud of the school community and the positive learning environment.
‘This report highlights the dedication of our staff, the enthusiasm of our pupils, and the strength of our curriculum in helping every child at Amherst succeed,’ he said.
‘While we celebrate our successes in reading, writing, and personal development and welfare, we are also committed to continuously improving, particularly in deepening our pupils’ mathematical reasoning skills. With our strong and supportive staff team, I am confident we will do so and continue to be true to our motto: every child, every chance, every day.’
The former Vale school headteacher joined Amherst last year and was the school’s fourth head teacher in three years. The Ofsted report noted that the new school leadership had brought stability to the school after a period of ‘staffing fragility and turbulence’.
The inspectors, who visited in March, also noted the broad and ambitious curriculum.
‘It provides pupils with the key knowledge they need and sets out the order in which they should learn it,’ the report stated.
‘For example, in physical education, younger pupils explore throwing and catching techniques. Older pupils build on these fundamental skills and apply them to different sports they learn, like hockey. In history, pupils confidently draw on their prior knowledge to explain the mummification process or key facts about the Egyptian pharaohs.’
The school has a sharp focus on early reading and there are books reflecting a wide range of cultures and families from across the world.
‘As pupils’ reading skills grow, so does their love of reading,’ the inspectors noted.
In all classes, positive relationships between pupils and staff helped pupils to be confident and happy.
‘Most pupils behave well and value their education,’ the inspectors said.
‘The school has clear and consistent systems to monitor pupils’ attendance. It provides effective support to break down the barriers that make coming to school difficult for some.’
The schools prepares pupils for life beyond the classroom, learning how to keep safe online and about personal safety. The school has also attained the Rights Respecting Schools award at the gold level.
‘As a result, pupils’ knowledge of global issues, such as poverty, is strong,’ inspectors stated.
‘The pupil voice group is very active. Pupils’ service to the community is commendable. They take the lead in organising charity work, beach clean and litter picks. Pupils thrive with other responsibilities as playground leaders, librarians or digital leaders.’
In terms of improvement, the inspectors noted that occasionally the school did not give pupils sufficient opportunities to apply their mathematical knowledge to reasoning tasks. ‘As a result, some pupils do not develop a secure level of mathematical understanding,’ the inspectors said.
‘The school should ensure that teaching enables pupils to develop mathematical reasoning skills that deepen their knowledge over time.’
Director of Education Nick Hynes said report reflected the hard work and dedication of the Amherst community in creating a nurturing and ambitious learning environment.
‘It is particularly encouraging to see the school’s strong focus on personal development, as well as its commitment to inclusion and enrichment opportunities for all pupils,’ he said.
‘We recognise the importance of continually refining teaching practices, particularly in mathematical reasoning, and we will be fully supporting the school’s ongoing efforts to enhance learning outcomes in this area.’
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