Lower Meadow Primary Academy in Sheffield, part of Astrea Academy Trust, is delighted to have received an excellent Ofsted report, following a two day inspection in February.
The school is praised for being ambitious for its pupils and for creating “a nurturing environment where pupils feel safe and valued”.
The school’s leaders are commended by Ofsted for their “strong commitment” to providing a high-quality education for pupils.
The school prioritises pupils’ language and communication development right from their entry into Nursery, say inspectors, with vocabulary taught deliberately to develop pupils’ understanding.
They were also pleased to see that phonics and reading are consistently taught “with clear routines, repetition and strong modelling”.
The inspectors were impressed by the “excellent start” that pupils at Lower Meadow make in the early years and noted that the “structured, book-based curriculum immerses them in daily stories and rhymes” and that “mathematics is seamlessly embedded in everyday activities”.
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the support they need to “achieve well”.
All pupils learn British sign language so that they can communicate with peers who are supported by the school’s unit for hearing impaired pupils.
The Ofsted inspectors noted that behaviour at the school was good, with a calm, consistent approach to behaviour management and pupils following securely embedded routines right from Nursery.
Pupils enjoy a wide range of activities to develop their understanding of the world, say inspectors and are “curious, happy, and thrive together in their play”.
Jane Dawtry, Principal of Lower Meadow Primary Academy, said: “We are very pleased with this strong Ofsted report and are delighted that the inspectors recognised that we strive for academic excellence for all our pupils.
“The achievement and wellbeing of the children at Lower Meadow is our highest priority and we are very proud to be praised as a highly inclusive school with a reputation for nurturing children.
“As we celebrate this Ofsted report, I would like to thank all the staff and pupils for their hard work and our parents and carers for their ongoing support.”
Chief executive officer of Astrea Academy Trust, Rowena Hackwood, said: “I am very pleased to read this report for Lower Meadow and I want to congratulate Jane and her entire team, whose incredible hard work is recognised in this. Their dedication to the children of Lower Meadow shines through on every page.
“Astrea exists to ensure that all pupils can learn, thrive and go on to lead successful lives. I am glad that this vision is being realised at Lower Meadow and I am especially pleased that inspectors saw in pupils what we all know of them: they are bright, caring, thoughtful and always ready to contribute to the school community. Parents deserve to take great pride in what is in the report and in what they see for themselves in school.”