A Leigh school where pupils have a 'thirst for knowledge' has been inspected using Ofsted's new ratings

Ofsted scrapped single-word judgments for schools after criticism following the death of headteacher Ruth Perry.

She took her own life after a report downgraded her Berkshire primary school from “outstanding” to the lowest rating “inadequate”, over safeguarding concerns.

Schools in England are now being graded across a variety of areas, including attendance, behaviour and inclusion, using a colour-coded five-point scale.

These grades are urgent improvement, needs attention, expected standard, strong standard and the new highest grade of exceptional.

Twelve Apostles Catholic Primary School, in Westleigh, was the first school in the borough to be rated using the new system.

It was judged to be of a “strong standard” in the majority of areas, while achievement was marked at the “expected standard”.

Pupils felt “welcomed and happy” at the school, have “excellent” relationships with staff and behave “extremely well”.

Lead inspector Rebecca Jewitt wrote: “Pupils' behaviour is praiseworthy. They are excellent ambassadors for their school. From the start of the early years, routines are well established. Children are taught to be polite and caring towards each other. Pupils treat each other with respect and feel valued for who they are.”

The report said safeguarding standards had been “met” and there was “an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility”.

Pupils’ attendance was close to the national average and improving quickly, with leaders working closely with families and external agencies to remove any barriers.

They developed confidence and a “thirst for knowledge” while at the Nel Pan Lane school, the report said.

The curriculum was described as “impressive and ambitious”.

Leaders had “high expectations and challenge pupils to achieve their best”, while staff were “united” in believing additional needs should not be a barrier to learning and “skilfully” adapted resources when necessary.

Regarding early years, the inspector wrote: “Leaders are firm in their commitment to prioritising children getting off to a flying start. They are highly knowledgeable about child development.

"Leaders ensure that considerable care is taken to understand each child's individual starting points. Particularly effective partnerships with previous settings and parents and carers enable staff to swiftly identify any additional support children may require."

Inclusion was found to be “at the centre of all that the school does” and leaders had an “unwavering determination” to tackle any barriers.

They ensured extra funding was used “effectively” and were “meticulous” in checking the impact of support put in place.

Leaders “act in the best interests of pupils” and were “never complacent”, always looking at how the school can improve further, the report said.

There was a “sharp focus” on broadening pupils’ experiences and aspirations, they learned about possible future careers and had an “impressive range of experiences” on offer, including a choir, fund-raisers and clubs.

Pupils’ progress was above national averages, but attainment in reading, English grammar, punctuation and spelling and in the year four multiplication tables check fell below national averages in 2025.

“Effective and swift action” had been taken to address this.

Ofsted said leaders should continue to embed their work on raising the attainment of pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils, so they achieve the best possible outcomes.