Ofsted: Cottage Grove Primary School and Nursery receives 'requires improvement' following inspection

Cottage Grove Primary School and Nursery in Southsea has received a ‘requires improvement’ following its recent inspection which took place on June 25 and 26. The Ofsted inspection found that ‘recent changes within the trust have resulted in effective support for the school.’

The report outlined that the school is outstanding and good in multiple areas including behaviour and attitudes, early years provision, personal development and leadership. The ‘quality of education’ has received a ‘requires improvement’ rating.

The report said: “There is a highly inclusive ethos and the school is determined to raise aspirations for pupils. This ambition is being achieved through the exceptionally strong pastoral support and bespoke personal development programme that the school offers. There is still some work to be done.

“The school knows that not all pupils are prepared for the next stage of their education and they are tackling this.”

Lee Branscombe, head teacher at the school, said: "We are really pleased to see that all of our hard work around the children's behaviour, attitudes and personal development have been recognised as real strengths across the school.

“This is real credit to our staff, children and parents who really work together as a community."

The report said that there are ‘robust systems’ in place so that staff can help identify pupils with special educational needs. Reading is also a high priority throughout the school and there is a focus on this from nursery onwards. The report said that ‘there is variability in how well phonics is taught’. In order to make improvements, staff should ensure they are trained so children understand what they are reading.

The report added: “The school has tackled pupils’ attendance robustly this year. This sharp focus has been highly effective at increasing pupils’ attendance and has reduced the numbers of pupils who are persistently absent.”

The safeguarding measures are effective and there is a strong culture of keeping pupils safe.

For more information about Ofsted reports, click here.