'Proud' staff at a Southsea school celebrate 'good' Ofsted rating

Meon Junior School, in Southsea, was praised by inspectors for its happy and productive atmosphere in its first review since the pandemic.

The report also highlighted the school’s strength in English, with leaders described as ‘ambitious’ and staff ‘all enjoying working.’

It comes as the establishment was also awarded esteemed Thinking School status by the University of Exeter’s cognitive education development unit.

Headteacher Sara Paine said: ‘Thank you to all who have been involved in helping us achieve this accreditation. This is a proud moment for us and the result of all the hard work the staff and children have put into understanding and applying the Thinking School ethos into all aspects of school life.’

The Ofsted report, which is the school’s first since it became an academy under the Thinking Schools Academy Trust in 2017, found that ‘pupils learn well across the curriculum’ and that ‘parents thoroughly recommend the school.’

It remarked that pupils enjoy coming to a happy and calm school and they feel safe and well looked after by adults with safeguarding considered effective. The inspector also praised the ‘buzz’ of the classroom with children working productively together and keen to answer questions.

The report also acknowledged the variety of clubs and enrichment activities on offer at the school.

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Natalie Sheppard, director of education at the Thinking Schools Academy Trust in Portsmouth, added: ‘The Ofsted rating highlights the high-quality teaching and standards Sara and her team have strived to as they continue to provide quality education to children in the city. Our Portsmouth Schools are passionate about improving life chances for young people and know that the Thinking Schools accreditation is key to helping students gain the skills to thrive in their learning journeys.

‘I am incredibly proud to watch Meon Junior School go from strength to strength with work surrounding metacognitive development.’

The Thinking Schools Academy Trust leads 17 primary and secondary schools in Medway, Kent, Plymouth and Portsmouth, of which more than half have now received Thinking Schools accreditation from Exeter.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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