St Columba CE Primary School going from 'strength to strength' as it receives first good Ofsted rating ever

St Columba Church of England Primary School, located in Tewkesbury Avenue, Fareham, has ‘gone from strength to strength’ and it has now been recognised with a good Ofsted rating for the first time. The primary school was taken over by the Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust at the end of 2019 and since then, the team have been working incredibly hard to make significant improvements.

The inspection, which took place on June 4, 2024, found that the school is ‘now in safe hands’ after a lot of ‘turbulence in senior leadership over the past few years’. The report said that ‘expectations have risen’, ‘pupils are happy’ and parents have noticed many positive changes in this ‘very caring school’.

The report said: “The school has successfully introduced a new approach to the teaching of phonics. Pupils learn to read well. They practise reading using books that contain the sounds that they know. Any pupil who needs extra support in remembering letter sounds or blending sounds together receives the help they need.

“An ambitious curriculum is in place, including for the significant number of pupils with special needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum builds knowledge in a well-ordered way from Reception to Year 6. This takes careful account of the mixed-age class structure.

“Children in the early years get off to a flying start in an highly engaging environment. They are motivated and curious. Staff provide the children with an array of rich learning experiences that spark their interests and curiosity.”

Prior to the school being taken over by the Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust, the primary school received a series of poor Ofsted ratings. In 2019, the school received an ‘inadequate’ rating with the Ofsted saying that continuous changes to leadership led ot negative impacts on the education. The school also had full inspections in 2014 and 2016, both of which had an outcome of ‘requires improvement’ - demonstrating the significance of the recent good Ofsted the school has obtained. Lisa Hardy, the headteacher of St Columba said: "We are delighted that the Ofsted report recognised the many positives for example ‘that expectations have risen, pupils are happy, parents have noticed the many positive changes in this very caring school.’

The safeguarding measures are effective and there is a strong culture of keeping children safe. The report also outlined that the school organises a range of ‘interesting trips’ and welcomes numerous visitors which enriches pupils’ education.

Mark Talbot, chief executive of DCAT said: "We are committed to building on this success and will continue to providing an excellent local school in this community. A huge well done to all involved."

For more information about the school, click here.