Crawley school’s ethos praised by Ofsted inspectors

A Crawley school’s ethos of ‘aspiration, respect, resilience and co-operation’ filters through everything it does - and helped it achieve a Good rating in a recent Ofsted inspection.

Inspectors praised pastoral support at Southgate Primary School and said the physical and mental wellbeing of children is ‘prioritised’ and highlighted the ambitious curriculum which makes clear what key knowledge is to be taught in each year group.

“The school’s curriculum goes beyond the academic. There is a sharp focus on developing the knowledge and skills that pupils need to stay safe, including when online. The school provides pupils with meaningful  leadership opportunities,” the report says.

Head of School Charlotte Taylor said: “Thank you to everyone within the school community, and the wider GLF Schools team for their support. We have come a long way, but this is just the beginning of our journey to excellence, ensuring all children at Southgate grow, learn and flourish.”

The school is moving in the right direction for it to offer the best start in life for its pupils, she added.

A member of the GLF Schools Multi-Academy Trust, Southgate Primary has 330 children aged from four to 11 on its roll, and its previous Ofsted grade had been ‘Requires Improvement’ before the latest inspection which took place in October.

“The school has an ambitious curriculum. It makes clear, in each subject, what key knowledge is to be taught in each year group and how this knowledge builds on what pupils have learned before. This starts in the early years and has been designed so that it is equally accessible to all pupils, including those with Special Educational Needs and/or Disability,” the report says.

It adds that pastoral support at the school is ‘a strength’ and staff know the pupils well, and a ‘well thought-out induction programme’ helps the children in Reception ‘get off to a flying start’.

“The school has established a positive culture of reading. A selection of high-quality texts that reflect diversity and life in modern Britain has been carefully curated for pupils,” the report notes, adding that the children enjoy talking about their favourite books and authors and ‘exhibit a real love for reading.’