Positive changes and swift improvements for Tetsworth school

STAFF, parents and pupils at Tetsworth primary school near Thame are celebrating after receiving a promising report from Ofsted inspectors.

The school was given a Notice to Improve by inspectors in January 2009 and in a bid to raise standards, Oxfordshire County Council worked with the school to identify areas needing improvement and worked with governors to bring about a federation with John Hampden Primary School and John Hampden Nursery School in September 2009.

RAISING STANDARDS

In its latest inspection, published this week, inspectors judged Tetsworth to be a satisfactory school with many good features and with good capacity to improve even further. The inspector commented: “Tetsworth is an improving school and has made significant positive changes since the last inspection and since becoming part of a federation with John Hampden Primary and Nursery Schools.”

The Early Years Foundation Stage, which had previously been judged as inadequate, moved from inadequate to good in the space of a year. The report stated: “The provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage is now good and sometimes outstanding.”

WHAT IS A FOUNDATION?

A federation is an arrangement of two schools with one governing body, allowing parents and staff from both schools to become governors and make strategic decisions that influence and help both schools. This is only the second federated school in Oxfordshire. The other is the Banbury Dashwood Schools Federation – a federation between Banbury School and Dashwood Community Primary School in Banbury.

Peter Callow, Oxfordshire County Council?s School Improvement Leader said: “This is a very promising report for Tetsworth primary and shows how federations can play a positive part in raising standards. Tetsworth is a relatively small community primary school and the additional support and leadership have undoubtedly helped to bring about school improvement.

“Oxfordshire County Council is committed to offering a high standard of education in schools throughout the county and we will continue to work with Tetsworth and its partner schools to further improve standards.”

Alison Charlton, Head of Teaching and Learning at Tetsworth Primary School said: “This is excellent news and I would like to thank all those involved for their hard work and commitment to bringing improvements to our school. Since entering into federation with John Hampden School, we have been able to offer so many more opportunities for the children. We will continue to work hard to offer the very best for Tetsworth’s pupils.?