Isle of Wight primary school retains 'good' status in 2024 report

Ofsted spent two days assessing the school last month — praising Shalfleet on many aspects of its performance since their previous report in 2018.

It was also Shalfleet's second ungraded inspection since Ofsted judged the school to be 'good' ten years ago.

The new report highlights how the school has developed an "ambitious" curriculum that helps prepare pupils for their next stages of learning — and "delivered skilfully".

However, while most pupils receive a "strong, broad curriculum", inspectors found some minor inconsistencies in its implementation, due to some learning activities not always being well matched to pupils’ needs.

This has resulted in "some pupils finding work too hard, or are not challenged enough in class, which affects their progress".

The school, with a complement of 190 pupils, is led by Lizzie Grainger, headteacher.

Staff get to know pupils well in order to meet their needs and have high expectations of pupils, in both learning and behaviour, the report said. 

Ofsted said the village school has a strong commitment to inclusion.

The children enjoy and benefit from a variety of visits, clubs and activities, with staff "considering each pupil’s cultural experiences", and aiming to offer "personalised opportunities" for those who are disadvantaged.

"We have come so far because of our teachers," a Year 6 pupil told an inspector.

Ofsted said the child had summed up the "warm and welcoming ethos that pervades throughout the school". 

Governors and staff are "united by the school’s vision across the school and federation", the report adds.

The inspection also highlighted that staff feel valued and are proud to work at the school, with the good quality of provision appreciated by many parents.

One parent told an inspector: "The school, teachers and everyone are brilliant and I can’t fault them. My son loves going to school.

"I am always recommending others to send their children to Shalfleet."