Northern Primary School in Weir rated good by Ofsted

Northern Primary School in Burnley Road, Weir, was last inspected in 2018 and was recently visited by lead inspector Sheena Clark.

It was noted the school provides valuable opportunities for the pupils to learn about and experience the wider world, including visiting different places of worship, pupils undertaking captaincy roles, and a wide variety of after-school clubs.

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The report says: “This is a small and friendly school where pupils are celebrated for their individuality. Pupils arrive at school happy and ready to learn.

“They are greeted warmly by staff and their friends each morning. This pleasant atmosphere continues throughout the school day.”

The school’s deputy headteacher, Sandra Melvin, expressed her delight at the result and praised the hard work of the school’s staff.

She said: “We are delighted with the inspector’s comments about our school.

Deputy Headteacher at Northern Primary School Sandra Melvin (front centre) and SENCO Zoe Stott with pupils celebrating their school’s Good Ofsted inspection (Image: Catherine Smyth)

“Staff have worked exceptionally hard and have gone above and beyond, and we are delighted that an external examiner has come into school and acknowledged this.

“Northern is a real community  school, with a family ethos that has been recognised.”

Ms Clark also praised the school’s curriculum, saying it had been carefully designed to enable pupils to build on their previous learning.

The report continued: “The school has prioritised the teaching of early reading. As soon as they join the reception year, children start to learn the sounds that letters make.

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“When pupils struggle with reading, the school makes sure they receive the help they need to develop into confident and successful readers. The school promotes a love of reading.

“Teachers quickly identify any additional needs pupils may have. They make any necessary adaptations to their teaching, including implementing advice from external professionals. This enables pupils with SEND to successfully access the same curriculum as their peers and to learn well.”

The school’s next steps are to ensure teachers receive appropriate support to develop their subject-specific knowledge and develop assessment strategies that teachers can use with confidence and accuracy so gaps in pupils’ learning are identified and tackled quickly.