Irthlingborough school's Ofsted report 'reflective of our hard work and dedication' as headteacher praises staff at College Street school

The school, which currently has 358 pupils aged seven to 11 on the school roll, was visited by the body on February 25 and 26, who said the school has ‘taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection’, as the school was graded good in 2020, raising from requires improvement.

Leaders at the school are ‘pleased’ with Ofsted’s findings.

Nick Garley, headteacher of Irthlingborough Junior School, said: “As a team and as a community we were pleased with this report.

"It’s reflective of our hard work and dedication to our families and our town. We strive to not only give children a good education but also provide them with new and exciting experiences.”

Inspectors found that students are supported to develop their talents and interests through a range of extra-curricular activities, and that lessons ‘match the ambition of the national curriculum’, also being conscious of students’ mental health with weekly sessions such as ‘Mindfulness Monday’ and ‘Philosophy Friday’.

The report notes: “The school is a friendly and caring place where pupils feel supported by staff. Pupils make friends easily. They know who to turn to if they have worries. Pupils enjoy their learning. They listen in class, do as they are asked and walk sensibly around the school site. On the rare occasions that inappropriate behaviour occurs, teachers deal with it swiftly.”

While the report praises the school’s overall quality of education, it also notes that there are areas for improvement with regards to its teaching practices. Inspectors said the school ‘does not check that pupils understand and remember what has been taught as effectively as it could’, meaning there is a potential to create gaps in students’ learning.

The report also notes that some writing tasks can be too challenging for pupils, creating issues with age-appropriate tasks.

Irthlingborough Junior School is part of the Learning for Life Education Trust, which also includes schools including Finedon Infant, Finedon Mulso CE Junior, Higham Ferrers Nursery and Infant, Higham Ferrers Junior, and Irthlingborough Nursery and Infant School.

The report goes on to say: “The local governing body and the trust board work together closely to monitor the school’s progress. They ensure that the school is setting the correct priorities and working successfully towards addressing them. Staff are happy here. They feel that their workload and well-being are taken into account by the school.”

You can read the full report online here.