School is thrilled at Ofsted rating

Pupils and staff at a Drayton school are celebrating after turning around its Ofsted rating.

Drayton Community Infant School has been rated “good” – and “outstanding” in some areas – in its most recent inspection, after previously being told that it required improvement.

Headteacher Sarah Hutt said the rating had boosted morale, calling it a testament to the hard work across the school.

“The school was ‘requires improvement’ and I arrived just before it was inspected,” she said. “It had been rated as ‘good’ for seven years and it was a big shock.”

But she said everyone pulled together to make the changes needed, adding: “What I am really delighted about is that some areas were ‘outstanding’.”

The school is part of the Inclusive Schools Trust and shares resources with Nightingale First School.

Sarah, who is the head of both, said the two had the same ethos and worked well together while keeping their character.

And she said the school – which is also an Eco School – was praised for the work it did on personal development for the children.

“We work really hard on that, even though they only go up to seven,” she said. “It’s a priority.”