Bognor Regis primary school rated 'Outstanding' by blown-away Ofsted inspectors

Rose Green Junior School in Raleigh Road, Bognor Regis, was ‘rated’ Outstanding in an Ofsted report published earlier this year.

It’s a marked improvement on the school’s last inspection, which took place in May last year and in which inspectors said the school was ‘good’.

This time around, Ofsted was especially impressed by the school’s aspirational curriculum and its healthy emphasis on reading as a vehicle for personal growth: “Reading has the highest priority in school,” the report says. “There is a genuine buzz of enthusiasm around reading. Pupils love to talk about their favourite authors and share which books they have enjoyed reading.”

The school’s inclusive nature was also praised, with staff placing a lot of emphasis on ‘supporting pupils to achieve their very best’, according to the report, in such a way that leaves most students well-equipped for their next steps.

"This relentless approach to ensuring that pupils receive the best runs through the whole school, including those responsible for leadership and governance,” explains the report. “Staff make thoughtful use of external support or advice as well as drawing upon expertise from within the trust. As a result, pupils are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their education and beyond.”

The quality of teaching was another subject of praise, and inspectors made clear that teachers regularly go above and beyond to give children every possible chance to succeed; “Teachers are highly skilled in checking pupils’ understanding,” inspectors said. “This helps staff to highlight gaps quickly and use this information to adapt learning. As a result, pupils have a firm foundation of knowledge across the curriculum, which helps them to flourish.”

In order to produce the report, Ofsted inspectors met with three school governors, including the chair of governors, the chair of Trustees and the CEO of the school trust, they also spoke to a range of pupils, issued a questionnaire for parents and conducted ‘deep dives’ on the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, computing, art and science.

For the full report, visit reports.ofsted.gov.uk.