Clockhouse Primary School in Romford has been awarded the highest Ofsted rating

Clockhouse Primary School, in Collier Row, was inspected on June 14 and 15 and was described as “inspiring” and “supportive” in a report seen by the Recorder.

Principal Joanna Savage said the school is “absolutely delighted and proud” of the ranking.

Inspectors found that pupils were “enthusiastically and successfully” participating in the school’s “rich and well-taught” curriculum.

Students, they say, develop as “independent learners” who are “ready when it’s time to move on to high school.”

They were found to be considerate, kind, respectful and empathetic towards people who are “different from them”.

Pupils at Clockhouse Primary School (Image: Clockhouse Primary School)

The report mentions that on “very rare occasions” bullying occurs at school but is “effectively dealt with”.

Staff, it added, have high expectations for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Read more: Ofsted: Elm Park nursery rated ‘outstanding’ by regulator.

The report states: “Parents and carers have a very positive attitude towards the school. They feel well supported and say the staff know their children very well.”

The report praised the school’s leaders for “constantly finding ways to improve” and ensuring a “good understanding” of the needs of all pupils and “constant monitoring”.

Inspectors found that some children, particularly in the wake of the Covid pandemic, are coming to school with knowledge and understanding that is “less developed than leaders expect”.

But the school, the report says, has helped students settle in and learn confidently with their peers by improving its curriculum.

Pupils concentrate well in lessons and are proud of their achievements, the report said (Image: Clockhouse Primary School)

The school’s ‘100 things to do before I leave Clockhouse’ was praised in the report for teaching pupils ‘school values ​​and life skills’ in addition to the curriculum.

Pupils with SEND studied the same broad and “ambitious” curriculum as others because it was carefully tailored for them, inspectors said.

It added: “Teachers and support staff are proud to work at the school. Leaders think carefully about how workloads on staff are manageable.

Heads of the school, Ofsted said, had developed a strong reading programme (Image: Clockhouse Primary School)

“They also ensure there are plenty of opportunities for staff to take part in high-quality further training and development.”

The inspectors also found the security measures at the school to be effective. The report says staff are trained to recognize and report any problems, which are recorded by supervisors.

Mrs Savage said: “It took a lot of hard work and determination to achieve this, with the involvement and commitment of the whole school.

“I would really like to thank everyone involved in this – the students, the staff, the leaders, the parents, really, the whole community.”​