Dear Parents & Carers,

I am delighted to share some wonderful news with you all. Following our recent inspection by Ofsted before half term, I am thrilled to announce that our school has now received our Ofsted Inspection Report, which is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our entire school community.

Our inspection was a ‘Section 8’ inspection, the term used for an individual inspection of an educational setting, to ensure the overall effectiveness of the setting meets Ofsted’s standards. This was under a new and different Ofsted framework from the last inspection in June 2018. The judgement was ‘the school continues to be good’ with the Lead Inspector describing the school as a ‘very strong good’ school, which is incredibly positive and reflects the strengths of our wonderful school.

This achievement would not have been possible without the commitment and support of our amazing pupils, dedicated staff, and of course, you, the parents and guardians, who play a crucial role in our school’s success. Your encouragement and partnership have been invaluable in creating an environment where pupils can thrive both academically and personally.

Ofsted’s evaluation has praised the standard of teaching and learning, school leadership at school and Governor level, the strength of the team, and the consistently respectful relationships between students, staff, and the wider community. Additionally, our school’s commitment to promoting inclusivity and fostering a safe and nurturing environment has been highlighted as one of our key strengths.

The Lead Inspector said that “Whitchurch is a friendly and inclusive where everyone is appreciated” and that “the School’s values of being kind, respectful, proud, resilient and curiosity are seamlessly intertwined and observed by the pupils throughout the building.” He said, “Teachers present learning in interesting and engaging ways to develop and motivate children’s curiosity.” The Inspector also wrote, when speaking to one of our children, that our School is ‘warm, welcoming and educational.’

We were pleased that they recognised the hard work, determination and effort of leaders and highlighted in our report that “Leaders at all levels are highly committed and constantly strive for improvement.”

As we move forward, we remain dedicated to continuous improvement and will use the valuable feedback from the inspection to further enhance our school’s provision. We will continue to invest in curriculum enrichment, staff development and community engagement, ensuring that your child’s educational journey is as enriching and rewarding as possible.

This recognition is a shared success, and I want to express my sincere gratitude to each one of you for being part of our school family. Your ongoing support and trust in our school have been essential to achieving all that we have.

I encourage you to read the full Ofsted report, which is on the Ofsted page of our school website and attached to this letter. If you have any questions or would like further information about the inspection, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Once again, thank you for your support; for your input into the inspection, for continuing to champion our school and strengthen the links we have between home and school. What amazing children and families! What a phenomenal team of staff in school! There is not a single member of the team that doesn’t contribute significantly to the life of our school and the brilliant opportunities our children have.

I’d like to take this opportunity to publicly thank every member of the whole Whitchurch Combined School team for their skills and expertise in their roles; the genuine care we all share for our pupils and the drive to facilitate the very best learning opportunities for them.

Together, we will continue to provide the best possible education for our students and help them become confident, capable, and compassionate individuals who are ‘Growing Today, Ready for tomorrow.’

Yours sincerely,

Mrs R Mobbs

Headteacher