Dear Parents and Carers,

As a school we are constantly looking for ways to ensure your child receives an extremely high quality education, and wide variety of opportunities whilst they are at Fordley.  It has been three years since we were inspected by Ofsted and judged to be outstanding, so we asked the Local Authority to carry out a one day Ofsted-style inspection of the school to ensure we were still an excellent school. 

During the inspection the team met with governors, school staff and pupils.  They visited all classrooms at least once and observed all teachers.  They also looked at all of our assessment information, curriculum information, policies and systems, as well as looking at all of the children’s books since September.

They stated that ‘This school continues to be an outstanding school.’

They also commented that:

• ‘Leadership of the school is exceptional.  Leaders have maintained the excellent quality of education provided by the school’
• ‘Governors know the school very well and have provided high-quality support and challenge.  They visit the school regularly’
• ‘Teaching in the school is consistently good or better’
• ‘Teachers, and support staff, provide highly stimulating activities which promote pupils’ curiosity and capture their imagination.  This enables them to make rapid and sustained progress’
• ‘Writing is vividly celebrated in classrooms and around the school’
• ‘Pupils behave exceptionally well in class and around the school.  They are polite, considerate and confident.  They enjoy coming to school’
• ‘The school has a culture of keeping children safe’
• ‘The two year old provision is effective and helps children develop their confidence and social skills’
• ‘The teaching of phonics is highly effective’
• ‘Pupils who have special educational needs or a disability are effectively supported and make good progress from their starting points’
• ‘Children in the early years enjoy good quality teaching in a safe and stimulating environment’
• ‘The broad curriculum is complemented by a wide range of extra-curricular activities that incorporate the arts, music and sport’
• ‘Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility and their opinions are valued’

This is excellent news to be able to share with you, just before the summer holidays, and is a testament to the hard work of the children, governors, and staff team at Fordley, alongside the support that you give us every day.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs C.L. Withers

Headteacher