Primary school near Banbury gets 'good' Ofsted rating

The school, Byfield Primary School, is part of the Stowe-Valley Multi-Academy Trust, receiving the rating after an inspection on January 14 and 15.

The results showed improvement as the school's previous inspection was judged to be 'requiring improvements' in 2014.

The Ofsted report praised the school and head teacher, David Hibbert, highly for the caring and supportive ethos of the school, the report said: "Pupils are kind and considerate to others. Pupils are looked after well by staff, and the sense of family makes Byfield Primary a happy place for pupils to learn."

The lead inspector, Anthony O'Malley, also praised the ambition of the school and said: "The school motto, ‘Inspire, challenge, succeed’, reflects the staff’s high expectations of pupils. Pupils nearly always meet these expectations and achieve well."

There was especially high praise for the way the school provides for the personal development of all pupils, which is a new criteria introduced by Ofsted in 2019 designed to show how schools develop responsible, respectful and active citizens.

Mr Hibbert said: "We are especially proud of the outstanding judgement for personal development, it reflects the school's journey over the last few years and the rich curriculum staff plan.

"Children at Byfield are very responsible pupils with a strong sense of moral purpose. Teachers work hard to give them many opportunities to shine.

"We were the first school in Nothamptonshire to introduce the Junior Duke of Edinburgh scheme. We have a very active eco-council and have created strong links with a school in Uganda. It was great to see this hard work mentioned in the report."

Ranjit Samra, executive principal of Stowe Valley Multi-Academy Trust said: “We’re thrilled that Ofsted has endorsed the hard work of everyone at Byfield. We are all very proud of our schools and so to get this recognition from Ofsted is fantastic.

"Byfield was a founding member of our trust three years ago, and I’d like to thank the leadership, staff, parents and pupils for their dedication and commitment over this time, making Byfield School a success.”

The Full Report can be downloaded from https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/21/143468