Shinfield St Mary’s Junior School is celebrating following its recent Her Majesty's inspectorate and Ofsted Inspection which declared the school is no longer in need of special measures.
After two days of inspector scrutiny, the progress that the school is making under the new leadership was affirmed. The final inspection report, published on December 8, graded the school overall as ‘satisfactory’ and commented positively on several aspects of life at Shinfield St Mary’s, including pupil behaviour classed as ‘good’. The report also highlighted the considerable improvement in the progress being made by children in writing and mathematics. The inspector was convinced that the school was already well on the way to achieving a higher rating.
Headteacher Clare Wagstaff said: "It has been a privilege to lead such a committed and talented staff team and it is a testament to the strong team ethos that the achievements of our children have been recognised by the HMI Inspector. It was a great opportunity to take on the leadership of the school at this exciting time and I look forward to leading the school forward to become a centre of excellence at the heart of the Shinfield community."
Mr Mark A’ Bear, chair of the interim executive board, said: "The positive outcome was the result of a successful combination of factors not least being the relentless focus of first, the interim headteacher and more recently the permanent headteacher on improving teaching and learning and raising attainment. And, secondly of the staff and the considerable improvements in the quality of teaching and assessment.
"I would like to thank the interim executive board, a small team of six experienced school governors, who were tasked with cutting through bureaucracy, setting clear priorities, monitoring progress and impact, whilst delivering effective and accelerated progress. The Shinfield community is indebted to this team for their dedication, tireless efforts and commitment to excellence."
"The school is now looking ahead and not resting on their laurels. We have travelled a long way and made huge progress, but this is just one milestone on our journey. The foundation has been laid to provide an outstanding education for the children of Shinfield and we have every intention of building on this success and making this school the very best it can possibly be."
Parents also welcomed the news. Mark Taylor has a child in Year 5 and he said: "It is clear to see the improved quality of education. Not only is this clear from regular parents meetings and homework but I am also impressed by the creative ideas and the use of language at home. My child enjoys attending the school; she is enthused to turn up each day and is full of her day’s activities in the evening."
The school have worked in strong partnership with Wokingham Borough Council and the Oxford Diocese who have provided the school with appropriate challenge and support.
Richard Stanley, head learning and achievement at Wokingham Borough Council, said: "This partnership had been important. Change of this magnitude doesn’t happen without partners working together towards the common good of children and families. The quality of school leadership and governance has also been vital. Shinfield St Mary’s has benefited significantly from the support of the governors, the interim leadership of Mrs Wooller last year and more recently from the newly appointed Mrs Wagstaff. They have brought the school staff together to concentrate on ensuring all the children receive good teaching and learning experiences and that there are the highest expectations for their achievement."
Cllr Rob Stanton, executive member for education services at Wokingham Borough Council, said: "I would like to congratulate the headteacher, staff and the chair of the interim executive board on the inspection outcome. The whole school community has worked extremely hard recently and everyone should be proud of the achievement.
"This is fantastic news for Shinfield St Marys Junior School and having visited the school very recently, I can clearly see the changes that have been made and the quality of the education that is now available. I wish the school all the very best for the stage in their development."
Julie Mintern, Diocesan schools adviser for Berkshire said: "We are pleased that the dedication commitment and hard work of all those involved with the school has been recognised in this report. St Mary’s CE Aided school is at the centre of its community and we are proud that this school is offering the very best provision to that community. The village and parish of St Mary's Shinfield have a school of which they may be truly proud."
