Cambridgeshire school goes from inadequate to outstanding rating

A primary school has been given an outstanding rating, five years after it was branded inadequate.

Somersham Primary School in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, was inspected by Ofsted on 12 and 13 September.

The report praised the school for inspiring its pupils, who behaved "impeccably both in lessons and at playtime".

Head teacher Jonathan Clarke said he was "delighted" the report recognised the hard work and progress made.

The report said: "This is a school that inspires pupils to achieve more than they think is possible.

"Pupils study a carefully planned curriculum that starts in the early years."

Somersham Primary School joined the Meridian Trust following a merger with Cambridge Primary Education Trust in 2019, a year after the previous Ofsted inspection.

The school was also commended for including pupils in how it is run, and the provision for children with special educational needs was described as "highly effective".

"Pupils helped to devise the school values of pride, honesty, kindness and determination," the report said.

"These values match the vision of the trust and they are more than just words. They are part of the pupils' daily experience at this school."

Following the inspection, Mr Clarke said: "We are all very pleased that the report celebrates the great progress that the children and school have made."

Lesley Birch, deputy chief executive officer at Meridian Trust, said: "The school has undergone significant change, and everyone at the school should be very proud of the praise from inspectors in this report."

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