School in relocation row gets highest Ofsted grade

Reigate Priory Junior School is currently located in a Grade I listed building

A school at the centre of a relocation row has been given the highest rating by Ofsted.

In a report about Reigate Priory Junior School, seen by the BBC, inspectors rated it outstanding in every area.

Parents have been speaking out against plans by Surrey County Council to move the school to a new site within the authority's headquarters.

A planning application was rejected by councillors in 2023, and the council has since consulted on the future of school provision in the area.

Inspectors visited the school, in a Grade I listed building in the town's Priory Park, on 11 and 12 June.

They said in their report: "Pupils here are ‘proud to be Priory’, just as the school intends.

"As they dash through the gates at the start of the day, pupils are full of enthusiasm for their time in school."

The report highlighted initiatives such as a "pupil parliament" and a playground "charter" at the school and said children's learning went "beyond what would typically be expected for their age".

The school was rated outstanding on its three previous inspections in 2006, 2009 and 2012.

The application to move the school to a new site in Woodhatch Place was rejected amid concerns about traffic and safety.

The county council offered two options in a consultation in January, either to continue with the Woodhatch Place planning application or to assess primary school places across Reigate.

Parent responses showed a "distrust" in the county council, according to consultation documents.

The county council previously said the school's listed building and park setting made redeveloping the existing site a "challenge".

Inspectors said: "Despite the challenges the school faces, leaders and governors maintain a clear focus on delivering high quality education for every pupil."