'Ambitious curriculum' secures outstanding rating

Heronswood Primary School, in Kidderminster, had previously been rated good by Ofsted inspectors

A primary school whose students take part in canoe racing as part of extracurricular activities has been rated outstanding by inspectors.

Heronswood Primary School in Worcestershire, which was inspected in April, previously had a good Ofsted rating.

Inspectors praised the school for its "ambitious" curriculum, rating them as outstanding in five different areas.

It was the school's first Ofsted visit since the pandemic, which inspectors said they took into consideration.

The school is part of the Rivers Church of England Academy Trust.

The report, published on Tuesday, highlights and praises the school's quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and early years provision.

In particular, inspectors noted pupils with special educational needs (SEND) were "exceptionally supported".

"Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are exceptionally well supported to be successful in school," the inspectors wrote.

"Their needs are identified swiftly and met. Support from external professionals, such as speech and language therapists, enrich the provision for pupils with SEND."

'Skills for future success'

Pupils also enjoy a range of after school clubs as well as extracurricular activities - including a choir event and a bell boating regatta.

Clubs include art, gymnastics, drawing, mindfulness, forest school and board games.

Workshops are held specifically for pupils to develop science, technology, engineering and mathematical knowledge and skills (STEM).

The school was also previously told more pupils could be in line with national averages in key stage two reading, writing and mathematics.

It said: "The knowledge and skills pupils need for future success are robustly planned and sequenced.

"Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They make sure that pupils build successfully on prior learning so that pupils know and remember more of the curriculum over time."