Church school receives top inspection rating from Christian inspectors
A Staffordshire school has received top marks and praise from inspectors for living up to its 'Christian values'.
Woodseaves CofE Primary Academy in Woodseaves has been rated as living up to its values with a Judgment 1 (J1), the top rating provided by the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS).
The small village school between Newport and Eccleshall was found by inspectors to have a "calm, purposeful atmosphere" where everyone lives well together and that Christian love is present in every aspect of school life.
During their visit, inspectors looked at the school's Christian vision, which centres around wisdom and knowledge, and how its provision meets this for the school community to flourish.
The report highlighted the school’s strong emphasis on wellbeing.
It says that “pupils understand how their emotions work and how to build healthy relationships” as well as having “a deep understanding that people need to be healthy in body, mind and spirit to be able to flourish".
This was reflected recently in the school’s extensive range of activities to mark Children Mental Health Week.
Headteacher Michelle Easthope said: “It’s fantastic that we’ve been found to be living up to our Christian values.
“Our vision comes from the Book of Proverbs and the children have a strong understanding of its meaning and how it is incorporated into our daily lives.
“Our strong links with our local church, Knightley Church, are very important to us. Reverend Alison frequently comes in to host shared worship and important religious festivals, such as Harvest.
"Our children also visit the church during their time with us, key points being a welcome as they start Reception and a leavers’ service as they finish Year 6.
“Mental health is incredibly important to us as a school. Weekly, children take part in My Happy Mind lessons, which is an NHS-backed programme, which supports them from being able to name their emotions through to regulating them.
“For Children Mental Health Week, we asked our pupils what they find beneficial and would like to do and they provided a range of ideas that we carried out across the week, including drop and reads, outdoor meditation, active brain breaks and listening to music.”
The SIAMS inspection follows the school's recent rating of “Good” from Ofsted, when it was also found to be “Outstanding” in the areas of “Early Years provision” and “Behaviour and attitudes”.
The school currently has spaces available for children of all primary ages, including three- and four-year-olds for their new nursery, which opened its doors earlier this month.
Woodseaves CofE Primary Academy, part of the St Bartholomew’s CE Multi Academy Trust, provides education to the children of Woodseaves, as well as surrounding villages and towns.
