'Caring and inclusive' village school maintains record of 'Good' Ofsted ratings

Larkfields Junior School, in Nuthall, was judged to be ‘Good’overall and also in all four individual categories after a visit by inspectors.

Those categories covered quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development of pupils, and leadership and management.

The latest praise from Ofsted follows previous ‘Good’ ratings dating back to 2009 for Larkfields, which has 236 pupils, aged seven to 11, on its books.

The inspectors’ report read: “The school has high expectations of pupils, who behave well and are happy. They enjoy learning, and relationships between staff and pupils are positive.

"The school is calm and orderly. Pupils get on well with one another, and they are polite and well mannered. They feel safe in school, which provides effective support for their wellbeing.”

Ofsted found that children also “embrace leadership responsibilities in school” and enjoy “a range of extra-curricular clubs to nurture their talents and interests”.

"Larkfields Junior School is a daring and inclusive school,” the report continued. “It has an ambitious, well-planned curriculum for all pupils, and teachers have good subject knowledge. Most pupils are clear about what they are learning and why.

"The school has prioritised reading. Pupils read at the start of each day and have regular reading lessons.”

Larkfields, which is within easy reach of Eastwood and Kimberley, is a foundation school run by a governing body, chaired by Robert Terry. The head teacher is Jess Scott.

The school was praised for ensuring that youngsters with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) “get the help they need”. “This means that they learn successfully alongside other pupils,” the report noted.

With regard to personal development, the inspectors discovered that “pupils learn about healthy eating, different types of relationships and how to look after their mental health and wellbeing”.

They were also taught about different religious beliefs and cultures, as well as “the importance of fundamental British values, including tolerance and respect for others”.

Meanwhile, staff “enjoy working at the school and feel well supported”, while governors “know the school well and actively support it”.

Ofsted’s only criticism of Larkfields concerned the quality of pupils’ writing skills, which inspectors found is “not consistently well developed in all subjects”.