Ofsted praises 'united school' in Shirebrook that 'pupils are proud to attend'

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
A school in Shirebrook, where pupils “speak with enthusiasm and excitement about all that they do”, has been given the seal of approval by Ofsted.

The Park Infant and Nursery, which has 218 youngsters, aged three to seven, on its books, has retained its ‘Good’ rating from the education watchdog after its latest inspection.

The rating applies not only overall, but also in all individual categories, which cover the quality of education, the behaviour and attitudes of pupils, the personal development of pupils, leadership and management, and early-years provision.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ofsted hailed The Park as “a united school”, which “pupils are proud to attend” and where “staff are passionate to improve and feel well supported”.

Children at The Park Infant and Nursery School, at Orchard Close, off Park Road, Shirebrook, enjoy a personal development lesson.Children at The Park Infant and Nursery School, at Orchard Close, off Park Road, Shirebrook, enjoy a personal development lesson.
Children at The Park Infant and Nursery School, at Orchard Close, off Park Road, Shirebrook, enjoy a personal development lesson.

The inspectors’ report said: “The school’s values encourage pupils to be confident in their learning and to not fear failure.

"It has high expectations for all pupils to achieve well, and they rise to these expectations, enjoying the challenges that teachers set for them. Pupils are resilient learners.

"As one parent stated: ‘the staff genuinely care about the children and give them good learning experiences’.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Particular praise was reserved for The Park’s approach to reading. The report said: “Highly skilled staff ensure pupils learn to read from when they start school.” Daily checks on progress and “carefully chosen books” helped them to “develop into confident readers”.

The Park Infant and Nursery School in Shirebrook, which has been rated 'Good' by Ofsted, is part of The Park Schools Federation.The Park Infant and Nursery School in Shirebrook, which has been rated 'Good' by Ofsted, is part of The Park Schools Federation.
The Park Infant and Nursery School in Shirebrook, which has been rated 'Good' by Ofsted, is part of The Park Schools Federation.
Read More
'Outstanding' school in Mansfield keeps its place within England's top 15%

The inspectors found that the school has “a calm and orderly feel”, with “well-established routines”. Pupils behaved well, and were “respectful, kind and polite”, looking out for one another and getting help when someone got upset.

They also benefited from “relevant and topical” personal development, “learning the importance of fundamental British values” and being “respectful of difference”. They enjoyed school trips to places such as Chatsworth House and Bolsover Castle, and relished taking on the roles of monitors.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) were well supported and achieved well, while the early-years children “showed strong levels of independence” and “worked well together”. The early-years curriculum was well planned, with activities including in the outdoor forest school, which was “a treasured place to be”.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The only areas of improvement pinpointed by Ofsted concerned the way pupils build, and plug gaps in, their knowledge

The acting head teacher of The Park is Claire Bennett, while the governing body is chaired by Tracy Davis.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1952
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice