A PRIMARY school is celebrating its first ‘outstanding’ Ofsted report - and has joined a select group in being deemed outstanding in every area.
Kings Oak Primary Learning Centre, in Wombwell, received the judgement in its most recent report which praised the school’s leadership and its ‘inspirational’ principal.
Alison Wilks, who has been in her post as principal since the school opened in 2005, said she always believed the school would eventually get the ‘outstanding’ judgement and praised her staff for their hard work.
“I said from the very beginning to parents and the wider community that I believe this school should be an outstanding school,” said Alison.
“We’ve always had good teaching and learning but not quite got the results, because it has taken time to embed that.
“To be rated outstanding in every area is a credit to the brilliant team of people that work at the school, and it is well deserved. They have a relentless drive and determination.
“To get outstanding in all areas is the icing on the cake. I think I would’ve accepted three out of five.”
The school was rated as ‘good’ in its first inspection, in 2007, before being deemed ‘satisfactory’ and then attaining a ‘good’ judgement in its last report in 2012.
“I believe we’re the first to get outstanding across the board in 2019,” said Alison. “And the other outstanding schools in Barnsley all had their inspections a few years ago.
“It’s been a long journey in some respects, but I’ve loved every day.”
In all 22 per cent of Barnsley’s 77 primary schools are rated as outstanding overall according to Ofsted, and Kings Oak joins 17 of these in being rated as outstanding in every area.
Alison said the inspection had noted the team’s ‘distributed leadership’ style that means ‘everybody is able to be a leader’.
“It’s not just me leading as the head,” she continued.
“People are allowed to take risks, because we all want the same thing.
“The inspector said we had leaders coming out of the woodwork.”
The inspection team led by Eve Morris said in its report: “The inspirational headteacher leads the staff team by the example of her own relentless drive to improve outcomes for all pupils.
“Governors and senior leaders have been fully supportive in establishing a culture of the highest expectations and aspirations for all.
“Teachers and pupils have risen to the challenge.”
