Dear Parents and Carers, 

As you are no doubt aware, The Ridge Primary School was inspected by Ofsted earlier this term. 

The rigorous two day visit by His Majesty’s Inspector (HMI) Heather Simpson, included visits to lessons, talking to pupils, meetings with staff, governors and parents, listening to pupils read and looking at pupils’ work.  

We are pleased to tell you that at the end of the inspection, the HMI concluded that ‘The Ridge Primary School continues to be a good school’. Her report accompanies this letter and will shortly be published on the OFSTED website.   

Amongst the many strengths she notes in the report are the following highlights: 

• Pupils enjoy school and get a good education at The Ridge.  
• They work hard and achieve well, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics. 
• Pupils feel safe in school. 
• Pupils know the school rules and live up to the school’s high expectations. 
• Pupils listen carefully to instructions and conduct themselves well at break times and lunchtimes. 
• Pupils are keen to learn and take pride in their work.  
• Pupils care about and treat each other with respect. 
• Pupils have a well-developed understanding of cultures and traditions. They understand what fundamental British values are and how to apply these in school and later life. 
• Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe. The curriculum and exciting events are used to ensure pupils understand relevant dangers.  
• Staff manage pupils’ behaviour fairly and consistently. 
• Staff question and check pupils’ learning effectively during lessons. 
• Staff are proficient in identifying pupils with SEND and adapt tasks to ensure that they achieve well.  
• Staff ensure that higher attaining pupils have the opportunity to think hard and excel in their learning. 
• Staff are proud to work at The Ridge. They are overwhelmingly positive about the support they receive around their workload and wellbeing.  
• The school has identified ways to improve its curriculum. Subject content is clearly defined and well sequenced. 
• Reading is a strength of the school. The school provides effective support for those pupils who struggle.  
• Classrooms and libraries are well stocked with high quality books which encourage pupils to read. 
• Forest school activities, residential visits and learning to play the clarinet all add to pupils’ enjoyment of school and enrich their personal development.  
• After- school clubs provide opportunities for pupils to extend and develop individual talents. 
• The school endeavoured to manage the higher than usual turnover of staff last year as effectively as it could. 
• Governors are experienced and well informed. They understand the school’s priorities. 
• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective 

In addition the HMI also gave very positive feedback on a number of other areas of the school's work, which didn’t make it into the report because of the word limit. These included the high quality of maths teaching and the high levels of attendance by pupils at The Ridge compared to that seen nationally. 

Governors are delighted with this external validation of the work of our school. Along with the school leadership team, we extend our deep gratitude to the staff for their commitment to the pupils and the school. We have taken note of the two areas for improvement, one of which had already been identified in our School Improvement Plan. We will continue to work hard to secure the very best outcomes for all of our children and look forward to the next steps of journey.  

Yours sincerely, 

Mrs. D. Hudson                                                                                            Mrs. J. Simmonds 

Headteacher                                                                                                Chair of Governors