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29
Sept 2023
Harrogate school 'could be judged outstanding', says Ofsted report
A Harrogate primary school is to be re-inspected by Ofsted after an interim assessment suggested it could be judged ‘outstanding’.
Oatlands Junior School was rated ‘good’ when Ofsted visited in 2018, and following inspectors’ latest visit in July, the school retained that status.
But in its report, Ofsted said there was “enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if we were to carry out a graded (section 5) [i.e. more comprehensive] inspection now”.
Oatlands is now expected to undergo a graded inspection within the next two years to assess whether it is still ‘good’ or has attained ‘outstanding’ status.
The report, released today, particularly praises the school’s inclusivity, reporting that leaders and staff “help every pupil, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to be the very best that they can be.”
It goes on to praise the school’s “broad and interesting” curriculum, pupils’ behaviour, sense of equality, and respect for difference and diversity.
The headteacher of Oatlands Junior School, Mrs Estelle Scarth, said:
Oatlands Junior School, along with Western Primary and Harrogate Grammar School, was one of the founding schools of the Red Kite Learning Trust in 2015. This has since grown into a multi-academy trust of 14 schools across North and West Yorkshire.
Amanda Thornton Jones, Director of Primary Education for Red Kite Learning Trust, said:
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