A primary school in Swindon has learned its latest Ofsted rating.

Ferndale Primary School and Nursery was visited by Ofsted inspectors on July 9 and 10 where it was deemed ‘good’ overall, maintaining the rating from January 2014 and 2019.

The school was praised for its diverse environment, positive values, support for SEND pupils and “ambitious” curriculum.

The report read: “Pupils at Ferndale Primary school are welcoming and friendly. Members of the school community have selected the values they believe are important to know and follow.

"These include friendship, empathy and resilience. Pupils are rewarded for demonstrating these values consistently. They know why these are important to their learning and development as individuals

“Pupils attend well because they enjoy school. They have a thirst to learn new things. Pupils’ positive learning behaviours are evident from Nursery to Year 6. There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere that pervades the school. Pupils are safe. They know staff will help them if they have any worries.

“Pupils benefit from an extensive range of opportunities to inspire and foster their talents and interests through playing sport and developing musical skills. They make visits to places of interest.

“For example, pupils enhance their knowledge of science and geography through visiting Westonbirt Arboretum. The school ensures that there are no barriers to pupils participating in these.”

It continued: “The school has designed an ambitious curriculum with the development of pupils’ language at its heart. The important knowledge that pupils need to know is broken down into small components that are built in a logical sequence.

“In the strongest subjects, teachers make regular checks on pupils’ understanding. Their misconceptions are remedied. Consequently, pupils build knowledge securely over time.”

“Children in Nursery make a strong start. The curriculum supports children to develop in all areas of their learning. Practical opportunities engage children and provide practice in applying knowledge.

“Children learn animal habitats through exploring the school grounds, for instance. Staff skilfully weave high-quality conversations into all aspects of children’s learning. Through these, children develop important language and communication skills.”

The inspector also highlighted one area of improvement, saying: “In some foundation subjects, teachers’ checks on pupils’ understanding are not used to inform subsequent teaching.

"As a result, pupils develop gaps in their learning. The school must ensure that teacher’s use of assessment informs future teaching and curriculum design.”

Ferndale Primary School and Nursery were approached for comment.