Gillingham’s St Mary the Virgin CE Primary School ranked ‘Good’ by Ofsted, to the delight of teachers and pupils.

STAFF, governors, pupils and parents are celebrating after a Gillingham school was ranked as ‘good’ by inspectors.

After a recent visit, Ofsted inspectors have handed the rating to St Mary the Virgin CE Primary School.

They praised the school, saying ‘learning is exciting’ and pupils ‘are ambitious and like to be challenged’.
Pupils develop ‘their ability to think critically and become independent’ and have ‘a keen sense of local and global citizenship’, inspectors added.

Teachers have ‘designed an ambitious curriculum’ and ‘worked together to decide the strategies that best meet the needs of their pupils’, the report added.

St Mary’s is a member of the Sherborne Area Schools’ Trust (SAST).

Sarah Willoughby, headteacher at the Pheasant Way school, said: “I am delighted that our recent Ofsted inspection reflects our high aspirations and innovative approaches to education in its widest sense.

“It is a privilege to be the headteacher of this school, where the dedication of my loyal leadership team, staff and governors, together with our wonderful children and supportive families, enable all to flourish.”

SAT chief executive Colin Sinclair said: “We are incredibly proud of Sarah and her team of amazing staff. They have for many years delivered excellent education to the children of Gillingham, and they never stop striving for ways to improve even further.

“As well as running their own school, Sarah and her team also give their time generously to support other schools in the trust, helping us to ensure all our schools deliver a truly excellent education for pupils.”