ONNY Church of England Primary School is a good school. That’s the finding of education watchdog Ofsted after the recent inspection at the end of February.

The quality of teaching is described as good with some outstanding.

Good progress was seen throughout the school with standards in reading, writing, and mathematics above average by the time pupils leave in year six.

Teachers have good subject knowledge with a well-planned programme of study for mathematics.

The inspector also found that reading is taught exceptionally well.

Children in the early years are led by a ‘highly skilled practitioner’ and provision is good with good progress being made as the children move through nursery into reception and key stage one.

The inspector stated that: “Pupils thoroughly enjoy school, behave well and display a keen desire to learn and do well. They are very proud of their school."

The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

The reports states: "Very effective support for pupils’ social development ensures the school is an exceptionally happy place to be; pupils’ willingness to work in teams and in pairs is especially good.

"Pupils are very aware of the importance of making democratic decisions. Their maturity and thoughtful behaviour in school assemblies frequently makes these highly inspirational occasions."

However, the inspector identified a number of areas for improvement if the school is to become outstanding.

These include making sure that all pupils, including the most able, are challenged.

The report also says marking needs to be improved to make sure children move on and avoid mistakes especially in spelling, punctuation and grammar.

More also needs to be done, says Ofsted, to ensure that children refine their writing and mathematical skills in other subjects. There also needs to be more sharing of best practice so that all teachers have high expectations of achievement.

Together with Lydbury North Church of England Primary School, Onny forms part of St. Michael’s Federation

“I am delighted with this report which celebrates the good work that we do in providing a friendly, nurturing environment where children enjoy their learning and achieve well,” said head teacher Penny Knight.

The chair of governors, the Venerable Colin Williams, was pleased with the outcome of the inspection.

“All of us who are governors are very proud of our schools, they provide an excellent and caring environment for all who come to learn,” he said.