‘Outstanding’ Ofsted report no surprise for primary school headteacher

By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter

A Lambeth school is celebrating after being given an ‘outstanding’ rating by Ofsted.

Andrea Parker, who leads a federation of three primary schools in Lambeth, said the rating was a good reflection of the standards she believes exist at Jessop Primary School, in Lowden Road.

Kenneth Baffoe, actual head of Jessop Primary, admitted to a degree of anxiety before Ofsted arrived. It had been more than a decade since the school was last visited by the education watchdog and it was his first inspection as head of the school.

He also had a lot to live up to, with a glowing report received by the school in 2012, when it was last visited. But this year’s endorsement justified Ms Parker’s optimism.

The school was praised for setting ‘consistently high expectations’ and quickly identifying and nurturing pupils’ talents. The curriculum was described as ‘meticulously designed’. Additional experiences offered by the school encouraged pupils to be ‘ambitious about their futures’, the report added.

Following the report’s publication, MP Helen Hayes called Jessop ‘a fantastic community school’. Ben Kind, a Lambeth councillor responsible for education, said staff had ‘much to be proud of’.

“It’s about developing a curriculum that opens up opportunities for children that they would otherwise not encounter,” Mr Baffoe said.

“Each child has the opportunity to develop a key skill. This includes swimming, cycling and horse riding excursions. Every child has the opportunity to learn the violin or cello and children have exposure to a plethora of instruments they continue to learn through school.”

“Our curriculum is all about ensuring children have additional opportunities. It’s about giving them an eye into the wider world,” Ms Parker added.

“Children don’t come here to meet their potential, children come here and discover their potential. Creative arts and quality drama gives children the appetite to learn more.”

Pictured top: Kenneth Baffoe, head of Jessop Primary School and Andrea Parker, executive headteacher of the BJS Federation (Picture: Robert Firth)