Shiremoor Primary singled out for national Ofsted praise

Oct 2 2009 by Tom Mullen, The Journal

TEACHERS and pupils were celebrating last night after their primary school was singled out for praise in a national report.

High-quality teaching, a lively curriculum and bans on swearing and anti-social behaviour all contributed to the “outstanding” report for Shiremoor Primary School in North Tyneside.

The Ofsted report looked at how 20 primary schools in deprived communities across the country excelled against the odds.

It found that each of these schools had a number of similar features that contributed to their success, including strict rules on discipline, a willingness to work with parents and careful nurturing of newly-qualified staff.

Shiremoor’s headteacher, Helen Clegg, said she puts the school’s successes down to exceptional hard work from her staff and a stimulating curriculum to inspire her pupils.

She said: “I think what they have been really impressed with is the children. We’ve got wonderful children, they are so polite and enthusiastic. The other thing is our lively curriculum.

“We spend a lot of time on basic skills, but also like to introduce some exciting elements.

“To be singled out like this is just fantastic. There are many, many excellent schools in the North East but to be acknowledged like this is a real privilege.”