School improves Ofsted rating after first inspection since move

A Lynn primary school has been rated ‘good’ in all areas in its first inspection since transferring to a new site under a new name.Greenpark Academy on Wensum Way in North Lynn replaced the former St Edmund’s School in Kilhams Way in 2021 – which Ofsted last graded as ‘requires improvement’ in an inspection in 2019.Inspectors said that pupils at Greenpark Academy, which is part of the Ad Meliora Academy Trust and has 311 children on its roll, feel “safe and happy at this warm and welcoming school”.

“Everyone values being part of the school community,” they added.“Pupils are caring to one another. Those new to the school, including pupils arriving from overseas, settle in quirky and are made to feel welcome.“Staff expect pupils to work hard and do well. Pupils rise to these challenges.

“Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress and achieve well.”Pupils behave well and understand rules, while well-established routines and expectations mean learning is rarely disturbed by the behaviour of others.Meanwhile, the school shows “real ambition” for pupils with SEND, pupils’ personal development is promoted well and governors and trustees know the school’s strengths and what needs to be done to keep improving.Head teacher Jill Graver said: “We are delighted that Ofsted has judged Greenpark Academy to be a good school.

“This outcome is testament to the hard work and dedication of the whole school community – staff, pupils, parents and governors.“To be recognised as being a warm and welcoming school, where pupils feel safe and happy and staff expect pupils to work hard and do well, sums up the ethos of our school perfectly.”To improve on its ‘good’ rating, inspectors say work could be done to ensure that teachers understand “precisely what knowledge should be taught in each subject so that they can plan activities and sequences of lessons that help pupils know and remember the key knowledge they require”.“In some subjects, staff are not sufficiently clear about what important knowledge pupils should learn and remember,” the report says.“This means that pupils struggle to recall and use this important subject knowledge, which slows their progress.”