Ofsted Report

15th May 2025

Dear parents and carers,

As you are aware, an Ofsted inspection took place on Wednesday 23rd April 2025. The final report has now been published, and we are delighted to share our successes with you.

he key elements of this report focus on, and acknowledge, the good progress that the school has made since the last inspection in 2020.

The inspection took place on what was a very typical day at Petersfield School, everyone was working hard; the staff to deliver the best for the children and the children responding in a positive way. This is clearly demonstrated in the report. This also reflects the findings from the ongoing monitoring by the Governors.

As ever, the children’s behaviour was very good. The report states: ‘They move around the school safely and considerately’ and ‘This makes classrooms calm, orderly and cohesive.’ The inspectors noted that the children showed their clear enjoyment, ‘living life to the full’, and showed that the school values guided them in their daily lives. It is particularly pleasing that the inspectors saw our values in practice through the children’s respect and kindness towards each other.

Good learning behaviours were noted by the inspectors.  This is as a result of the work to promote and deliver the Positive Behaviour Policy at Petersfield. When in school, the inspectors commented on the positive relationships between adults and children as well as the children towards one another.

The report acknowledges the commitment and effort that staff have put into their professional development, which has impacted positively on standards across the school. As Governors, we are so proud of staff’s determination to continue to develop their teaching knowledge and skills to best support the children’s learning.

The report states ‘The arrangements for safeguarding are effective’ which is the standard statement from Ofsted. This one statement summarises the significant commitment and dedication of staff and Governors work to ensure that the children are kept safe. Governor monitoring has shown that the safeguarding culture within the school is exemplary.

Significant progress has been made in English and Maths and the school has implemented a new exciting curriculum which is ‘broad and ambitious’. Our school priorities recognise that there is still work to be done to ensure that learning is as effective as possible in all subjects. In a small school, each teacher has many areas of responsibility but nevertheless good progress has been made and will continue to be made. Further staff development is planned and will take place to ensure that children learn in the most effective way in all subjects areas.

Governors are very pleased to see that the good support in place for our children with special needs and/or disabilities (SEND) was recognised by the Inspectors. This is proving to be a particular challenge for all schools at the moment, so it is a measure of our staff’s commitment to ensuring that our children get the best support possible.

It is five years since our last Ofsted Inspection, which took place immediately before the Covid lockdown. Many aspects of education have changed since then and there are many new and different challenges that headteachers are having to face. Our school would not be in this position of strength without the determination and resilience of our truly amazing staff team led by the co-headteachers. Laura and Lynsey go way beyond what we should expect of them to ensure that the school runs smoothly. This report reflects their leadership skills and unwavering support for our children and families. 

Ofsted recognised the work of the leadership team, including the Governors, and reported it ‘is effective and provides robust oversight of the school’, which is why our school is inclusive and is committed to equality of opportunity for all.

On a final note, It is truly warming to read that the inspectors found that: ‘ Pupils feel safe and happy’ and that ‘Staff enjoy working at the school.’

On behalf of the Governing Body we would like to thank the Ofsted Inspectors for the courteous way in which they conducted the Inspection and we would like to say a huge, huge thank you to the pupils and staff at Petersfield  for being a light to others and providing a community that we can all feel proud of.

Linda Meredith and Jane Johnson, Chair of Governors

View details of our Ofsted Reports: