A drive to ensure all pupils “succeed academically and personally” has been praised at Houldsworth Valley Primary Academy.

While an ungraded Ofsted report, the school was said to have improved significantly following their last inspection in November 2019 when they were rated as Good with Outstanding for personal development.

Highlights included the fact pupils flourished and loved learning and that the school set very high expectations around achievement and behaviour – which was described as exemplary.

The report said: “Pupils strive to meet these expectations. They work very hard in lessons. The school’s ambitious, broad curriculum is precisely designed to help pupils build and remember important knowledge over time.

“Because of the excellent quality of teaching, and the personalised support they receive, pupils achieve very well here.”

An extensive range of enrichment activities were also praised along with the fact pupils make “excellent progress from their starting points”.

The school’s SEND hub, ‘The Apex’, was also singled out with pupils said to get “exceptional support” with pupils’ needs swiftly and accurately identified.

Headteacher Lisa Tweed said: “We are very proud of the findings from the recent Ofsted report which perfectly sums up what makes Houldsworth Valley so special.

“This report is testimony to the hard work of everyone connected with the school – staff, pupils, families and our community alike – and we thank them all for their continued support.

“While there were no definitive action points outlined by the inspector team, we will always continue working hard to ensure all our pupils succeed academically and personally, as stated in the report.”

Other areas of praise were safeguarding, which was described as effective, and the many opportunities for staff to further develop their knowledge and leadership skills.