St John's Church of England Primary School, Wellington, celebrates outstanding Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools result

St John’s Church of England Primary School, Priory, was ranked as ‘outstanding’ in its latest inspection by the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist School (SIAMS).

All C of E schools are visited every five years to evaluate the effectiveness of its Christian approach.

Peter Shelton, an inspector for the Diocese of Bath and Wells, visited the school in April.

He said: “The school’s strong vision, ‘Achieving, Believing and Aspiring Together’ inspires all children, and their families, to enjoy improved aspirations with a firm basis in the explicit Christian ethos of the school.

“The core Christian values of compassion, endurance, forgiveness, thankfulness and trust are rooted and established, with the whole school community able to talk confidently about them and readily share practical examples of them in the daily life of the school.”

St John’s headteacher, Gareth Jones, said: “I am absolutely delighted by the report which has truly reflected the values and aspirations of the school. The school bases its ethos on that of a family and we develop the school through our strong Christian values and vision.The hard work and support of the children, staff, parents, governors and the local church community is clear to see.”

The report highlighted that one improvement that could be made by the school is sharpening the focus of its self-evaluation so it can better demonstrate progress and achievement.

Julie Rolf, the RE and church distinctiveness leader, said: “It is wonderful to receive such a fantastic acknowledgement of the work we have put into creating a school where Christian values are embedded.”