South Park PS promotes and is guided by Respect, Equity, Ambition, Confidence and Happiness in all that it does after the values were chosen through consultation with everyone connected with the school.

When a team from HM Inspectors of Education visited the school, they picked out a range of positive attributes that stem from those core values, including:

• the positive, caring, nurturing relationships between children and staff across the school.
• all teachers’ commitment to high-quality and ongoing professional development.
• the positive activities engaged in by the children to achieve success and contribute effectively to the school and local community, which develops their confidence and skills for learning, life and work.

Overall, the primary school was judged in the inspection report to be ‘very good’ in Learning, teaching and assessment and ‘good’ in Raising attainment and achievement; while the nursery was assessed as ‘very good’ in Staff skills, knowledge, values and deployment; Learning, teaching and assessment; and Children’s progress, and ‘good’ in Nurturing, care and support.

Acting head teacher Yvonne Donaldson said: “We have high aspirations for all of our children and we do our best to challenge and support them in whatever way is needed to let each one flourish according to their own potential, and so it was wonderful to see that the results of this were clear for the inspectors to see.

“I was, of course, delighted that they remarked upon the work of the teachers such as their use of stimulating resources, the ways they enhance and support learning through digital technologies and their drive to continuously improve themselves, which in turn is reflected in the learning and teaching being highly effective.

“However, what was particularly uplifting was what the inspectors saw in the children. They commented specifically on politeness, manner and kindness, and on the way they lead developments across the school through pupil leadership groups and are involved in participatory budgeting, improvement planning and leading clubs.

“The primary school and nursery are proud of our friendly, inclusive nurturing ethos where all are valued and have a voice, and we make a point of working closely with our whole school community to provide high-quality, stimulating experiences that foster a love of learning, and so for the inspectors to recognise this is not only reassuring, but it also inspires us to build further upon it.”