Church school is rated outstanding

Inspectors from the Statutory Inspection of Anglican Schools visited earlier this year and were very impressed.

The school has around 160 pupils spread across two sites in the villages of Laughton and Blyton, near Gainsborough.

David Clements and Sheila Pryor, representing the Lincoln Diocese office for education, visited the school and were presented with a gift from pupils.

“It was an absolutely excellent report which maintained our previous outstanding inspection result,” said school business manager Jan McCormick.

“We pride ourselves on being an outstanding church school.”

The report praised Blyton cum Laughton C of E Primary School for providing an education ‘underpinned by firmly held Christian values’.

It read: “Blyton cum Laughton is a happy establishment where genuine care for everyone as an individual reflects the belief that all are made in the image of God.”

“This is achieved through the commitment of the headteacher and governing body who are very well supported by the school team.”

“The spiritual ethos has a strong impact on the personal development and behaviour of the pupils.”

Inspectors were pleased with the ‘outstanding Christian ethos’ of the school, in which they said all pupils were ‘greatly valued, equipping them to become confident and competent members of society’.

They also praised the high quality acts of worship at the school and said Christian principles were at the heart of the its policies.

And pupil behaviour and development was recognised as ‘exceptional’, stemming from the quality of relationships within the school environment.

Mrs McCormick said religious education and collective worship also played a big part in school life at Blyton cum Laughton.

“The church year is celebrated through seasonal occasions like advent, Christmas, lent and Easter, but pupils also learn in some detail about other religions,” she said.

“They also take part in a daily act of worship and we have close links with the local church and clergy.”

To read the full SIAS report visit www.churchofengland.org/education/national-society/inspecting-our-schools.aspx