Outstanding start to the school year for Beaver Road Primary School

It's been an outstanding start to the new school year for pupils, staff and parents at Beaver Road Primary School.

The Didsbury school has just been given top marks by Ofsted, following a two day inspection three weeks in to the term.

Inspectors found that pupils achieve highly and enjoy school greatly, making outstanding progress in class because of excellent teaching and an innovative and exciting curriculum that engages their interest and enthusiasm.

The school's outstanding leadership and management were praised by inspectors, and there was special praise for the Early Years Foundation Stage where children make excellent progress because they are taught well within the high quality provision for learning.

David How, Headteacher, Beaver Road, Primary School, said: "The school already had a great reputation when I arrived, but thanks to the hard work, commitment, and dedication of our staff, pupils, parents and governors, we've been able to make the necessary changes and improvements throughout the whole school to help push the school on even further."

The school is particularly proud of its pupils' achievements away from the classroom, and does much to ensure that pupils receive an education in the broadest sense.

More than half of the children in the 650 place school learn a musical instrument - so many children in fact that the school's annual Christmas musical recital evening for parents has had to be moved to Parrs Wood High School for the last two years as the primary school doesn't have a stage big enough to accommodate all of its young musicians.

Learning about the outdoors, and enjoying physical activity and sport is also a big part of the timetable at Beaver Road Primary. Each year from the age of 8 pupils at the school go away with the school on outward bound style residential trips, with trips in recent years to the Lake District and Derbyshire, as well as further afield to the Isle of Man and France.

The school is also regularly approached by TV companies either wanting to film on the premises, or to hold auditions amongst the children for parts in films and commercials.

David How said: "We have a whole school full of fantastic children and we try to show them that learning isn't just about doing sums and reading books.

"Making music, enjoying the outdoors, playing sports, and learning new languages are all daily features of life at our school - and we have many very accomplished young rock climbers, musicians, swimmers, hockey players and linguists amongst us to prove this."

Beaver Road Primary School was inspected under rigorous Ofsted criteria introduced in September 2009 for all schools. According to Ofsted statistics only 6 per cent of schools inspected nationally are awarded Grade One Outstanding.

Councillor Afzal Khan, Executive Member Children's Services, Manchester City Council, said: "Behind every outstanding school are outstanding teachers and children and Beaver Road is no exception. This is a great achievement for the school and is testament to the ongoing hard work and commitment of staff, pupils and parents.

"We're determined to do all we can to support more schools to reach this gold standard."