A PRIMARY school where teachers are “kind and helpful” and pupils are “exceptionally safe” has been praised by school inspectors in an Ofsted report published earlier this month.

St John’s Green Primary School, in Abbeyfield, Colchester, has maintained its good rating from Ofsted after two inspectors carried out an ungraded inspection in April.

The school, which has 630 pupils who are between the ages of five and eleven, received the same rating in its previous two inspections in 2017 and 2012.

In the seven-page report, Ofsted inspectors had particular praise for the support which teachers offer pupils, with the report also referencing parents’ positive response to how school leaders are on hand to resolve a problem.

A section of the report read: “Friendship issues and any other concerns are rapidly sorted out; several parents commented on the high-quality support they and their children have received.”

Bullying is rare, inspectors noted, and behaviour is also exemplary.

School leaders were also praised for how they have revised the school curriculum to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain, with reading and literacy set as the highest priority by the senior leadership team.

“Pupils love reading,” the report read.

“Pupils rapidly learn to read simple books, books are well matched to pupils’ phonic stage, [and] all pupils read well by the end of Year 3.”

Safeguarding arrangements were effective, inspectors said, and leaders followed up any concerns; pupils also showed a good knowledge of how to keep themselves safe online and in the community.

Inspectors did mention some aspects where the school could improve, with part of the Ofsted report highlighting a need for pupils to gain improved subject-specific skills.