Yorkshire school with 35 languages among its pupils wins praise from Ofsted

St Ann’s Primary, in Rotherham, had been ranked as requiring improvement at the previous inspection in 2018. The school, which is in one of the most deprived areas of the country, serves a diverse population with 35 different languages among the 364 pupils on roll.

Rebecca Clayton, lead inspector, said: “This is a highly inclusive school. Classrooms are calm and joyful. Staff manage pupils who have complex needs well. Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities work successfully alongside their peers in lessons.

“This is because teachers think carefully about pupils’ needs and how best to support them. Pupils work well with the adults who provide extra help.”

The inspection report says St Ann’s is built on “strong relationships,” while one pupil told the visiting inspectors: “Equality is important here. Nobody misses out.”

Headteacher Lee Rowan praised the hard work of staff and pupils and the contribution of parents and governors.

He said: “We are all incredibly proud of this achievement. Everyone has worked so hard over the last few years to bring it about and we are delighted that this has been recognised by Ofsted.

“We are a diverse, multicultural school and our aim is to do our best to help every single pupil achieve their full potential and ensure that no-one is left behind. We want children to enjoy coming to school and learning.”

Ofsted rated the school as “good” in all categories and said it could further strengthen by allowing recent curriculum changes to embed in areas other than maths and reading.