Teachers and pupils at Warden House Primary School have entered the new year with a smile on their faces after the school was rated outstanding in all areas by Ofsted.

The school in Birdwood Avenue, Deal, was inspected in December 2014. The inspection team observed 23 lessons in the two-form-entry school and found the quality of teaching to be outstanding.

The team were also very impressed with the quality of the teaching assistants and how they worked as a team with the teachers to ensure all children made outstanding progress.

The behaviour and safety of children was judged as outstanding and the team noted pupils “display a thirst for knowledge and love of learning”.

Inspectors praised the strong relationships between staff and children, writing: “At the heart of the exemplary behaviour observed are the excellent relationships between pupils and adults.” A primary academy, the school has developed a curriculum that offers the children at the school “a rich learning experience”.

The team saw standards in reading, writing and maths rising rapidly as a result of inspirational teaching and learning.

The leadership of the school was also praised highly by the Ofsted with the principal,
Graham Chisnell, being celebrated as an “inspirational leader” sharing a highly ambitious vision for raising standards with his deputy principal Anne-Marie Middleton.

School governors also came under the spotlight and were commended for the active role they play in rigorously assuring the quality of provision at the school is second to none.

Warden House has now been left the challenge to develop further collaborative links with schools locally and nationally to share its outstanding practice.

Mr Chisnell said: “Warden House works closely with the 10 primary schools in Deal and the surrounding area, and together we offer the children a rich and engaging education.”

Warden House forms part of the Deal Learning Alliance, a group of 10 primary schools across Deal and surrounding areas who work collectively to enrich the educational opportunities offered to children across Deal, Sholden, Walmer, St Margaret’s, Northbourne, Kingsdown and Ringwould.