Arreton Primary School, which narrowly avoided closure earlier this year, has had a somewhat ‘turbulent year’ according to Ofsted inspectors.
Ofsted recently graded Arreton Primary as ‘good’ for behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management, but ‘requires improvement’ for its quality of education.
Headteacher Nicky Coates said Ofsted’s report ‘highlights the commitment of staff and leaders to ensure continued improvement’.
The July inspection followed a ruling from the Office of the Schools Adjudicator that the primary should remain open due to a flawed closure process followed by the Isle of Wight Council.
In March, an Alliance group cabinet at County Hall voted to close Arreton St George’s along with Cowes Primary School as part of plans to reduce surplus school places.
Arreton St George’s was previously inspected in July 2022 and marked ‘requires improvement’ for its overall effectiveness.
The most recent inspection report said:
“The school has had a turbulent year. School improvement work has been hindered, and pupils have experienced many changes as a consequence.
Article continues below this advertisement “The school has tackled weaknesses in provision with some success. However, more work is needed to ensure the curriculum is implemented effectively.”
Positives Ofsted identified included the school’s ‘ambition for pupils to achieve well’, its ‘truly inclusive ethos’ and reading, described as a ‘top priority’.
But noting how the primary could improve, it said pupils’ achievement in mathematics is ‘not consistently strong over time’, with ‘inconsistencies’ in how well the mathematics curriculum is implemented.
The report said:
“The school should ensure that staff implement the mathematics curriculum as intended, focusing on pupils’ achievement at all stages of education”.
Ms Coates said:
“The school achieved a good outcome in three out of the four areas judged with Ofsted unable to make a formal judgement on the early years provision due to the small class size.
“However, this area was previously graded good in the July 2018 and 2022 reports and the comments within the 2025 report acknowledge and reflect this.
“Ofsted recognised that the school has had a turbulent year, which as a consequence, resulted in some inconsistencies in maths.
“Despite this, the report highlights the commitment of staff and leaders to ensure continued improvement.
“Whilst the overall outcome was not as expected, I remain immensely proud of the staff, children and their families for their continued resilience, determination, and professionalism, all of which were evident throughout what was an especially challenging year.”
