Grafton Primary School in Dagenham has moved from ‘Good’ to ‘Outstanding’ following a recent Ofsted inspection.

The Ofsted report, which was published last week, shows that inspectors were impressed with the leadership of the school with it stating ‘the headteacher and his senior leadership team have successfully instilled a culture of respect and high expectations for all, which supports pupils to excel in their learning.’ 

Martin Nicholson, Headteacher of Grafton Primary School said: “The outcome of our recent Ofsted inspection is a reflection of our amazing whole school community. We are delighted that the inspection team highlighted the exemplary behaviour of all our pupils. We would like to say a huge thank you to all our parents and carers for their continued support over a sustained period of time.

“Our Governing Body, school staff and children fully deserve the Outstanding judgement from Ofsted. We look forward to building on this success in the future.”

Inspectors were also delighted to see that 100% of parents and carers who responded to ‘Parents View’ – Ofsted’s online survey said they would recommend the school to other parents. One parent said: ‘I am so happy that my children attend Grafton. I feel part of a family at this school.’

Another key point that stood out from the report was regarding how well behaved the pupils are, with it saying: ‘Pupil behaviour was exemplary. They are proud of their school. They care for one another. They appreciate that they have a strong voice. One pupil said that the best thing he likes about the school was that his views were respected.’

Councillor Evelyn Carpenter, Cabinet Member for Educational Attainment and School Improvement was thrilled with the outcome: “I am delighted to see that another one of our borough schools has seen their hard work pay off and received the rating of ‘Outstanding’ from Ofsted. 

“I would like to thank the headteacher, staff and governors for all their hard work to provide an outstanding education for the children at Grafton and for the support they give to other schools in the borough.”

Nine in ten schools in Barking and Dagenham are rated ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted as education continues to improve in the borough. Parents wishing to find the most recent Ofsted inspection report for their child’s school can visit the Ofsted website.