Thrive praise after Ofsted report at Essex primary school

17th January 2023 4 minute read

In the news

Share this post:

 
Thrive praise after Ofsted report at Essex primary school

A Headteacher has expressed her delight after the latest Ofsted report saw her school retain its status.

Burrsville Infant Academy received its Ofsted report this month for the inspection that took place in November. The school retained its good status and headteacher Katie Siggery has commended pupils and staff for their efforts.

She said: “I’m really pleased with our report because everyone works so hard to provide the best opportunities for our children. “We were a little nervous before the inspection so it's nice to have the recognition from an external organisation. “We’ve got a great school community and strong relationships with our pupils and their families.”

The school is a Reach2 Academy Trust and has undertaken initiatives like 11 before 11 to support its pupils. The initiative lays out a set of promises before pupils reach 11 years of age that will enrich their experiences.

Burrsville has adapted the initiative to seven before seven as that is the oldest age of their pupils and an example of a promise is the camping trips the school has for its year two students in which they sleep under the stars in tents.

A celebration of Thrive

Miss Siggery added:

 

“We are also a THRIVE school of excellence and were only one of only 11 schools nationally to receive the accolade when we got it.

“THRIVE is a toolkit that lots of schools across the country use, it looks for gaps in pupil’s emotional intelligence.

“An assessment identifies those gaps and then we work with the children to fill them.

“We’ve got a practitioner and room dedicated to THRIVE with high quality resources that the children play with, it helps them control their emotions and express themselves.”

 

The Ofsted report read: “Pupils love learning at Burrsville and enjoy the subjects they are taught in class. They especially like the visits they go on to places, like Colchester Castle, which help them learn even more.

“From the start of Reception, children learn independence and the routines of school. Pupils work hard to reach the high expectations staff have of them. They particularly like teachers challenging them to read new books.”

Read the original article here

 

Sector updates delivered straight to your inbox

Subscribe to the Thrive newsletter and receive our latest sector advice direct to your inbox

Subscribe today

 

Related content

Consistency Without Sameness: What Does a Whole-School Approach to Behaviour Really Look Like?

28th September 2026 | Blogs

Consistency Without Sameness: What Does a Whole-School Approach to Behaviour Really Look Like?

How do you create consistency without losing sight of individual need? This blog explores how shared understanding, clear expectations and a common language can help schools reduce repeated firefighting and build greater capacity across staff.

Read full article →

Recognising Need Early: I've Noticed Something. What Happens Next?

25th September 2026 | Blogs

Recognising Need Early: I've Noticed Something. What Happens Next?

You've noticed something, but what happens next? As expectations around early identification continue to grow, early years practitioners are increasingly navigating complex decisions about emerging needs, family conversations and the right support for children. Explore why recognising need early matters, the challenges facing today's settings and the role of relational, child-centred practice in helping children thrive.

Read full article →

Why shared understanding matters across your whole school or setting

21st September 2026 | Blogs | News

Why shared understanding matters across your whole school or setting

Discover why shared understanding is key to building more consistent practice across schools and settings, and how whole-staff development can help good practice spread beyond specialist roles.

Read full article →

CONTACT US