Challenge Partners Visit

Three colleagues from Challenge Partners joined us earlier in the week and spent two days quality assuring our work, observing lessons and discussing school improvement with the Strand team. They were very complimentary about both the staff and children, describing the children as ‘delightful’ and commenting on the wide and varied curriculum we offer here at Strand. The lead inspector had a wealth of experience in schools, working for Challenge Partners reviewing schools all over the country, carrying out inspections for OFSTED as well as inspecting schools abroad while the other two members of the team were heads from Portsmouth and Lewisham. Special mentions to the children who met with the visitors and shared their fantastic learning. We are very proud of them. We were pleased that the team were able to see the impact of our school improvement work on reading, sports and developing a ‘first class’ curriculum – in fact these were the things the children said had got better too when they met with the team and they are always the people to ask if you want an honest answer! Ms Woods, Miss Coulton and Mrs Ristic have all been away from school this term reviewing other schools in the Challenge Partners network in Camden, Salford and Manchester respectively, learning lots from the experience but also appreciating what a fantastic place Strand is (adults and children!).