Primary school near Harborough praised once again by Ofsted inspectors

An historic 17th century primary school in a village near Market Harborough has again been awarded a 'Good' rating after an Ofsted inspection.

Staff at Clipston Primary School – which stretches back over 350 years - are “thrilled and delighted” after getting a resounding thumbs-up from the educational watchdog.

Pupils learn their lessons in a Grade II-listed building which has been an “educational establishment” in the village of Clipston since 1667.

The Ofsted report says: “Pupils feel safe and nurtured by this close-knit, welcoming school.

“They exemplify the school motto ‘be kind, be your best, be happy’.

“They are proud of their friendly school and say that the school’s aims such as responsibility and kindness help them to learn ‘all they need to in life.”

Jubilant Emma Mercer, the headteacher at Clipston Primary School, said: “This result, possibly our best ever Ofsted Report, is due to a real team effort.

“Staff, parents and governors all work very hard to ensure that the children’s learning in every sense is the real focus of what we do.

“To see the fantastic work everyone at Clipston puts into teaching and learning is just tremendous,” said Emma.

“It really is a wonderfully happy, thriving environment in which to work as a member of staff and to learn, develop and flourish as a pupil.

“We haven’t stopped smiling since our report was published.

“I’d just like to say a huge thank you to all our staff, pupils, parents and governors for all their hard work and support,” she added.

“We couldn’t be more proud.”

Helen Bellamy, the school’s chair of Governors, said: “This is a great report which acknowledges the commitment of the whole team at Clipston to working to keep the children at the heart of all that we do here.

“Everyone in our community is delighted for the school.”