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School's out on a high at Tame Valley

Alex Scapens
30/ 7/2008

SCORES of balloons floated away to signify that school was out forever at Tame Valley Primary.

The Brinnington school, on Blackberry Lane, closed at the end of the academic year on Friday (June 25) with a special balloon release to mark the occasion.

Although a sad occasion, Tame Valley has ended on a high with a fun day bonanza earlier this month and a report from Ofsted inspectors providing an impressive obituary.

It said "good" progress had been made since the last inspection - in November 2007 - and added there had been clear evidence of improvement in pupils’ achievement.

The report - following a visit in June - also pinpointed greater consistency in teaching, purposeful leadership and said youngsters were well behaved. Tame Valley had been put in special measures in May 2007 therefore became subject to six-monthly inspections.

By September an expanded Westmorland Primary, on Westmorland Drive, will take on additional pupils.

Headteacher Jean Tarry said: "We are pleased to note that the report said Tame Valley had made good progress.

"To ensure that children and families in Brinnington have the best possible facilities, teaching, resources and support, the nearby Westmorland Primary School will be expanded and become a two-site school for a year with one headteacher.

"The development will ensure that the long term future of education in Brinnington is sustained and is of the very highest quality.

"The new campus would become the centre and focus for extended services in this area, and would further support the needs of local children and families."

Ofsted’s latest report did say pupils’ overall standard remained below average but monitoring of their progress in literacy, numeracy and science was increasingly effective. A Council spokesman added that the facilities at Westmorland would bring further improvements in the quality of teaching.