We are so proud to share our latest Ofsted report with you. While comparisons between the old and new frameworks are not exact, a school receiving Strong Standard across all key areas would previously have been judged firmly within the Outstanding range. The report reflects a school that is performing above national expectations across almost every aspect of its work. 

What pleased us most was the section titled “What it’s like to be a pupil at this school.” As school leaders, we believe inspection outcomes matter because of what they say about children’s experiences, and this section beautifully captures daily life at Chestnuts. Inspectors wrote:

“Chestnuts is a vibrant and welcoming school where inclusion, creativity and a strong sense of community shape pupils’ experience every day.” 

“Pupils are happy and rightly proud of their school.” 

“From the early years onwards, pupils learn in an environment where they are encouraged to be curious, creative and ambitious.” 

“They belong to a community that wants every child to participate, succeed and thrive.” 

Inspectors also praised pupils’ behaviour, describing it as“exemplary”, and highlighted the warm relationships throughout the school, noting that pupils feel safe, valued and included. 

There are many other comments we are particularly proud of, including:

“The curriculum is rich and ambitious and is taught consistently well across the school.” 

“Pupils benefit from a remarkably rich range of experiences.” 

“Positive relationships sit at the heart of the school’s approach.” 

The report also recognises the strength of our teaching and curriculum provision. When benchmarked against inspection outcomes nationally, our judgement for Curriculum and Teaching places Chestnuts amongst the very strongest schools in the country and within approximately the top 15% of schools nationally.