Children and parents all agree -- this village school in Bassetlaw is 'amazing'

Ranby Church Of England Primary, which teaches 99 pupils, aged three to 11, has retained its rating of ‘Good’ after the March inspection.

And the inspectors’ report highlighted a couple of notable comments made to them as part of feedback.

"Pupils enjoy attending school, and value positive relationships with staff,” the report said. “One pupil echoed the views of many when they told inspectors: ‘This school is just an amazing place to be. There is always someone you can count on’.”

The Ofsted report went on: “Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. One parent captured the views of many when they said: ‘My child has thrived at this school educationally, socially and emotionally’.”

Ranby is a voluntary controlled school, run by a governing body, chaired by Reece Davy. The head teacher is Clare Mackinder.

The inspectors said “nurture and care” were at the heart of the school, where “most pupils behave well”, were “kind and caring towards each other” and had “a positive attitude to learning”.

They had access to a “broad and ambitious curriculum” that ensured pupils “develop a love for learning across different subjects”.

The report continued: “Pupils enjoy lessons, and teachers demonstrate secure subject-knowledge, which enables pupils to ask questions and develop their curiosity.”

Staff fostered “a love of reading” and made sure youngsters had access to a different range of books. As a result, they quickly became “accurate and speedy readers”.

Ofsted stressed that “the school accurately identifies and supports” pupils with special needs and/or disabilities (SEND), while children in the early years “benefit from a warm and nurturing environment”.

The report also revealed that the Ranby school “prioritises pupils’ personal development”, hosting lessons on healthy lifestyles and staying safe, including when online. It provided “high-quality pastoral care” too.

Meanwhile, staff said the school was “a happy place to learn and work”. They were “extremely positive” about the support they received and valued the “family feel of the school”.

The inspectors pinpointed only two areas for improvement. Pupils were “not always able to recall their learning over time”, and those with SEND needed more help to “develop secure knowledge and increase their ability to learn independently”.