Congratulations to Oriel Academy! Glowing report sees school retain Ofsted Good rating despite upheaval caused by Covid-19

A west London primary which thrived despite the upheaval caused by Covid-19 has received a glowing Ofsted report. 

Students and staff at Oriel Academy in Hanworth are celebrating after the school’s first inspection since the pandemic began has seen it retain its Good rating. 

The inspector said the school is ‘’happy and welcoming. Pupils enjoy their learning and try their best. They feel motivated by the encouragement they get from staff. Children get off to a good start in the early years. They do well in the nurturing and stimulating environment.’’

Oriel currently has places available in Reception and Nursery for the academic year that begins September 2022.

Aine Linney, Executive Principal at the school which is based in Hounslow Road, said she was delighted with the inspector’s report. 
She told the Hounslow Herald: ‘’The teachers at Oriel know their pupils and also their families very well. This allows us to thoroughly understand the needs of each child we look after. At Oriel, staff are known to go the extra mile for the students in our care. During lockdown we had around 100 children coming into school each day. Laptops were provided for those children who needed them and all of our students were supported to ensure they did not fall behind with their learning whether at home or in school. There is a strong sense of belonging for our pupils at Oriel.’’

Oriel’s Executive Principal Aine Linney pictured alongside Associate Principal Nick Clifton

The latest inspection was carried out over a two day period in November 2021 and the final report released for publication in January. The previous inspection was carried out in 2016.
The inspector also noted leaders have ensured the school has continued to improve. They have introduced a successful mathematics programme and reading is at the heart of the curriculum. This starts in the early years. Leaders want the curriculum to be memorable and they use educational visits to bring learning to life.

Happy students pictured at Oriel Academy

Nick Clifton, Oriel’s Associate Principal, said: ‘’The inspector noted our curriculum is thorough. The same standard developed in the core subjects applies to every area of the curriculum so there are no shortcomings.
‘’Our ‘No limits’ curriculum complements the learning in core subjects and makes learning relevant to pupils’ lives. For example pupils in Year 6 used their history knowledge about the Victorian era to help them in their design and technology work on animation toys.  
‘’Each project in the ‘No Limits’ curriculum ends with a special event for example, pupils have spoken about building Victorian houses, becoming teachers for the day and creating their own museums.’’

Students enjoy their learning at Oriel Academy

The Ofsted report notes pupils behave exceptionally well in lessons and around school. They feel safe in school and said bullying does not happen at Oriel Academy. 
Leaders have high aspirations for every pupil and staff are supported and encouraged to play their part in making a difference to pupils’ lives. 

Mrs Linney said she is proud her school is a happy place for staff and pupils: ‘’The Ofsted report found 100% of our staff are proud to work at Oriel Academy. They spoke positively about the support they receive and they feel valued. This in turn means our students are happy and well-supported. We are all on the same page at Oriel and I could not be more proud of my school.’’

If you would like to apply for a Reception or Nursery place to start September 2022, please email: office@oriel-aspirations.org or call: 0208 894 9395.