Visited by the schools inspectorate across two days in October, St Nicholas CE Primary, based on Woad Farm Road in Boston, achieved ‘Good’ gradings across all inspection categories, resulting in being judged as ‘Good’ overall. 

This is the first time that the school has been inspected since joining Infinity Academies Trust in September 2019, at which point it had undergone a challenging period of academic and Ofsted performance.  

Fiona Booth, Headteacher, said: “This ‘Good’ Ofsted rating is a huge achievement for St Nicholas CE Primary Academy and marks a significant milestone for us as a school family. 

“When Infinity Academies Trust first stepped in to help our school in 2019 it would be fair to say that times were challenging and we desperately needed their support, but I am proud to say that the transformation that has taken place since then has been nothing short of amazing. I am so pleased that this has been recognised by Ofsted.

“At the heart of our school is our firm belief in ‘letting your light shine’, this is something that has guided us in everything that we do for our pupils, our families and our staff every day. 

“We can’t wait to see what the future holds.” 

As part of their report, inspectors found that “Pupils enjoy attending this school… They feel part of a community. One pupil commented, ‘Everyone knows you…and we are all friends.’”

It was also noted that “There are high expectations for what pupils can achieve personally and academically.” Inspectors added that “The school promotes positive behaviour…Pupils behave well. They develop a strong sense of respect for others.”

The school was also commended for the wide range of opportunities on offer for pupils, including “an entitlement and enrichment programme to ensure that all children and pupils have the chance to ‘let their light shine’ by broadening their interests and developing their talents.” Provision for pupils’ personal development was also found to be “well considered and ambitious.” 

Other highlights included: 

• “There is a strong shared vision at this school. That vision places pupils’ experience of education and staff’s experience of the workplace at the centre of policies and practices. Staff overwhelmingly say they feel proud of working at this school.”
• “There is a calm atmosphere throughout the school. Pupils value their education.”
• “The school’s curriculum is ambitious and clearly identifies the important knowledge that pupils should learn and in what order …They quickly gain confidence in being at school and in how to learn.” 
• “Pupils with SEND have their needs promptly identified. The school has developed a ‘silver curriculum’ that highlights the building blocks of knowledge that all pupils need. This enables staff to focus on helping pupils with SEND and pupils who speak English as an additional language to gain the understanding they need to build their knowledge over time. This helps all pupils to access the school’s ambitious curriculum.
• The school works hard to build positive relationships with the wider community. In the early years, parents and carers have opportunities to ‘stay and play’ and to see how their children are learning.

Gavin Booth, CEO of Infinity Academies Trust, added: “St Nicholas CE Primary Academy is certainly a different school to the one that joined our Infinity family back in 2019.

“At St Nicholas CE Primary you are now greeted by an atmosphere that provides a warm and welcoming space for children to learn and thrive. Through an ambitious curriculum and many exciting opportunities and experiences we set out to give every child the best possible start to their education and prepare them for the future.

“My thanks go to all of the staff, parents and members of the wider community who have supported the school over the past few years, and the wonderful children who we do all this for.”

St Nicholas CE Primary Academy is currently offering tours for prospective pupils and parents looking for school places for September 2024. Please call 01205 363210 for further information.