SCHOOLCHILDREN in Ovingham have extra cause for celebration this festive season after receiving an outstanding rating in their latest church inspection.

Ovingham C of E First School was visited by inspectors on September 29 for a Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS), and was rated outstanding in every category.

All church schools receive a SIAMS inspection as a way for each diocese to evaluate how effective they are at meeting the needs of learners.

Following its last outstanding Ofsted inspection in 2012, Ovingham C of E First School also received an outstanding SIAMS rating later that year, which was the last time it was inspected.

A report compiled following the the latest inspection in September summarised: “The distinctiveness and effectiveness of Ovingham as a Church of England school are outstanding.”

It was rated as outstanding for meeting the needs of learners, its leadership and management and the impact of collective worship on the school.

The report read: “The school lives out, through the actions of its members, the aim of its mission statement ‘to promote Christian values through the experiences it offers’.

“The values of love, friendship, compassion and forgiveness impact greatly on the school community and are evident in pupils’ excellent behaviour, achievements, school attendance and enjoyment of the wide curriculum offered.”

Headteacher Julie Raistrick said: “We’re very pleased about getting outstanding in all of the categories. They have raised the bar quite a lot and now it’s very difficult to get – they look at all of our data to make sure everything is outstanding.

“These things are what we are doing in school every day and we were just living that out for them to see for themselves. We are so pleased that what we do here all the time has been recognised.”