I WAS saddened to read of the possible closure of Clapham CE Primary School (Gazette, November 14, 'Village school faces closure').
The school was one of the first I reported on when I became one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Schools in the 1980s, and will be forever in my mind as a splendid example of what child-informed primary education could achieve.
In those days schools were not highlighted as “outstanding”; the head teacher, Margery Roberts, did not seek, and would not have sought, that kind of personal recognition. My published report of the school concluded: “Through effective leadership, a common philosophy and approach inform the work of children in each age group. Due regard is paid to academic standards... The sense of shared endeavour and zest for learning nurtured by the school make it a learning community of unusual quality.”
The one word “outstanding” did not appear anywhere in the report; it did not have to. Almost 40 years ago I remember how much I learned from my Clapham experience; I have no doubt some of your readers, former pupils now in their 40s or 50s, will feel the same about their very special primary school.
Prof Colin Richards HMI, retired
Spark Bridge
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