Croydon (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Jason Ofori has been appointed as the new Headteacher of Chestnut Park Primary in Croydon, marking a new chapter for the thriving GLF school.
In its most recent inspection, Ofsted rated Chestnut Park as “Outstanding,” citing its strengths in teaching, learning, curriculum development, and leadership.
An ambitious three-form entry elementary school with close ties to the community is Chestnut Park. The school takes great satisfaction in being outstanding and in instilling the highest standards in its students.
Mr. Ofori, who started his career as a teaching assistant before undergoing training to become a class teacher, brings a plethora of experience to his new position.
Since then, he has held high-level positions, such as Principal of a multi-academy trust in Croydon, Trust Director of Standards for both primary and secondary education, and most recently, Interim Executive Headteacher at Canary Wharf College Glenworth, an Ofsted-rated Outstanding school.
In addition, he has extensive knowledge of what constitutes high-quality education in a variety of contexts as a practicing Ofsted inspector.
The hiring of Mr. Ofori is a testament to Chestnut Park’s dedication to ongoing development and ensuring the highest standards of performance for every student.
Jason Ofori said:
“I feel honoured to be joining such a dedicated team at Chestnut Park. I’ve been warmly welcomed by staff, pupils, and parents, and I look forward to working together to continue the school’s journey of success. My focus will be on continuing to develop the curriculum & teaching and learning to ensure consistently strong outcomes. It is my unwavering commitment that every child will receive a first class teaching to prepare them for the next stage of their education. All staff will nurture a culture of aspiration, and will ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive.”
What new curriculum developments has Jason Ofori implemented?
The school implements an interdisciplinary curriculum that combines units from the International Primary Curriculum to ensure comprehensive and balanced coverage. The interdisciplinary approach supports the exploration of skills and knowledge across subjects, all while ensuring that the learning goals are accessible.
The curriculum is retrieval-based and spiral (reinforcement through succession), which means that the repetition of key components/concepts helps to extend the children’s knowledge and deep understanding over time.
In English, the school utilises ‘The Write Stuff,’ which also prioritises oracy and connects reading and writing closely through whole-class reading sessions alongside strikingly direct (structured) synthetic phonics unit, Read Write Inc. The school’s Maths lessons use a Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract approach, and the children develop their reasoning and problem-solving skills through the use of hands-on resources and discursive learning.