Welcome to Edisford Primary – A Message for Prospective Parents

If you're visiting our website for the first time and considering Edisford as the school for your child, we’d love to tell you a little about what makes us special.

At Edisford, we offer something a little different. Our approach centres on enjoyment, building meaningful relationships with children, and thoughtful, strategic teaching.

What we do works: we're proud to be in the top 3% of schools nationally, with children achieving consistently high results year after year. More importantly, we know we’re making a real difference in our pupils’ lives — and we’re incredibly proud of each and every one of them.

So, what makes us different?

It all comes down to our ethos. At Edisford, we don’t create a high-pressure, high-stakes environment. You won’t hear us telling children to “be the best you can be” or “achieve your potential” — not because we don’t believe in ambition, but because we recognise that children are human beings, not projects. They have good days and bad days, just like we do. We give them space to be themselves and time to become who they are meant to be.

We’ve seen, time and time again, children who arrive from other settings blossom and thrive here. As one past pupil told an Ofsted inspector, “At Edisford, I can be who I am – but I can also be who I want to be.” That’s exactly what we aim for.

We also reject fear-based discipline. Yes, we could enforce silent lunchtimes or insist on fingers on lips — and it would ‘work’ — but that doesn’t make it right. We want our children to enjoy lunchtime conversation, and to move through school with quiet respect, not fear.

Finally, we believe in empowering children to make the right choices. We set out clear behaviour boundaries that help children feel safe and secure. Of course, mistakes happen — that’s part of growing up. When they do, we respond with warmth and forgiveness, because we know that learning from mistakes is part of life.

We would love you to come and see Edisford in action. Why not book a tour with me, Mrs Hamilton-Thorpe, to get a real feel for the school? We also offer taster days so your child can experience it for themselves.

Warm regards,
Mrs Hamilton-Thorpe
Headteacher