Celebrating Excellence: Our “Good” Ofsted 2023 Report and the Path to Success

In September 2023, our school embarked on a three-day journey of inspection by Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services, and Skills, one that would not only reaffirm our commitment to excellence but also set a new standard for our educational institution. The report, released after the inspection, shines a bright light on our school’s accomplishments, emphasising our dedication to fostering high expectations, student empowerment, and a supportive community. We are immensely proud to maintain our “good” rating in all areas, including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management, a testament to our ongoing commitment to educational excellence.

Here are some highlights or read the full report.

High Expectations and Student Empowerment

One of the standout features of our school is our unwavering dedication to promoting high expectations for all our students. Our staff works tirelessly to encourage students to set both long-term and short-term goals, fostering a spirit of ambition and achievement. At our school, students are empowered to take on new challenges, and the results speak for themselves. Our students have achieved a wide range of qualifications, including GCSEs, Functional Skills, Vocational qualifications, and leadership awards, including the prestigious Prince’s Trust awards. Our curriculum goes beyond academic excellence, nurturing holistic growth in every student.

Positive Behaviour and Strong Relationships

Ofsted’s report commended our school for maintaining a culture of good behaviour. Our students are not just taught right from wrong but are encouraged to make positive choices about their behaviour and learning. The positive relationships between students and staff are a cornerstone of our school environment, characterised by mutual respect, humour, and shared moments of laughter. This atmosphere of respect and camaraderie not only enriches our students’ educational experience but also helps them thrive as responsible individuals.

Outstanding Leadership and a Thoughtful Community

Ofsted recognised that our leadership team has a clear rationale for the curriculum we offer, ensuring that teachers possess secure subject knowledge, and students take pride in their work while moving purposefully and calmly around the school. But our school is more than just academics. “The school is an extremely thoughtful and understanding community, where leaders consider the well-being of all. They go above and beyond in helping pupils and families in need”. This dedication extends our school’s commitment to inclusion and diversity, ensuring that no one is left behind.

The recognition from the Ofsted report are bolstered by the Dan Grants’ External Quality Assurance Report, emphasising the exceptional qualities that set our school apart. 

Indeed, as part of our ongoing improvement process and before we knew Ofsted were coming to assess us, we arranged an inspection with Dan Grant’s external Quality assurance review. Dan Grant is the founder and lead for Leaders in Safeguarding, who also offers consultancy on school improvement journeys. The consultancy was organised to prepare us and ensure that we had identified the areas for improvement that were necessary to get through Ofsted successfully. As it happened, Dan came after Ofsted, and he reinforced Ofsted’s view of where we are at.

Here are some quotes from his report:

1. The school has outstanding leadership.
2. Inclusion and diversity are woven through the school offer.
3. Staff work well together to ensure the school community thrives.
4. Children have fun and are proud of their achievements and are curious for more.
5. Children make good progress developing their knowledge, understanding and skills.
6. Throughout the day children are provided with hundreds of well-crafted opportunities to find out more about who they are, what they can do and where they fit into the world.
7. The curriculum provides a well thought-through combination of personal development, community learning, academic achievement and cognitive behavioural change.
8. Teachers are ambitious for the success of all learners.
9. Children feel safe at the school.

The Ofsted report, combined with Dan Grants’ External Quality Assurance Report, paints a picture of a school that goes beyond conventional education. We look forward to continuing our journey towards even greater achievements, always with our students at the heart of our endeavours.