The special school, which caters for students aged 11 to 16 years old, has been graded ‘good’ during a recent inspection, with families telling inspectors of the “positive difference it has made to their lives” due to the school’s comprehensive understanding of their children’s needs.
Headteacher Diane Ahearn commented: “We take great pride in creating an environment which nurtures, encourages and inspires our students, and strive to ensure all students are able to access high-quality provision. We are delighted that our efforts have been recognised by Ofsted.”
During the inspection, the school’s provision of a broad and balanced range of subjects was highlighted, with their implementation of timely interventions praised for effectively engaging students and ensuring “pupils make rapid progress, both academically and socially”.
The strength of the staff team was commended throughout the inspection, with their “expertly planned lessons” and wide offering of opportunities enabling pupils to be exceptionally well prepared for their next stage in education.
This was further evident in Ofsted’s findings of a high-class of personal development being fostered at the school, with their report stating that staff take “every opportunity to promote pupils’ personal development” and “consistently encourage pupils to be independent”.
Mrs Ahearn continued: “Our staff team works tirelessly to foster a happy, safe and creative learning environment for our pupils.
“Our collaborative approach with parents enables us to ensure that our pupils have every opportunity in life – it is what they deserve.”
Ofsted concluded their glowing report of the school by praising their safeguarding practices, recognizing how “safety and wellbeing is at the heart of everything [the school] do”.
This is not the first time that the school, which is part of Shaw Education Trust, has received such encouraging comments from Ofsted, with their previous inspection also grading the school as ‘good’.
Due to this previous rating, the recent visit from Ofsted was an ungraded inspection; however, Ofsted were so impressed with the school’s performance that they stated “the school could be judged outstanding if [they] were to carry out a graded inspection now”.
Mrs Ahearn concluded: “It is great to see that the hard work and dedication of our team is being recognised and we will continue on our mission to ensure that all our students receive a quality education.”