In the School’s last Ofsted report (September 2011) inspectors advised the school to ensure that all lessons are good or better by:

• developing more rigorous monitoring of teaching and learning;
• eliminating any remaining inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and marking of students’ work;
• ensuring all lessons fully engage students and proceed at a good pace.

It was recognised that improvement plans were clear and relevant and had a strong focus on tackling weaknesses in teaching.  At the time, it was considered that these initiatives were at any early stage and had had only a limited impact on learning.  It was also noted that the way leaders and managers monitor teaching and learning varied, and, in the case of middle managers, sometimes lacked rigour.

Since the last inspection, line management has become more rigorous through developing shared schedules for monitoring and evaluation.  Revisions to the Appraisal and Capability Policy (since 2012) have made more explicit the relationship between the School Improvement Plan and the responsibilities of individual teachers.  The monitoring and evaluation schedules and the appraisal process are supplemented with an on-going analysis of assessment data to identify areas for development and prompt early intervention, a comprehensive schedule of lesson observations and work scrutinies, and area reviews.  Teaching staff have undertaken a number of professional development activities, most recently focused upon stretching the most able, improving students’ levels of literacy and ensuring that marking and feedback enables students to effect improvement. 

To download a copy of the 2011 Ofsted Report, click here

There is a government website, through which you can search for primary, secondary and special needs schools and colleges near you, and check their performance.

You can view and download:

• exam and test results
• Ofsted reports
• financial information

To access the most recent Department for Education Performance tables, click here