Ofsted
What Are Ofsted Inspections?
Ofsted stands for the Office for Standards in Education. It is a non-ministerial government department responsible for the inspection of all schools and other educational organisations in England.
The frequency of inspection is determined by the outcome of the school's most recent inspection. There are four grades of overall outcome:
- Outstanding
- Good
- Requires Improvement
- Inadequate
Normally, schools get half a day’s notice of a full inspection, but Ofsted has the power to go into schools without any notice if it considers it necessary. This could be if they have received concerns about a school, possibly from a parent.
Usually, inspections last for two days. The number of inspectors varies depending on the size and type of a school, but the team will include Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and/or contracted Ofsted inspectors – normally practising headteachers and deputy heads.
Before the inspection, the inspectors gather information about the school by reading the previous Ofsted report, reports of any interim monitoring, any complaints that have been raised about the school, academic data, information about funding, and information from the school’s website. They also send a letter to parents inviting them to share their opinions about the school on Ofsted’s Parent View website.
During the inspection, inspectors will observe lessons, check records and gather a range of evidence to inform their judgements, including speaking to staff, governors, pupils and parents and scrutinising pupils’ work. Through these activities inspectors are able to build a clear picture of what life is like at the school and how well pupils are learning. The main focus is on teaching and learning; inspectors will sit in on lessons, look through children’s books and talk to them about not just their understanding, but also how engaged they are in their learning.
At the end of the inspection the judgement will be reported to the Headteacher and governors and the findings are published in a report for the school, parents and the wider community on the Ofsted website - https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/
Last Inspection
The school was last inspected on 17th and 18th May 2023.
As you will see, we received an overall judgement of ‘good’ but are particularly proud of the ‘outstanding’ result acquired in personal development, an area of which we have always placed high priority on.
Please click to see our latest Ofsted Report.
There is so much to celebrate, but I share some of our favourite comments below:
- ‘Pupils thrive in a caring and nurturing environment.’
- ‘Staff have created a culture where it is safe to ask for help and learn from mistakes.’
- ‘Leaders plan rich experiences across the classroom to complement pupils’ learning.’
- ‘Pupils learn to be positive advocates for themselves and others.’
- ‘Pupils say, ‘We learn not to judge someone for who they are.’
- ‘Teachers make sure no pupil is left behind when learning to read.’
- ‘Pupils with SEND learn the same ambitious curriculum as others.’
- ‘Leaders’ work to develop pupils’ opportunities beyond the academic is very impressive.’
- ‘Pupils’ service to the school and the wider community is commendable.’
- ‘The headteacher is determined that every child succeeds.’
- ‘An overwhelming majority of parents hold the school in high regard.’