Headteacher proud as Derbyshire school celebrates Ofsted ranking to 'good' - thanks to ' hard work of staff and students'

Whittington Green School on High Street in Old Whittington has been rated as ‘good’ across all the categories during the Ofsted inspection on February 8 and 9 this year.

It is a great success for the school which has been graded as ‘requires improvement’ since 2013 and ‘satisfactory’ before that.

In the Ofsted report published this month, inspectors praised the school leaders for working with ‘considerable commitment and determination to improve.’

Tracey Burnside, headteacher at school said: “I am delighted that the hard work of staff and students to improve the school has been recognised. I am really proud to lead such a fantastic team and pleased that the community now has the good school it deserves.”

In the report, inspectors said: “This school is an inclusive, caring learning community. Pupils learn from staff who know them well and strive to meet their needs.

“Staff challenge pupils to be more than they thought they could be. The school provides opportunities and experiences that show pupils just how much potential they have.

“Pupils know that the school has high expectations of their learning and conduct. Most behave well and treat each other with respect. Pupils said how much they value the positive relationships they have with staff. They learn in a calm, orderly environment.

“Pupils benefit from strong pastoral care. They feel safe in school. They know that they can go to the student support centre with any worries they may have, including bullying. Pupils said that staff take their concerns seriously and help them to sort them out.”

Inspectors have also highlighted what the school should improve in the future even further.

The report said: “In some subjects, the curriculum is not yet fully developed. Leaders have not thought carefully about precisely what pupils must know in order to be successful in the next stage of learning. Where this is the case, teachers do not focus on ensuring that pupils learn the important knowledge before moving on.

“The curriculum for personal development is new. Some pupils do not securely learn all of the important knowledge in the PSHE curriculum. Leaders should continue with their plan to improve the teaching of PSHE.”