‘A joyful place’

That is how one of the students described our school to the inspectors during its recent inspection.

The school retained its ‘Good’ judgement. The inspectors recognised that standards have risen since the last inspection because the quality of teaching and learning has continued to improve. In 2015, the overall progress that students made by GCSE placed the school in the top 25% in the country. The inspectors recognised that we have successfully raised the level of challenge for the most able students, and that in 2015 many gained the highest grades in the majority of subjects.

Staff are overwhelmingly positive about working at the school and they say there is ‘an atmosphere of mutual support and teachers are encouraged to share best practice’. Parents told inspectors of ‘the happy atmosphere’ in the school and say ‘teachers really care for the students’.

Our ambition is to improve the school further so it becomes one of the most successful schools in the country. To do this we need to make sure that our students who have fewer advantages or need particular support for their learning achieve the same excellent results as other students. We are confident that, by working together, we can meet this challenge.

David Gorsuch, Chair of Governors
Catharine Darnton, Headteacher