The West Bridgford School has been graded as Outstanding following a recent Ofsted inspection in January.
The two-day inspection was carried out under the relatively new framework; this is widely considered to be much more demanding than when the school was previously graded Outstanding in November 2011.
Headteacher Tim Peacock said:
“This is a fantastic acknowledgement of the importance that this whole community places on education.
“The support that our students receive from parents/carers and teachers is second-to-none.
“I must also acknowledge the work of our family of primary schools who do so much to make our students keen learners by the time they arrive with us.”
The wider personal development of students was seen as a strength of the school, alongside high expectations and exacting standards.
The report cited a typical parental comment “The school has a caring ethos and sets high standards for the children which it supports them to achieve.”
Tim added: “This superbly sums up what we strive for.”
The school is particularly pleased that support for students with SEND was seen as very strong.
Since the pandemic, there has been a huge growth in the number of students with complex needs; particularly emotional needs. Meeting these needs with limited funding is increasingly difficult. Although there is always room for improvement, the inspectors praised the school’s current provision.
The West Bridgford School is constantly striving to achieve. From the Headteacher’s perspective, “We have a comprehensive development plan with key priorities for the next year. This will not go away because of this inspection outcome.
“We believe that we are seen as Outstanding because we will continue to look for ways to improve the learning experiences and outcomes for all of our students.
“We want our students to be the best that they can be and this applies to every aspect of our work too.”
The West Bridgford School is proud to be a member of the East Midlands Education Trust; a group of schools who work together to make the philosophy of continuous improvement for all students a reality.