St. Aidan’s Church of England High School has received a ‘good’ rating from Ofsted, six months after being rated ‘inadequate’.
The inadequate rating came as a shock to many staff and parents, as the school had previously been graded ‘outstanding’.
When a school is rated inadequate it has to wait up to three years before another full inspection and is subject to regular monitoring visits to check on progress.
But after the first monitoring visit at St Aidan’s in May, inspectors felt the rating “was not a fair reflection of the school” and returned two days later for a full three-day inspection.
In the previous report, published in January, the school was rated ‘good’ in all areas except leadership and management, which was rated ‘inadequate’ and meant it automatically achieved the same overall outcome.
It was highly critical of the school’s safeguarding policies and said pupils were “at risk of harm”. However, the new report said the school has “robust systems in place” for safeguarding.
It praised leaders for “swiftly” addressing the concerns raised in the prior report.
The report added:
“Staff know the signs that suggest a pupil may be at risk of harm. Adults promptly report any concerns they have. Leaders take swift action to ensure that pupils are safe.
“Where necessary, leaders refer concerns to appropriate external agencies.”
Nurturing environment
The secondary school has over 2,500 pupils, which includes those in a shared sixth form with St John Fisher Catholic High School.
The report said the sixth form provision was ‘outstanding’ and pupils “demonstrate a real love of learning”.
The new Ofsted report also gave an ‘outstanding’ rating to behaviour and attitudes at St Aidan’s, calling it a “happy school with a positive and nurturing environment where pupils flourish.”
It added:
“Pupils enjoy their lessons and value teachers’ knowledge and enthusiasm for their subject. Leaders have established clear routines that result in calm lessons. This enables pupils to focus on their work. They are keen to succeed.”
Quality of education and personal development were rated ‘good’.
The report said:
“Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They bring their subject to life for pupils with the clarity of their explanations and richness of examples. Pupils are captivated in lessons and are keen to answer the questions that teachers ask.”
The school’s response
Chris Ives, the school’s acting headteacher, said:
“This is an outcome that we think is a much fairer reflection of our school. In saying that, it is important to stress that changes have been made since the initial inspection outcome. We have collectively worked tirelessly to ensure that our approaches mirror what is required under the Ofsted framework.
“We have always believed in what we do and how we do it, and the process we have been through ensures that is fully in line with every expectation that is placed on us.”
Jo Wicks, chair of governors, said:
“After a period where we hadn’t been inspected in 15 years, to have three inspections in the matter of months has been challenging.
“There have, however, been real positives through this journey. The support we have had from our immediate community has been heartening, and the impact it has had on our school is immeasurable. Our staff have been unbelievably focused and determined to do their very best to ensure our school got the grading it deserved. The Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust has given their unwavering and constructive support.
“Most importantly, our students have not let this distract them from achieving their own goals and thriving as individuals. They continue to impress with their generosity of spirit and sharpness of their aspiration.
“We are truly delighted that we can end the year so positively and hope that we can build on the recent success when Ofsted next visit us to secure an outstanding judgement overall.”
