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15
Apr
Ofsted inspectors praise improvement at Harrogate High School
Inspectors have given Harrogate High School an improved Ofsted report after a recent inspection.
Ofsted, which visited the 672-pupil school on Ainsty Road in February, said the school had met the “expected standard” in five areas, including safeguarding, curriculum and teaching and leadership and governance.
However, inspectors said pupil achievement at the school still “needs attention”.
The school was last graded as "requires improvement" following a report under the old Ofsted inspection system in June 2023.
The latest inspection report, published today (April 15) under the new inspection process, which doesn't give a single-word judgment, said the school had improved and met the "expected standard".
It said pupils' had positive attitudes to their learning at Harrogate High, noting that "teaching has improved significantly" as a result of the effective change brought about by school staff leaders.
The report adds:
Care, compassion and commitment are characteristic of pupils’ experience at Harrogate High School. Pupils appreciate the support they receive from staff who know them well.
Pupils learn how to stay safe and build positive relationships. They feel confident that bullying is dealt with if it happens and know who to go to if they have concerns.
Inspectors said leaders had ensured that teaching had "improved significantly" since its last inspection in 2023.
They added that pupils had “clear structures for learning and adjustments” in their lessons and had appropriate targeted help.
However, the report said pupil achievement at the school, such as achievement in national tests at key stage four, needs to be improved.
Harrogate High School
Inspectors said the school had put measures in place which were “having a positive effect”, but added that there “still work to be done to improve achievement”.
The report said:
The gap between disadvantaged pupils and their non-disadvantaged peers has continued to narrow. Leaders have taken careful steps to monitor pupils’ progress and ensure that timely help is provided when needed.
Despite this, there is still work to be done to improve achievement across subjects at the end of key stage four.
Sukhraj Gill, headteacher at Harrogate High School, said he welcomed the report and was pleased with its findings.
He said:
This report is a tribute to the hard work put in by pupils, teachers and leaders over several years to build a school which is ambitious, inclusive and succeeding. I am especially pleased that inspectors recognised our school as a special place where we know our students well and that their experience of Harrogate High is one of care, compassion and commitment.
Jenn Plews, chief executive of North Star Academies Trust which operates the school, added:
I am delighted that Ofsted inspectors have recognised the transformation that has taken place at Harrogate High School to make it a school of choice for local families, with high expectations and positive attitudes to learning.
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