Budehaven Ofsted Report Spring 2017

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Monday 13^th March, 2017

Dear Parents and Carers,

Budehaven Community School is a GOOD school

I am pleased to be able to write to you with a copy of our Ofsted report which has been published today.

As you are aware, we welcomed Ofsted into our school for a full inspection on February 7^th and 8^th 2017. A team of four Ofsted inspectors, led by Paul Williams HMI, visited a vast array of lessons in all subject areas and across all year groups. They spoke to lots of students and staff, met with the governing body, spent time with myself, senior leaders and middle leaders. There was certainly no stone left unturned!

We are delighted that they have judged the school to be good in all areas. The school has received a good judgment for:

• Leadership and management;
• Teaching, learning and assessment;
• Behaviour and personal development of students;
• Student outcomes;
• Sixth form.

It is really pleasing that the Ofsted team acknowledged the hard work of all our staff and students and how this has led to Budehaven being a school where children thrive and are well prepared for their future. Inspectors commented that we had, ‘risen to the challenge’ that was set after the last Ofsted inspection by truly placing the quality of our teaching and our students’ learning at the heart of all we do.

I am very proud of the way in which our students welcomed the inspection team and spoke to the inspectors confidently and articulately about their progress and their experiences of being a Budehaven student. The report comments on the way in which they ‘present themselves well’.  I am particularly pleased that the Ofsted team could see the effort that students regularly put into their work, commenting on how ‘tenacious’ our students are in pushing themselves to redraft and improve their work, supported and challenged by their teachers. They also observed that our students are responding well to the rising standards and ambition that we have set out in ‘The Budehaven Way’ which is underpinned by the phrase, ‘we value education and the chances this gives us in life’.

Safeguarding is of course a key focus of any inspection and inspectors commented that our safeguarding was effective and that, ‘we have a culture in which safeguarding is seen as highly important’. Students said that they felt safe and bullying is rare, but if it happens the school deals with it quickly and effectively. Student behaviour was judged to be good with positive relationships between students and teachers.

The lead inspector, Paul Williams HMI, also commented that the quality of the school’s teaching ‘has improved and is now good’ and this is leading to better outcomes and progress across all year groups so that students’ achievements are now good. Indeed, in ‘English and maths it is improving rapidly… and is now well above the national average’. As you know we have worked hard to embed our marking and feedback policy, using EBI and MRI as a means for students to be challenged and to improve their work, so it is great to see this acknowledged in the comment that teachers’ feedback to students is of a ‘consistently high quality’ which ‘causes students to stop and think’.

Our Sixth Form was also judged to provide a ‘good education for students’ with progress that is ‘well above average’. Inspectors said that, ‘students’ written work reflects their keen interest and enthusiasm for their studies’. We provide a great deal of guidance for our Sixth Form students so that they make ambitious choices and the report notes that such comprehensive advice ‘raises aspirations’ with ‘many students achieving places at top universities when they leave’.

I am pleased that the report acknowledges the collaborative work of leaders at all levels to create, ‘an increased level of ambition throughout the school’. The Inspection Team commented that the schools’ leaders and governors, ‘have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and so make incisive plans for further improvement’.

Thank you for taking the time to respond to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire and for your continued support as we continue on our journey to make Budehaven Community School a truly great school.

Best wishes,

Tracey Reynolds

Headteacher