Dear Families,
I am writing to share an important update following our recent Section 8 Ofsted inspection that took place on 25th and 26th March. We are delighted to share that Ofsted has recognised that our “school’s work may have improved significantly across all areas” since our last inspection. In essence this means if the school was inspected under a Section 5 (graded inspection), it may have been judged Outstanding. I will explain what this means after I have shared some of the great comments in the report.
The Ofsted report praises the “strong sense of community” we have built between pupils and their families, our “vibrant and rich curriculum”, and our collective efforts to create an inclusive environment where “everyone works together to ensure that every pupil is able to achieve a ‘great life’.”
The report is now available on our website, and I would encourage you to read it in full.
The report highlights numerous strengths that have contributed to our school’s remarkable progress, key insights included:
- “The school values of commitment, growth and integrity are woven into school life” and “understood and lived by the whole school community.”
- The report commended our pupils, recognising that they “relish the opportunity to learn new things” and “value their education”.
- Our school is “a happy and friendly place to learn”, where “warm, caring relationships” are built between staff, children, and their families.
- Inspectors commended our pupils for their “polite” and “courteous behaviour”, noting that classrooms are “calm and productive.”
- Our school has “high expectations for how pupils behave and achieve”, and “pupils meet these expectations extremely well.”
- Our pupils “flourish in their personal and social development.”
- Our “pupils feel safe and supported”, noting that “bullying is rare” and pupils are confident that staff would deal with any cases immediately.
- Inspectors praised our curriculum for being “engaging and well thought out”, supporting students to “build knowledge over time”.
- The report recognised that our pupils “benefit from a wide range of visitors and visits” and enjoy “hands-on learning”.
- Inspectors noted that “reading is at the heart of the school”, commending our diverse reading curriculum that supports pupils’ own experiences.
- “Staff identify pupils who are at risk of falling behind” and “provide targeted support to help these pupils catch up.”
- Pupils in early years “benefit from a high-quality experience” in an “engaging and supportive environment”, establishing strong foundations for their future.
- “The school ensures that pupils with SEND receive the very best care, support and challenge.”
- “The school’s provision for broader development is a strength”, with students actively participating in the school community and engaging in “projects and events that strengthen the local community.”
- Inspectors noted that our staff are “valued, supported and motivated” and that leaders “drive continuous improvement across the school.”
I want to take this opportunity to say thank you. Our families’ continued support of Beckfoot Heaton has been crucial in creating our inclusive school community where all can belong. I hope you share my pride in this result, as it is a true acknowledgement of your dedication to our great school community.
I know you will want to understand more about what the Ofsted outcome the, “school’s work may have improved significantly across all areas”. As our school was good last time, we had an inspection called a Section 8, and judgments for the different areas of inspection are not made – just an overall sense of whether the school has stayed the same in its effectiveness, seems to have significantly improved, or whether it may have deteriorated. So you can see that our outcome for this inspection was the best one we could have achieved. Last time we had 2 outstanding judgements (for Personal Development and Leadership and Management), and the other three were good (Quality of Education, Behaviour and Attitudes, and Early Years) and to have significantly improved from this is fantastic.
As we celebrate this wonderful achievement across our school community, I am sure you know that we won’t stop here, we will remain committed to continuing on our remarkable journey of improvement, and I hope you are just as excited as I am to continue working together to deliver the best for our school community.
If you have any questions about the report, please do not hesitate to contact us by emailing [email protected].
Thank you
Zoe Mawson
