Telford school celebrates glowing Ofsted report
The standard of teaching and pupils achievements at a Telford school once threatened with closure are 'good' and in some cases 'outstanding', according to a new report from education watchdogs.
The Lord Silkin School is celebrating after a recent Ofsted inspection upgraded it from 'satisfactory' to 'good', continuing the amazing turnaround in the Stirchley school's progress.
Inspectors praised the behaviour of pupils and the positive ethos in the school, which has almost no pupil exclusions, as well remarking on the “strong and determined leadership” provided by headteacher, Trevor Goddard.
The report said: “Students enter school with standards, particularly in English and mathematics, which are well below average. The carefully tailored support packages and interventions, combined with good teaching, ensure that all students are improving their literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum.
“All students make at least good progress and some make outstanding progress. The overall quality of teaching is good and some is outstanding. All teachers have high expectations of students and, as a result, learning is fast paced and engages students well.”
The report comes after the Lord Silkin School achieved record-breaking GCSE results for a second year and was ranked in the top ten per cent of schools in England for its year on year turnaround performance since 2008.
Headteacher Trevor Goddard said: “We are absolutely delighted with the results of this inspection and the report which highlights the hard work being done at the Lord Silkin by staff and students.
“Last year we were named the most improved school in Telford & Wrekin, and having a 'good' Ofsted rating is the icing on the cake. But we know there is still work to be done, and we will be addressing areas where we can improve.”
The report added: “Relationships between students and also between students and staff are good. Students of all backgrounds feel cared for. They appreciate that staff want them to achieve their potential and want them to play a full part in their learning. Students are polite, courteous, considerate and welcoming to visitors.
“The headteacher provides strong and determined leadership. He is ably supported by his senior leadership team who between them have changed the ethos of the school. He has been able to build effectively on the school’s strengths and continue the drive for improvement.”
Inspectors have recommended areas where the Lord Silkin School can continue to improve including monitoring of students to ensure literacy and numeracy skills are consolidated and further work to increase the proportion of outstanding teaching.
