‘Outstanding’ across the board for Whitley Bay High School
Whitley Bay High School in North Tyneside has achieved a clean sweep of ‘outstanding’ grades across the board in its latest Ofsted inspection – making it the first secondary school in England to do so since the launch of Ofsted’s new and rigorous inspection framework last year.
The inspection outcome confirms the position of Whitley Bay High School in the top flight of high performing schools nationally |
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Under the new Ofsted inspection regime introduced last September, only 9 per cent of schools nationally have been judged to be ‘outstanding’.
In the case of Whitley Bay High School, an ‘outstanding’ grade was awarded in every single one of the 31 individual categories of assessment underpinning the overall judgement – a national first.
Whitley Bay High School is a mixed 13-18 community comprehensive, with some 1600 students, including over 500 in the sixth form.
As well as the sweep of ‘outstanding’ grades, inspectors also commented extremely favourably on a wide range of aspects of the school, notably:
- Its strong ethos of respect, which permeates the school
- Innovative, exciting and varied teaching
- Students’ extremely positive attitude to learning and exemplary behaviour
- Outstanding care, guidance and support
- Outstanding achievement and high attainment across all groups of students, and across all subjects
- Students’ involvement in collaborative learning
- Its popular, over-subscribed and outstandingly successful sixth form which has exceptional retention rates, with many students moving on to higher education and a very large majority achieving their first choice of university
- High involvement in the local community
- Parents’ and carers’ support of the school and firm belief that their children were safe and enjoyed school
Inspectors also noted that the school is not complacent about its performance and has comprehensive development plans in place to improve even further.
The report finally concluded that Whitley Bay High was overall ‘an outstanding school that works closely in partnership with its students to provide them with a first class education.’
Whitley Bay High School’s Chair of Governors, Paul Mitchell, said: “The government has really raised the bar with its new inspection framework. These tougher standards, according to many Headteachers and local authorities, have made it increasingly difficult for schools to be recognised and graded as ‘outstanding’. For Whitley Bay High School to achieve outstanding in all 31 categories, under this new and rigorous regime, truly sets the school apart.
“This remarkable outcome is a huge credit to the school’s teaching and support staff, its subject leaders, the Headteacher and leadership team, the governing body, the parent body and most of all to the students themselves.”
Cllr George Westwater, North Tyneside Council’s Cabinet member for Children, Young People and Learning, added: “This highly successful school has a very distinctive, collaborative relationship with the local authority in setting and driving-up standards. We are delighted that its exemplary practice is leading the way nationally.”
The latest inspection can be viewed on the OFSTED website in full by clicking here
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