New guidance says Stourbridge school must improve
A secondary school in Stourbridge has been urged to improve further by an education watchdog, despite making recent advances in standards of teaching.
Ridgewood High School in Wollaston received a satisfactory grade in an Ofsted inspection, which under new rules means it is required to improve.
It has been told to further raise the standard of teaching and assessment of pupils' progress. The report noted there had been improvement since the last inspection a year ago, which also resulted in a satisfactory grade.
Attendance has gone up significantly, teaching improved because of strong leadership and a better fit of courses for pupils.
Headteacher Clive Nutting said: "Generally we are encouraged by what we feel was a positive report which has recognised the significant improvements the school has made in recent years.
"We would have liked a good outcome, but the raising of the bar in terms of the achievement is something we can still work towards and I am confident we will reach it by the next inspection."
Mr Nutting, who has been head of the school for seven years, also expressed frustration at the Ofsted marking system. Following a report, each school is marked using four grades, from outstanding to inadequate. He said: "Trying to put all schools into four catergories is not fair or helpful, in my opinion. We are rapidly improving, but not quite enough to reach the good catergory - but the grading does not show that."
The report was done on the school following the inspection on November 15 and 16.
But the grading for achievement of pupils and quality of teaching brought the school's overall grade down. The school, in Park Road West, has 839 children on roll.
