Kidderminster school praised for being like 'a family' of staff and pupils by Ofsted inspectors
A school near Kidderminster has been praised for fostering a culture where pupils are encouraged to have high aspirations, an education watchdog has found.
Ofsted inspectors visited Wolverley C of E Secondary School, on Blakeshall Lane in Wolverley, in two days in November – and rated the school as "Good" overall.
The officials found teachers have high expectations with pupils expected to try hard and behave respectfully – with students "consistently" meeting the expectations.
Teachers were found to be caring and students were confident and polite, with many pupils and staff describing the school as a "family", according to Ofsted inspectors.
They found all pupils from Year 7 to Year 9 learn a broad range of subjects in depth which means pupils are well prepared to study the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) in Year 10 and Year 11.
But they found some teachers in Years 7 to 11 didn't check pupils' understanding in lessons well enough which meant they didn't always know which pupils were stuck – and the reasons for this, a report said.
Inspectors, who visited the school on November 9 and November 10 this year, rated the school as "Good" overall – as they were rated last time – and the same rating in quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and sixth-form provision.
Bryn Thomas, headteacher at the school, said: "We are delighted that Ofsted recognised that our ethos of ‘ambition unlimited’ is so embedded in the school.
"Our students should be rightly proud that their effort and behaviour has been praised so highly. As a happy and inclusive school, we are particularly pleased that the inspection team highlighted our emphasis on positive behaviour management and strong relationships between staff and students.
"We have seen record numbers apply for a place at Wolverley this year. The report praises the commitment of staff and their personalised approaches to meet the needs of all students. I know how proud the staff are of our school and Ofsted were right to recognise the feeling of the school as ‘a family’.
"It is an exciting time for Wolverley with £4-5 million of investment in the school’s building over the next 12 months to accommodate the record numbers of students applying for places in Year 7."
The Ofsted report can be viewed here.
