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Ofsted 2009 It’s official: Stratford Grammar School for Girls is an outstanding school – Ofsted say so! A team of three Ofsted inspectors led by HMI Dr Rashida Sharif visited the school on 25th and 26th February to carry out a full two-day inspection under the new pilot Section 8 framework. This followed the customary two-day notice. The report was published to parents early last week, and is now available on the Ofsted website as well as the school’s own website. Headteacher Ms Kate Barnett said: “The governors, the staff and I are all very pleased that the inspectors were able to see and endorse what we know to be the truth about Shottery: it is an excellent school – happy, purposeful and with outstanding outcomes for all individuals.” The opening sentence of the report gets to the heart of the caring ethos: “This is an extremely inclusive, caring and supportive school”. The academic side of the school is recognised to be excellent: attainment is described as “consistently high across the school”, and “students benefit from a wide curriculum and an excellent programme of extra-curricular activities, clubs and events”. Furthermore, “students’ personal and social development are outstanding, as is the care, guidance and support they receive”. Teaching is described as “good, and frequently outstanding” and relationships between students and adults are described as excellent. There are accolades for the girls themselves, too: they “are enthusiastic, highly motivated and determined to do well in everything they do” and they “make an outstanding contribution to the school and local community”. “The school is very well led,” says the report, and particular mention is made of the impact of the school’s dual specialist status in languages and science and its international perspective. “The process of inspection was very open and transparent in this new pilot Section 8 framework,” said Kate Barnett, “and, although it was incredibly rigorous and challenging, it was also exhilarating and really positive. “ The action points that were framed – identifying ways in which the school might improve further – reflect key areas already in the school’s development plan. Parents’ responses are invited as a routine part of the inspection process, and the responses received by the inspection team were overwhelmingly supportive of the school although a number of parents expressed concerns about shortcomings in accommodation at the school. The Headteacher and Governors have a buildings development masterplan and are working with the local authority to find ways of funding a new learning resources centre, extra classrooms and indoor PE accommodation. The school will be opening its new science and textiles extension at Easter. Mr Jeff Downes, Chair of Governors, paid tribute to the staff of the school, saying, “The Report is excellent – and a fitting reflection of the personal commitment of the staff to the girls at the school.”
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