King Edward VI Lordswood School for Girls has been rated “Good” in all areas by Ofsted, in a positive report following an inspection last month.
In the report, Ofsted highlights how the school is a “welcoming and empowering school” that “inspires pupils to reach their potential”.
Findings referenced in the report include:
- “[Pupils] feel safe in school. Pupils know staff are there to help them when they need it.”
- “All pupils including disadvantaged pupils achieve strong outcomes, particularly at the end of key stage 4. The school has great ambitions for those in their care.”
- “There is a very calm and purposeful atmosphere throughout the school.”
- “Students act as role models in this community of learning. They talk about equality of opportunity with maturity and understanding.”
- “Teachers’ strong subject knowledge supports pupils’ progress well.”
- “Students and older pupils are very positive about their experience of careers advice and guidance.”
- “Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified well. They are actively supported to engage in all aspects of learning.”
- “Leaders ensure that continuous professional development is matched to staff need. It aids teachers in developing their subject and pedagogical understanding well.”
- “Pupils are ready to learn, respectful in conversation and resilient in the face of challenges.”
Ofsted assessed the school in the following areas:
- Overall effectiveness: Good
- Quality of education: Good
- Behaviour and attitudes: Good
- Personal development: Good
- Leadership and management: Good
- Sixth Form Provision: Good
Staff at the school and at King Edward VI Foundation, which the school joined in September 2022, have collaborated closely to support positive developments in all these areas.
Indeed, collaboration is a key feature of the report, with inspectors commenting on how well students work together in the classroom and how staff, governors and students are united in their view that the school is a safe and welcoming place to be. The report comments that “staff have worked together well to ensure that pupils get a well-rounded experience of the subjects they learn”.
Kerry Cooney, Headteacher at King Edward VI Lordswood School for Girls comments: “We have always known that King Edward VI Lordswood School for Girls offers an excellent standard of education for its students. This was demonstrated in the GCSE outcomes achieved by year 11 students last summer, where we were ranked in the top 100 schools in the country for our progress 8 figure. We are delighted that this has also been recognised in this report. It has been a journey for all stakeholders and I am immensely proud of the whole school community which has worked together to achieve this outcome.
The school was last inspected in March 2022, when its overall inspection rating was “Requires Improvement”.
