South Gloucestershire | Archive | 2006 | January | 13
From the archive, first published Friday 13th Jan 2006.
CHIPPING Sodbury School has been rated as satisfactory and told there is room for improvement by Ofsted inspectors.
The results of the two-day inspection in October, published this week, showed that although the school was proving to be satisfactory in its provision of teaching more work was needed to raise standards.
Inspectors use a sliding scale of one to four to rate standards which puts grade one as being exceptionally and consistently high and four as exceptionally low.
Although the overall effectiveness of the school was graded as three (satisfactory) it was given an average of two (good) for its promotion of personal and well being of pupils.
The progress and standards reached by pupils was also rated as satisfactory.
The report did, however, recognise that there had been improvements in the quality of teaching which, inspectors ruled, had contributed to the rise in students' achievements this year.
It went on to criticise the accommodation provided for sixth form students as well as the poor equipment and facilities provided for physical education.
Ofsted inspector Peter Griffiths said: "The school has a team of well qualified staff and provides satisfactory value for money and makes effective use of its accommodation and resources."
He went on to praise the ethos of the school.
"This is a school where every child matters," he said, quoting the government's directive on education. "The students are well cared for and feel safe and this contributes to their desire to do well. Students enjoy coming to school."
The school has now been told to continue improving the overall quality of teaching at the school.
Headteacher Philip Lidstone said staff were delighted with the report.
"It shows that we have made good progress and we are clear about the direction the school is taking to achieve higher standards in the future," he said this week.
"I am also pleased that the vast majority of parents are very happy with the school and all it offers."
The school's chairman of governors David Stimpson added: "The governors are very pleased that the report highlighted so many of the school's strengths. We are committed to the continued rise in standards."
© Newsquest Media Group 2008