A BRADFORD secondary school is no longer ‘inadequate’ following a recent Ofsted inspection.
Bradford Girls’ Grammar School was visited by the education watchdog on two dates in May.
It has now moved up a grade to ‘requires improvement’ and inspectors said: “Leaders have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.”
Earlier this year, the school was among three secondaries locally and 63 nationally which had the lowest rating and at the time, school principal Clare Martin told the Telegraph & Argus: “We are determined that our reputation as a centre of excellence will be reclaimed in our next Ofsted.”
A report from the latest inspection described the experiences of pupils as “mixed”.
“Most enjoy attending the school and are happy, but a small number think leaders do not always address their concerns,” said the report.
“All pupils that inspectors spoke with were confident and articulate. Many told us about positive experiences such as celebrations around Eid which involve the whole school community.
“However, for secondary-age pupils, behaviour in lessons is not dealt with consistently by some teachers.
“Lessons are affected by this. In the primary phase and early years, routines are well established and pupils are more confident about teachers’ ability to tackle behaviour fairly and consistently.”
The report said pupils feel safe at school and know how to report concerns about bullying.
It added that there is ambition for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) “but inconsistency in the teaching of the planned curriculum in some subjects means that pupils do not achieve as well as they could”.
A new behaviour system has been introduced at the school and the report said it is well understood by staff and pupils but is not yet applied consistently by staff, the report said.
Meanwhile, inspectors praised the development of pupils’ respect for others and described it as a “strong aspect of the school’s work”.
The report said: “Pupils are respectful and polite in their conduct towards each other.”
Mrs Martin said of the latest report: “We welcome Ofsted’s report and are pleased inspectors agreed the school has improved and is well-positioned to build on its positive momentum.
“While there is always more work to be done, this positive feedback from Ofsted is encouraging and testament to the hard work and dedication of the school's students, staff and parents and carers, and I look forward to working closely alongside our entire school community to ensure each child has access to an exceptional education.”
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