Linslade School makes the grade with Ofsted

Just as the school was about to head off for the long break, it received notification that Ofsted had judged it as “good” following a two-day inspection at the end of June.

The school had been rated ‘requires improvement’ at its last inspection, so there were big smiles and a huge round of applause on Wedneday morning when the children were the first to learn the rating at a special assembly.

Headteacher, Kate Smith said: “Given the school we are, it was only fitting that they should be the first to know.

“We are all absolutely ecstatic as we know just how hard everyone has worked to bring this judgement home. We then shared the news with all of our families and friends via text, our website and, of course, our Twitter page.”

The school not only received an overall judgement of ‘good’ but also in all of the key areas tracked during the inspection – effectiveness of leadership and management; quality of teaching, learning and assessment; personal development, behaviour and welfare; outcomes for pupils; and overall effectiveness.

The report is now available for everyone to read on the school’s website and states that expectations, standards and achievement are good and improving at Linslade School.

“We are over the moon because this is the culmination of a great deal of team work by everyone at Linslade over the past three to four years,” added Ms Smith.

“We are delighted that the inspection team recognised the clear improvement in our school and across all areas, but are most proud of the recognition of our pupils who are described as, ‘polite, courteous and cooperative’. The children told the inspectors they enjoy coming to school and are rightly proud of their work and successes.”

Leaders at the school believe the report is an accurate reflection of life and learning at Linslade as they see it each and every day.

The head added: “When our families read the report, they will read about a school they know. We are also pleased that the areas identified for continuous improvement are the areas we had already identified as priorities for our School Improvement Plan for 2016 -17.”

The report says Linslade is not yet ‘outstanding’ because:

> Some assessment and monitoring systems do not allow leaders to measure the effect of their work as efficiently and precisely as they could.

> There are some inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and learning where it has been difficult to recruit permanent staff.

> The school’s new curriculum and assessment systems do not provide enough opportunities for the most able pupils to make rapid progress.

On Thursday evening, members of Year 8 raised a cup to the school’s success as they celebrated the end to their time at Linslade.

Ms Smith: “The Linslade story is one they have been a part of over the last four years. It was fitting the judgement arrived as they prepare to leave us for new challenges.

“We would like to thank everyone who has supported us on our journey to good. We never promised a quick fix but a journey of gradual improvement which is sustainable as we move forward.

“We have now arrived and, after some celebration and sleep over the summer, are determined to come back ready to continue our work to keep Linslade at the forefront of learning – but above all, a school where our children can grow, thrive and be happy.”