Leighton Buzzard school rated 'Good' by Ofsted - but faces beind downgraded if it doesn't improve

A Leighton Buzzard school has been judged as Good by Ofsted – but inspectors said its mark could have been lower if the inspection was graded.

In a new report, Gilbert Inglefield Academy has been praised for its welcoming atmosphere, broad range of subjects, variety of clubs and activities, and the calm and orderly behaviour of most pupils.

But inspectors also said that its mark "might not be as high" if a graded (section 5) inspection had been carried out, in which different categories are examined in detail.

Commenting on behalf of the school and its governing board, headteacher Sarah Winter, who joined the academy this term, said: “Ofsted have given time to schools to review their practice after the pandemic and thus we were told our grade was unchanged and we remain a good school.

"However, like many schools, there is always room for improvement and the three points that Ofsted have outlined for us as development points become our focus points for the next year ahead.”

Praising the school, the report states: "pupils know that teachers will listen to their worries" and that "any bullying issues are followed up." It also says that "pupils are encouraged to read widely" and praises science experiments for helping students to "quickly acquire knowledge". For SEND, it adds: "Leaders make effective use of education, health and care (EHC) plans to identify and support pupils with higher levels of SEND."

But the report also adds: "in some subjects, the curriculum does not identify precisely enough the subject-specific knowledge pupils need to know; there are a small minority of pupils who consistently do not meet the school’s behaviour expectations; some pupils with SEND do not have specific enough strategies and targets identified."

The school was last visited in 2016, when it received a graded inspection and was judged to be Good in all categories. An ungraded inspection usually follows around four years after, but due to Covid-19, the academy was unable to receive its visit until six years later.

An Ofsted spokesman said: "Due to the Covid pandemic, many inspection cycles were extended, some by up to six terms. We remain committed to inspecting all schools by the end of August 2025."

Ofsted will return to the academy in approximately a year to 18 months.