A WARRINGTON high school due to close in two years has received its best-ever Ofsted report
The report on Woolston High School, based on the findings of an inspection carried out last month, grades the school as “good” with “many outstanding features” and represents a significant improvement over the last report, published in 2008, when the school was judged to be “satisfactory.”
Headteacher Jill Robinson, governors, staff and pupils are delighted by the glowing recognition of the school’s work.
It is the best Ofsted report in the school’s history.
Out of a total of 24 judgements in the report, 12 were graded “outstanding” and 12 “good”
Ofsted says the school is enabling students to make good and sometimes outstanding progress from their broadly average starting points.
“All-in-all they are very well prepared for the future,” the report states.
The inspector praises the outstanding leadership of the school and the outstanding care, guidance and support offered to pupils.
The inspector, Mark Williams, notes that pupils are “known as individuals” and “express high levels of confidence in the school”.
They were keen to tell him how safe they felt and how they relished opportunities to take responsibility in the school and wider community.
Pupils were praised for their politeness and manners, there strong and well-developed attitudes and attributes and their positive and mature views of others.
Ms Robinson said: “I am overwhelmed and delighted with the report – in fact ‘I’m over the moon.’
“It recognizes the core purpose of all we do at Woolston Community High School to make sure that all pupils be the best that they can be.”
She thanks parents and the Woolston community for working alongside the school so that all pupils achieved and were polite, confident and articulate young people.
Doomed school's best-ever Ofsted
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
4 Comments
Was it ever in doubt that a result such as these was reachable, with an excellent head teacher, teachers and support staff and children willing to learn, this puts the attitude of the Councillors and the staff at the council who seemed fit to close this school to bow their heads in shame!
I remember teaching at the school for Young Enterprise (delivering Lear to Earn) shortly after the announcement to close Woolston had been announced. The staff were still in shock but many were positive. It is great to read that the staff have supported the pupils and the results have come through just as they have at Longbarn Primary. It’s a great shame that the successes of both schools will no longer be continuing.
Surely it is not right to be closing such a well performing school which has been classed as good/outstanding both in quality of teaching and leadership !! I appreciate that the reason for closure was ‘falling numbers’ but with an outstanding Ofsted report and high level of teaching then surely pupil numbers would have increased had the school been given a second chance of staying open. Ridiculous especially when you compare to another school (which shall remain nameless !! ) and it’s failure reports and continuing low number of pupils despite milions being spent on it. Now that’s one school that does need looking into and turning around as they certainly wont be closing that one now will they !! Maybe the leaders and teachers of Woolston could be employed there to turn it around !
What an achievement, in a school that wasn’t due to close this would be regarded as a huge move forward, now considering the situation this school is operating in, this is an incredible effort, congratulations to all involved. I said in 2008 what a huge mistake WBC were making, and backed it with figures, but they made it up as they went along as usual. Not a democratic council but a CONDEM alliance which I for one do condemn for this decision. WRT redeploying the teaching staff, the council have once again let the school down this is exactly what they er Marks & Co promised but once again are failing to deliver. Very poor show, it’s about time some of these 57 old farts were put out to grass, they can’t make a good decision between them.