Message from Mr Whiteley
As you might have been told by your sons, last week, we welcomed five visitors into our school as part of a 3-day Challenge Partners review. This is similar to an inspection, led by an inspector alongside trained senior staff from schools across the country. Our team included a broad range of schools from Leicester, Stoke, Somerset, Liverpool, and Wirral. The programme not only makes observations about the quality of our school, but also acts as a vehicle for sharing good practice and giving support. Their feedback was overwhelmingly positive and is summarised below:
The school is strongly committed to its values of care, commitment and challenge, which are reflected in its calm, safe and supportive environment. Leaders have prioritised building strong relationships with students and families, creating clear routines, and ensuring students feel listened to and valued. There is a clear focus on students’ future success, with a well-developed careers programme, opportunities for enrichment, and strong pastoral support, including mental health provision and tailored programmes in the “Thrive” specialist resource base and adapted provision suite. Students speak positively about their experiences, particularly the emphasis on respect, personal development and having a voice in school life.
Teaching has a clear focus on challenge, strong subject knowledge, and improving students’ recall and understanding through the school’s teaching framework. Reading support and attendance strategies are having a measurable impact.
Inclusion remains central to the school’s work, with effective support for disadvantaged students and those with additional needs through coordinated pastoral care and targeted interventions.
Moving forward, the school aims to further stretch students’ learning, strengthen extended writing skills, and ensure all groups continue to make stronger academic progress while maintaining high levels of engagement in enrichment opportunities.
Finally, I am delighted by the number of Y11 students attending the exam preparation sessions before and after school. Please encourage your son to get involved if he is not already doing so. This excellent year group has the potential to do really well in these exams, so any encouragement and praise you can give would be greatly appreciated in these last few days and weeks before the exams start.
The boys all have their own personal exam timetable. There is also one on the school website. Some exams have already taken place with the major exams in English, maths and science, starting the week after next on 11th May. This exam season is longer than in previous years, so we will continue teaching and supporting our Y11 students right through this phase of their term.
If your son is in Y11 and has not yet secured a guarantee of a course, job or apprenticeship for next year or has changed his mind about an offer he has been given, please get in touch, and we will support him to find a positive destination.
