Ofsted recognise positive improvements at The Beacon School

Ofsted inspectors recognised the progress which has been made at The Beacon when they visited the school in May. 

They praised the leadership team, noting that “new leaders at the school have raised expectations significantly. They are committed to ensuring that the school’s values of ‘excellence’ and ‘respect’ are understood and demonstrated by all”.  

The inspectors saw that “this school is improving because leaders have raised standards and expectations for behaviour and the curriculum since the last full inspection. They have used expertise from within the trust to develop and implement a new and ambitious curriculum”. They noted the new curriculum is well sequenced, and specialist training continues to be provided to subject leaders and staff to further develop their expertise. 

The report states that “leaders have introduced a clear set of rules for classroom behaviour”, and that “pupils say that behaviour is ‘much better’”; it also recognises that “many pupils want to do well, and talk enthusiastically about their learning”. 

The inspectors noted the range of clubs on offer, and that “pupils enjoy exciting visits to enrich their learning, for example they go to NASA in Florida and to Iceland”. Also mentioned was the personal development programme, where students learn about important issues such as healthy relationships and consent and also have opportunities to develop their leadership skills. 

The report commended the “well organised careers programme” which ensures students are “well informed about their next steps in education, employment and training”. It further highlights that “students in the sixth form receive expert teaching in small classes. They talk enthusiastically about their experiences at the school and appreciate the guidance and advice they have been given to prepare them for when they leave school”. 

The inspectors recognised that “leaders and governors have a secure understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They know that there is still much work to be done to improve the school further and have specific plans in place to achieve this”. 

Executive Headteacher, Matt Duffield commented “The Beacon School is proud to serve its community and we want nothing less than to be an exceptional school – one that this community deserves. For this ambition to be realised, we continue to rely on the commitment of others – each and every one of our colleagues, our families, and of course by no means least, our students.  

We wish to sincerely thank all who have contributed so much over the past academic year. We know that this report demonstrates just how much we have all achieved in that time, and the foundations that it provides for continued improvement. We are excited about the future for the school and our students and remain determined to ensure our ambitions are realised”. 

Head of School, James Grant Duff commented “We are enormously grateful for the hard work, passion and commitment of all our colleagues at The Beacon School, as we have collectively undertaken our journey of improvement. However, we are by no means complacent, and we recognise that the school has simply concluded its first steps in our journey to become a school that truly lives up to the limitless potential of its students”.