A SECONDARY school in Herefordshire has been recently rated as “good”, while an “outstanding” school has been asked to improve its sex education system, according to Ofsted.
It’s as Herefordshire Council’s deadline for secondary school applications ends tomorrow (Sunday, October 31).
Parents are being urged to make sure they have booked their child’s high school place if they are due to start next September.
Places can be booked on the council website HERE.
Ofsted (the Office of Standards in Education) recently carried out full inspections and monitoring visits in schools around Hereford, which led to some stepping up a rating.
Ofsted judges the quality of education pupils are receiving in all state schools.
It inspects then rates them from “outstanding” to “inadequate”.
Here is the list of secondary schools rated outstanding and good in Herefordshire:
St Mary's RC High School – Outstanding
St Mary's RC High School, in Lugwardine, Herefordshire, was rated as “outstanding” by Ofsted in its last full inspection report.
Ofsted said: "Outcomes for pupils are impressive. Pupils throughout the school make strong progress in all subjects.
"The curriculum is well planned, has an ambitious intent and provides pupils with worthwhile qualifications and rich experiences.
"Pupils enjoy school, attend regularly and are proud to be part of the school community. Safeguarding is extremely effective. There is a consistently caring culture at the school."
In April 2021 Ofsted carried out a monitoring visit, saying afterwards: "Leaders should provide training to ensure that all teachers who deliver relationships and sex education (RSE) are confident and well equipped to deal with any sensitive and/or contentious issues that may be raised by pupils."
Inspectors also highlighted certain teachers had left since the school's last full inspection.
They said: "Since the last inspection, eight teachers, including a deputy headteacher and assistant headteacher, have left the school. Teachers have been replaced."
Date of last inspection: 29th January, 2019
Monitoring visit: 20th April, 2021
Find the full report here.
Find the letter for the monitoring visit here.
The Bishops of Hereford's Bluecoat School - Good
Inspectors said Bishops of Hereford’s Bluecoat School, in Tupsley, Hereford, has a culture of continuous improvement and senior leaders and governors are passionate about giving pupils the best education and care possible in their last full inspection.
“This commitment permeates throughout the school,” said Ofsted.
Ofsted also praised the school on their inclusivity, it said: “The curriculum helps pupils to understand how to be responsible and respectful citizens."
For the school to improve, Ofsted said the governing body should make sure that new members fully understand their roles and responsibilities and all members of the governing body, to which they should be held to account.
Date of last full inspection: July 7 to July 14, 2021
Find the full report here.
Whitecross High School - Good
Whitecross High School, in Whitecross, Hereford, currently hold a “good” rating from Ofsted.
Inspectors said in the school's short inspection in 2017 that the leadership team had maintained the good quality of education since the last full visit.
In terms of improvement, they said: "Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that the attendance of pupils supported by the pupil premium and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities attend more frequently and regularly.
"Accelerate actions to improve the quality of pupils’ work in English and the rates of improvement in GCSE English, the open element and the English baccalaureate."
Date of short inspection: February 21, 2017
Date of last full inspection: May 21, 2013
Find the full report here.
Find the short inspection here.
John Kyrle High School - Good
Ofsted carried out their last inspection at John Kyrle High School, in Ross-on-Wye, in 2012.
The report said: "Leadership is highly effective. Students have a very positive attitude to school."
Ofsted since carried out a short inspection in 2017, saying afterwards: "Staff are proud to work at the school. They have high expectations of pupils, and they consistently model respectful behaviour."
In terms of improvement, the report said: "Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that all teaching of modern foreign languages is of the same high quality as the best in the school.
"The attendance of disadvantaged pupils continues to improve so that it matches the attendance of other pupils nationally."
Date of last full inspection: September 12, 2021
Date of short insepction: March 17, 2017
Find the full report here.
Find the short inspection here.
Kingstone High School - Good
Kingstone High School, in Kingstone, currently hold a “good” rating from Ofsted.
In their last short inspection Ofsted said the school continues to be good.
"The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection,” it said.
To improve leaders were told to ensure strategies were put in place to improve the progress and attainment of the most able and boys are developed across all key stages and leaders continue to provide a challenging curriculum.
Date of last full inspection: April 30, 2015
Date of short inspection: December 12, 2018
Find the full report here.
Find the short inspection here.
Weobley High School - Good
Weobley High School, in Weobley, had their last full inspection in 2017, Ofsted said: "Leaders and staff know and care for pupils extremely well.
"Pupils enjoy coming to school, they are confident and feel safe."
To improve the school was told to reduce the differences between the progress of disadvantaged pupils and strengthen teaching, learning and assessment further across all subject areas.
Date of last full inspection: November 21, 2017
Find the full report here.
John Masefield High School - Good
John Masefield High School, in Ledbury, were found to continue to be “good” in their last short inspection carried out by Ofsted.
It said: "The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection."
Leaders and all staff show a genuine desire for pupils to be safe and happy, said Ofsted.
Ofsted told the leaders of the school need to improve teaching in option subjects and ensure the progress of disadvantaged pupils continues to accelerate and the number that are persistently absent reduces.
Date of short inspection: Septmeber 19, 2017
Date of last full inspection: November 19, 2013
Find the full report here.
Queen Elizabeth High School - Good
Ofsted found in Queen Elizabeth High School's, in Bromyard, last full inspection that teachers engage their pupils and pupils enjoy learning, and positive relationships exist between teachers and their pupils.
To improve the schoolteachers, need to challenge pupils more effectively and ensure that the positive impact of recent work to improve the attendance of disadvantaged pupils is continued.
Date of last full inspection: October 11, 2017
Find the full report here.
The Steiner Academy - Good
Ofsted carried out a monitoring visit after reports of safeguarding issues at The Steiner Academy, in Much Dewchurch, Herefordshire.
Ofsted found in their inspection that safeguarding was "effective".
Staff and policies are up to date and pupils said that they "feel very safe" in the school.
To improve the school have been advised to focus on updating the staff code of conduct and behaviour policy.
Date of last monitoring visit: April 28, 2021
Date of last full inspection: July 3, 2013
Find the full report here.
Lady Hawkins' School - Good
Ofsted said Lady Hawkins’, in Kington, Herefordshire, teachers have strong subject knowledge and set high expectations for their pupils and pupils "feel safe" in the school.
To improve Ofsted said teachers should consistently set the correct level of work for all pupils amongst other points.
Date of last full inspection: Jaunary 23, 2018
Find the full report here.
Aylestone School – Requires Improvement
Aylestone School, in Broadlands Lane, Hereford, currently holds a rating of “requires improvement”.
But, in early July the school received a monitoring visit.
Ofsted said: "Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking ‘effective action’ in order for the school to be classed as "good" at the next full inspection."
Date of last inspection: 23 January, 2018
Monitoring visit: July 6, 2021
Find the full report here.
Find the monitoring visit information here.
The Hereford Academy – Requires improvement
Hereford Academy, in Marlbrook Road, rose from “inadequate” to “requires improvement” during its last full inspection from Ofsted.
Date of last inspection: June 30 to July 1, 2021
Find the full report here.
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