Castle Manor Academy has been praised for creating a caring community where staff do all they can to ensure students receive the highest quality education.
Under the new national guidelines, Ofsted inspectors judged Castle Manor Academy to have taken “effective action to maintain the standards” of their last inspection, when they received a ‘Good’ rating in June 2019.
Positive relationships between staff and students, a culture of trust and a new curriculum which prioritised literacy were among the highlights from last month’s inspection.
Headteacher Vanessa Whitcombe said: “There is much to celebrate in this inspection report and I am very proud of our school and its community.
“Our inspectors captured the heart of our school, the opportunities and experiences that we offer and how well students and staff work together.
“Our goal is to always strive for the best for our students and we will keep on working hard in collaboration with students and parents. We are really grateful for the support of our parents and community in everything we do.”
In the report, which was released this week, Ofsted inspectors paid tribute to student behaviour and the fact students were proud to reach 100% attendance – because they “value the importance of education”.
The school’s new curriculum was praised for producing fluent readers while students were also said to benefit from “highly effective” careers curriculum and a well-constructed personal, social, health and economic education programme.
Other notable highlights included Castle Manor Academy’s SEND provision, led by The Arch which provides specialist support with students participating in extracurricular activities including residential visits and work experiences.
The Ofsted inspectors stated: “From participation in The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, The King’s Trust and life skills projects, pupils develop strong leadership skills. “The ‘Pupil Parliament’ is a forum through which pupils can express their views and have a positive impact on school life. Pupils feel proud to hold positions of responsibility that enable them to benefit others, including local and national charities.”