Ofsted
Valley Park School rated ‘Good’
Following an inspection by Ofsted on 4 and 5 March 2020, Valley Park School has been rated as ‘Good’.
While this is a move away from Valley Park’s last rating, from an inspection carried out in 2013, the new Ofsted inspection framework is nationally recognised as being far more rigorous and challenging than the previous one.
The new approach from Ofsted, which was introduced in September 2019, makes it far harder for any school to gain the ‘Outstanding’ rating.
Mrs Derrick, CEO of Valley Invicta Academies Trust (VIAT), said: 'We are very pleased with the result of the inspection, which matches our own evaluation of the school in recent months. The report gives us a very clear assessment of where Valley Park fulfils the demands of the changing educational context, as a result of the new framework. I have no doubt that our fantastic team of staff, ably led by Headteacher, Mrs Hutchinson, will use their skills, passion and dedication to further develop the school. I would like to say thank you to all our students, staff, parents and governors for their much appreciated support during the inspection process.'
Mrs Hutchinson, said: 'Having only been in post since September, I am delighted that our school has been rated as Good already. At Valley Park School, we are excited about the future and the progress we are determined to make. The new style of inspection is very helpful, as it provides clear judgements about different aspects of school life, rather than using one word to judge the school’s many different elements. There is clear guidance to help us in our drive for continual improvement, which will provide focus for our staff and future school development. I am very pleased that there is clear recognition in the report of the many excellent features that Valley Park possesses, such as pupil behaviour and diligence, the school curriculum, along with the wide range of personal development opportunities and strength of the sixth form, which have been captured clearly by the inspection team.'
Areas for improvement, for which plans are already in place, are:
- Further develop the new curriculum.
- Better outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.
- Work with a minority of pupils to encourage participation and pride in their school.
Mrs Derrick, added: 'Knowing just how rigorous the new Ofsted inspection framework is, we are very pleased with this outcome, as we are with all of our Trust schools. We fully take on board the comments made within the report and embrace the new Ofsted framework and the curriculum that so importantly underpins it, for the benefit of all of our students.'