The school was first awarded Investors in People in 2007 and the assessment undertaken in June was to see whether the status could be re-awarded in 2011. The report was published on 20th June.   The report is extremely detailed and is available to read by following this link.  There are some recommendations that we will act upon but we are delighted with the overall content of the report.   The Executive summary states:

 

"In January 2011 Ofsted inspectors stated that “the leadership provided by the Headteacher and her senior team is outstanding”and this is evident in the supportive and inclusive culture that has been created at the school.  People spoke very highly of the Headteacher, who they described as “knowing her staff”, and all members of the leadership team act as excellent role models for continuous improvement and teamwork.  One interviewee said:

 

“I can’t fault them.  The professional and personal support they provide is outstanding. They care.”

 

In addition, the SLT demonstrate a strong commitment to consultation, with an open and consultative environment having been developed at the school.  One member of the SLT said that it is about “recognising that everyone is a stakeholder”.  As a result, while not everyone was in favour of applying for academy status, the level of consultation that took place ensured that people understood why the decision to do so had to be taken and everyone the Assessor spoke to supported the decision.

 

Performance is constantly monitored and evaluated and this clearly informs improvement planning.  The commitment of people to the school, and in particular to the pupils, is outstanding and they are focused on, and dedicated to, providing the very best opportunities for pupils.  People at all levels clearly understand the importance of continuous improvement and interviewees were able to discuss how activities (e.g. appraisal, training) have impacted on teaching practice and pupil achievement.

 

There is a level of honesty throughout the school that not only enables people to celebrate what the school does well, but also ensures that people understand what needs to improve.  One interviewee said:

 

“It’s the best setting in terms of picking up what’s good and dealing with what’s not.”

 

The school faces a number of challenges in the future, including the many ‘unknowns’ of academy status designation, as well as the desire to move the school from ‘good’ to ‘outstanding’.  However, with strong, focused leadership and a committed staff team the Assessor has no doubt that the school will go from strength to strength."

The assessment has been staged over several months.  For the final part of the assessment a group of Year 8 students did a presentation on advice and guidance they had been given linked to the Year 8 Options process as well as producing a video to show the panel.    We are extremely proud to have been granted the quality standard.  We are one of only two secondary schools in Sutton that currently hold the award.   In a letter written to me the assessors stated:

 

“Panel members were impressed by the developments which have taken place in your school and the evidence provided to support continued improvement.  We were particularly impressed by the confidence and motivation shown by your students.”

Panel members felt there is a strong whole school approach.  We felt that you recognise the importance of evaluating impact and genuinely value the opinions of learners by using their feedback in the review and development of the careers and work related learning programmes. 

 

The benefits of your overall approach are evident in terms of confidence, independence and breadth of information on which to base decisions and careers planning which came across in the way your students explained to the panel the importance of self exploration and knowledge and the range of activities they described.”

 

Both quality standards are awarded for 3 years.