The Executive Headteacher at Aylestone School in Hereford, Simon Robertson, has spoken of his pride after receiving the report from Ofsted following a monitoring inspection in early July.
The conclusions in the report – which highlighted the school’s high expectations – have left Mr Robertson feeling confident that the next full Ofsted inspection will result in the school being classed as ‘good’.
The report from Ofsted says that the school’s ‘leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action in order for the school to become a good school’ and ‘have successfully addressed many of the areas for improvement’ raised at the last visit.
Ofsted inspectors found the school to be ‘calm and orderly throughout the day’, pupils to be ‘polite and courteous’, that attendance is good and that while pupils spoke ‘positively’ about the school’s remote education provision, they explained they ‘enjoy school and are glad to be back attending in person rather than virtually’.
The Ofsted inspectors noted that parents praised the support the school provides for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and that the attendance of these pupils had also improved since the previous inspection.
Expressing his pride about Aylestone School, Mr Robertsonsaid: “I am very pleased with this report as it’s clear inspectors have seen the progress the school has made.
“It is really rewarding to see it clearly stated that many of the areas for improvement highlighted at the last inspection have been addressed and it makes me feel confident that the school will be graded as good when we have our next full inspection.
“This will be no more than the staff here deserve for all the hard work they have been doing. They have been brilliant during one of the toughest times there has ever been in education and the way they have responded to the challenges posed by the pandemic is inspirational.
“I’d like to thank all my staff for their continued hard work and also say a big ‘well done’ to our pupils and their families for the way they have conducted themselves despite the disruption that Covid has caused to all our lives.
“While we will always be striving for further improvements, particularly in reviewing the information we collect relating to assessments, the fact that Aylestone continues to thrive– and over-subscribed – is a huge compliment for everyone in the school’s family and I couldn’t be prouder of the part that every single individual involved in school life has played.”
Anyone wanting to find out more about Aylestone School can do so at its Open Evening on 6th October, or during the Open Week which runs from Monday 11th October to Friday 15th October.
For more information, please visit www.aylestone.hereford.sch.uk.
