Ofsted Social Care Inspection - March 2013
The William Henry Smith School are delighted to have achieved 'Outstanding' following their most recent inspection from Ofsted.
Ofsted undertook a Social Care Inspection of the school in March this year and the school were found to be Outstanding in all five of the 'effectiveness' areas under scrutiny.
Inspectors found that 'students thrived in all social situations and developed a wide range of skills as a direct result of the care they receive and, as a consequence of the new, exciting and enriching opportunities created for them by a well-trained qualified and supported staff team'.
Inspectors were impressed with the 'excellent relationships students had with their fellow peers and adults and on how they thrive personally and socially by being an integral part of the school community'. Behaviour was decribed as 'exemplary, with excellent arrangements being in place to support pupils' personal and academic progress; changes to the management and operational structure was deemed to 'provide a seamless link between academic and pastoral care'.
'Pupils benefit from learning about and undertaking new interests both on the school site and within the local community'. They make a significant contribution to the school's development and make suggestions and choices on a daily basis. Pupils benefit from being able to take responsibility within school by adopting job roles within school which supports the whole school community. There is an exceptional recognition and celebration of pupils' achievements which assists the development of all pupils' self-esteem and confidence and the proactive and imaginative staff who support and encourage pupils' progress across all areas of their life'.
Sue Ackroyd (Director of Student Achievement) remarked 'A desire to constantly drive forward improvement and set challenging targets means that students reap the benefits of enhanced practice. Students are happy and content and our staff teams' unequivocal positive attitude and exceptional role modelling ensures that they achieve maximum success. We are very proud of the school's achievements and look forward to continuing our work with other schools/colleges and universities in the locality and further afield to help them in their challenging and rewarding work'.
