Bradley Stoke Community School (BSCS) has been reviewed under a new Ofsted framework and received an overall rating of ‘good’ by the inspectors. The school scored better than it did in 2009, although the overall score given in 2009 was ‘outstanding’ because the assessment criteria were slightly different. We spoke to the Executive Head Teacher, Dave Baker, in order to get a better understanding of the new Ofsted evaluation.
Ofsted previously operated under 27 areas of evaluation, which has now been narrowed to just four – this reflects a big change in the way Ofsted carries out its ratings. A concern during the last assessment was over the dip in GCSE Maths results, but inspectors found that this was not an issue this time round as there has been “an improvement in Maths” due to changes in the leadership and teaching structure. The inspection has shown that there is “no inadequate teaching” in the school and the Head Teacher feels that generally parents are very happy, but the school nonetheless staged a Parents’ Consultation on 16th May in case there was any confusion over the new Ofsted report.
The school has also received a rating of ‘outstanding’ in its Leadership and Management. This is a promising sign not just for BSCS but also for Abbeywood Community School, which is now part of the same management structure. Dave Baker has said that this is a very positive analysis of the governance of the Academy Trust. His main concern now is to bring teaching up to ‘outstanding’ levels, which it is quite close to already. The inspectors have suggested that since the behaviour of students at the school has been rated as ‘outstanding’, it gives teachers the ability to take more risks with innovative teaching because they can afford to let students take more responsibility in the classroom.
The school’s reputation for good behaviour continues to impress, and during the Ofsted report, one of the inspectors mentioned that she had “carried out over 400 inspections and never seen such good behaviour”.
This article originally appeared in the June edition of the Bradley Stoke Journal magazine, delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH, to all homes in Bradley Stoke.
More info and related links:
- BSCS Ofsted reports (Ofsted)
- Schools in Bradley Stoke (The Journal)
