Celebrations for Derbyshire school which improves inadequate Ofsted rating to good

The school has been working very hard to improve after an Ofsted inspection in May 2022 rated it as ‘inadequate’ and placing Ecclesbourne in a category of concern.

Less than 18 months later, inspectors took the relatively unusual step of converting their first monitoring visit into a full graded inspection in recognition of the ‘rapid and sustained progress’ the school has achieved.

In the report published on November 16, the secondary has been awarded with an overall ‘good’ rating – with behaviour and attitudes still graded as ‘requires improvement’.

Inspectors said: “This school has high academic ambitions for all pupils. Pupils value the education they receive. They benefit from the high-quality education that the school is providing. Students in the sixth form benefit from teachers who are experts in their field. This allows students to gain detailed knowledge across the subjects they study.

“Pupils now feel safe at this school. Many enjoy attending school. Pupils acknowledge that behaviour has improved. Many say the school is now much better.”

Commenting on the report findings James McNamara, the headteacher at the Ecclesbourne School, said: “There is no shying away from the fact that the last year has not come without its challenges. We may not have wholly agreed with every finding from the previous report, but we listened, and we acted.

"The fact that we are now in a position where nearly every aspect of our school has been praised, and the Inadequate grading has been removed at the very first opportunity, is testament to the dedication and efforts of so many people in our community. This really is a milestone moment for us.”

While Inspectors have praised the ‘broad and ambitious’ curriculum and ‘calm and orderly’ behaviour around the school, they highlightes aspects that the school should improve. One of the main areas Ecclesbourne should focus on is the new behaviour policy, which is ‘not yet consistently and fairly applied by all staff’.

Mr McNamara added: “The report is really positive, and the findings mirror all of the other external validation the school has sought as part of our journey.

“That being said, it is also important that we acknowledge that there is always more for us to do. We are working tirelessly to fully embed our new behavioural policy to help us build on the inclusive culture we are developing. Our work is not complete in that area, and we will continue to drive improvements to ensure continued improvement.

“I am so proud of this community. We listened, took the feedback on board and stood by one another during the challenging Ofsted in 2022 – and have worked with real pace and purpose to drive improvements.

“Our standards are, and will remain, high, for every member of the school community and we look forward to building upon the progress to date in making our school a welcoming and inclusive centre for excellence and academic achievement.”