A SCHOOL previously put in special measures has been praised by education inspectors after making significant improvements.

Emmanuel Middle School in Verwood, which is now part of Wimborne Academy Trust (WAT), has been judged ‘good’ in its recent Ofsted report. In 2017, the school was placed in special measures.

Inspectors judged the school ‘good’ in all areas including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, as well as leadership and management. The inspection was carried out in May of this year.

Head teacher Rob Christopher said: “Since becoming part of Wimborne Academy Trust in 2018 all our staff have worked incredibly hard to improve every aspect of the school.

“When we first joined, our executive head teacher Ron Jenkinson began the process which I then continued.

“We were given a great deal of support by the Trust, and now we are in a position to offer support to other schools in the Trust – and that is exactly how it should work.

“Obviously we are all extremely happy with the Ofsted report. The inspectors pointed out a number of things that impressed them.

“The included our effective safeguarding, careers programme, extra-curricular activities and pupils’ spiritual development.

“We will now work hard to try and get up to the next category of ‘outstanding’ – something which very few schools achieve.”

The report said pupils were “keen to learn” and enjoyed lessons and the “enthusiasm with which teachers share what they know”.

One parent told inspectors that the “nurturing environment and high expectations mean my children have thrived”, which the report said “encapsulates the views of many others”.

The report also described the curriculum as “broad and ambitious”, adding: “It builds on what pupils have learned before and prepares them for their next steps in education.

It continued: “As much of the curriculum is new, leaders are continuing to work on the curriculum to make it even better.”

In terms of special needs education, inspectors said that teaching “usually meets the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities” but that the “support given does not always meet the individual needs of pupils precisely enough in all areas of the curriculum”.

Areas for improvement included improving the teaching subject knowledge in some subjects an improve the attendance of the small number of pupils who do not attend school regularly.

Liz West, the chief executive officer of WAT, added: “It really is a super achievement by all the staff and indeed the children who are clearly benefitting from a fantastic education.”

 

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