2014 Inspection
‘Walthamstow School for Girls is a good school’
The school was inspected by a team of four inspectors on January 28th-29th 2014. This time the new Ofsted framework, revised in January 2014, was applied which has set new and very much more demanding standards for schools.
The full inspection report can be obtained here.
The Ofsted inspectors were very complimentary about the school, its teachers, students and the support it receives from our parents and carers.
There are many very positive comments in the document, for example:
“The Headteacher and the senior leadership team are ambitious for all students in the school. They clearly articulate their commitment to improvement.”
“Students make good, and often very good, progress. The proportion of students gaining five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and mathematics increased significantly in 2013 and was above the national average.”
“Students’ behaviour is good and they feel proud to be members of the school community.” and “Students work well together and show respect for one another’s viewpoints, and tolerance and respect are reinforced through lessons.”
“The school has a very strong programme of personal development for its students. Inclusive care for individuals lies at the heart of the school’s ethos and culture.”
Commenting on the report, Meryl Davies, the Headteacher wrote:
I would like to thank our parents and carers for contributing their views of the school to Ofsted during the inspection. 98% of our families would recommend this school to others, which is a fantastic indicator of parental support for their daughter’s school. I am grateful to all staff and students, as well as our governors, for their commitment and dedication to this wonderful school.
WSFG was awarded an ‘outstanding’ designation seven years ago under a very different Ofsted framework. Since September 2012 the bar has been raised considerably and, since January 2014, only 2% of secondary schools nationally have been awarded this judgement.
The school agrees wholeheartedly with the areas on which it needs to focus and has already put measures in place to address those issues whilst maintaining our usual high standards and expectations.
Read the full letter here.
The school’s Chair of Governors, Gillian Barker wrote:
We know Walthamstow School for Girls is a good school and, as Chair of the Governors, I am very proud and pleased with the conclusions of the recent Ofsted inspection. The inspectors spent two days in the school examining every aspect of our curriculum, teaching performance and management, and testing us against the stringent requirements that Ofsted now apply.
Ofsted has identified three areas where the school can improve to meet the exacting new standards of “outstanding”. These elements are explicit in the Ofsted report and will form part of our school improvement plan for the next three years, amongst other areas identified by the school itself.
I want to thank everyone who worked so hard to make this Ofsted inspection a success. I was in the school myself that week and I witnessed for myself the magnificent efforts everyone made from the moment we were informed that the school was to be inspected and throughout the entire two-day inspection.
Our school, like every school in the land, is on a journey and over the next three years, the governors, Headteacher, her leadership team and all the staff in the school will continue to work hard at both maintaining the excellent practice and improving the educational experience and outcomes for your daughter at Walthamstow School for Girls.
Read the full letter here.
