A Colchester secondary school is celebrating after achieving a Good rating with Ofsted.
The ‘family feel’ and ambitious curriculum at Philip Morant School and College has been praised following the two-day inspection last month.
Visiting during the second week of the new school year, inspectors found that the new cohort of Year 7 students had settled in quickly and had responded to the high expectations set by the school.
A calm environment, a strong understanding of inclusion and diversity and the fact SEND, mental health and physical wellbeing were prioritised were all highlighted by Ofsted.
Headteacher Stephanie Neill said: “We are delighted with the report and the fact that what we know takes place every day in school has shone through.
“Our school vision, ‘a community where everyone feels they belong and are the best they can be’, comes through in the report as does the fact that students are happy, feel welcome and that the school has a ‘family feel’.
“The report recognises the important role everyone plays at Philip Morant including our teachers, leaders, trustees, students and families. We would like to thank everyone for their continued support and commitment to the school.”
The secondary school achieved a Good rating across all five main themes in the Ofsted report – quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and sixth-form provision.
The report said: “Pupils see that the calm environment helps them learn better. The ambitious curriculum is well established across most subjects, including in the sixth form. There are strong systems for improving pupils’ reading ability. As a result, pupils gain confidence reading fluently and at speed.”
The report also noted a “wide-ranging and diverse” enrichment offer and paid tribute to diligent trustees who help make sure the school is led and managed effectively.
Inspectors noted: “Staff are proud to work at the school and feel valued. They see the differences that leaders are making. As one member summed up the views of many, ‘it is a school that genuinely wants the best for the students.”
