Tarporley High School and Sixth Form College is celebrating after receiving ‘outstanding’ in all areas after a four strong team of inspectors spent two days at the Eaton Road school which has just under 1,000 pupils with 140 in the sixth form.
The inspectors found the achievement of pupils, the quality of teaching, the behaviour and safety of students and the school’s leadership and management, all of which were outstanding, results in a school which is highly effective in providing ‘exceptionally well’ for all its students’ needs.
In her report, lead inspector Sally Lane says the ethos and culture of the school, where the head is Sarah Lee, ‘develops both students and staff equally well’.
All groups of students make rapid progress and standards are ‘well above’ the national average.
Through well thought out and targeted spending of extra money which is provided, the school is rapidly ‘closing the gap’ between the achievement of pupils eligible for support and that of other students.
Teachers are ‘highly knowledgeable and enthusiastic’ and have a determination to secure the best possible outcome for all groups of students.
Teaching assistants and other support staff make ‘an invaluable contribution’ to the achievement and wellbeing of students who behave themselves extremely well and are eager to learn.
They respect one another and their teachers but, it seems, ‘do not always reflect sufficiently on teachers’ comments about their work and then improve it’.
The sixth form is said to be outstanding.
“It is highly successful in helping students to move on to higher education, training or employment,” the inspectors found.
School leaders at all levels, managers and the governors, chaired by John Waddington, are ‘relentless in their drive to bring about further improvement, particularly to the quality of teaching and students’ achievement’.
A strong emphasis on the professional development of staff is described as ‘a key factor’ in developing ‘high quality innovative teaching’.
The curriculum at Tarporley High is tailored to meet students’ needs and aspirations ‘extremely well’ the inspectors found and a ‘rich variety’ of extra curricular activity has a positive impact on their development as young people.
The governors are very effective at supporting the school and holding it to account and have a ‘first class understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development'.
In their detailed report the inspectors point out that last year 76% of pupils gained five or more A* to C grades at GCSE, including English and maths, ‘significantly above the national averages’.
The most able students ‘achieve highly’ and the proportion of students making better or better than expected progress is high compared with national figures.
“It is clear that school leaders pay close attention to the successful promotion of equality of opportunity for all,” suggest the inspectors.
Disabled students and those with special educational needs make outstanding progress.
In the sixth form, the achievement of the teenagers is outstanding and almost all of them successfully complete their A level courses.
High quality teaching, over time, has had a ‘remarkable’ impact on students’ progress and pupils learn at a rapid pace as they are engrossed in a ‘daily diet of challenging planned activities and group work’.
They know their teachers, said to be ‘very conscientious and highly committed’ expect them to do their best.
In the sixth form, ‘outstanding’ teaching is said to be of an ‘even higher quality’ than in the rest of the school.
Students at Tarporley High behave outstandingly well, the inspectors suggest and attendance is above average overall.
The governors and the head have a ‘vision of excellence’ for the school, shared by the staff.
Extracurricular activities include an innovative Wednesday afternoon programme and range from the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award to playing the ukulele.
The ‘vast majority’ of parents would recommend the school to others while the governors are ‘well qualified and highly committed’ and ask rigorous questions.
The school’s transition arrangements for Year 6 students are hailed as ‘superb’ with ‘strong partnerships’ with partner primaries ensuring a ‘smooth transfer to secondary school for all pupils'.
To improve further, the inspectors said there should be increased opportunities for students to deepen their thinking.
They should also be encouraged to reflect on and respond to advice they are given about their work.
Headteacher Sarah Lee, who is a local leader in education and supports new headteachers in nearby schools, says: “We are very proud that the achievements of our staff and students have been recognised by Ofsted.
“Our school vision is ‘Aspire, Learn, Achieve’ and this endorsement from Ofsted truly reflects the vision of excellence we have for the school.”
Governor’s chairman John Waddington adds: “This is a tremendous achievement and one that everyone should feel immensely proud of.”
Sixth form director Jason Lowe comments: “We are proud of our sixth formers’ outstanding achievements both academically and personally.
“They are fantastic ambassadors for the school and the local community and I am delighted that their efforts have been recognised by the Ofsted inspectors.”
The school converted to an academy in August 2012.
When the predecessor school was inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be ‘good’.
The sixth form is currently accepting applications for September 2014 with places available for non Tarporley students. Enquiries can be made to: jlowe@tarporleyhigh.co.uk
Currently, there are a few places available for Year 7 entry this September 2014. More information is available by contacting the school on 01829 732558 or by emailing contact@tarporleyhigh.co.
