Inadequate To Good: Sandown's Bay CE School Celebrates Improved Ofsted Rating

Thursday, 20 April 2023 09:13

By Dominic Kureen @WriteOnDom

An Island headteacher has declared himself ‘delighted’ after The Bay Church of England School was rated 'good' by Ofsted.

In their first inspection as an all-through school, catering for pupils aged 4 to 16, The Bay Church of England School received the positive rating across all areas.

The school was launched in September 2018, after Sandown Bay Academy — which was twice judged 'inadequate' by inspectors — was closed and reopened following the decision to extend the age range of the existing primary school.

Welcoming the findings of the latest report, Duncan Mills, executive headteacher, said:

“We are delighted with our first Ofsted inspection report as an all-through school.

“Inspectors saw that The Bay is a happy and inclusive all-through school, where leaders have successfully established an atmosphere of trust amongst staff.

"There have been significant changes at the school, since extending its age range in 2018, with staff and governors thrilled by the report — it is a true reflection of the efforts of the whole community."

In their report, inspectors said expectations for pupils to work hard and be successful were evident throughout the school.

In Early Years, leaders were said to understand the priorities for learning and development while children were seen to play happily together, taking turns and showing kindness towards each other.

The way in which leaders had acted swiftly to address a weakness in reading was also praised by inspectors. They noted most younger pupils were now reading with the accuracy and fluency appropriate to their age thanks to a new curriculum taught by well-trained staff.

At Key Stage 4, older pupils were found to be working at a higher standard than was the case last year, while a change in the secondary curriculum had increased the number of students achieving a more academic suite of GCSE qualifications.

Meanwhile, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are catered for extremely well — “their needs are identified, understood and met by the leaders and adults who work sensitively with them,” the report said.