New Mills School jumps up a grading to good following Ofsted inspection

The education watchdog visited New Mills School in mid March and the report has now been published.

Now the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes as well as personal development and leadership and management have all now improved to the second highest grading.

Lead inspector Rakesh Patel said: “The school has high expectations of all pupils.

“These expectations are reflected in the ambitious curriculum.

“Pupils achieve well across the curriculum, particularly in practical subjects such as media studies, engineering and art, where their work is consistently of a high standard.

“The school identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities quickly and provides appropriate support to help them succeed.”

Identifying what the school does well Mr Patel said: The school’s curriculum is rooted in the aims of the national curriculum, ensuring that pupils gain secure knowledge across a broad range of subjects.

“The school has made some improvements to the curriculum so that, in some subjects, pupils now have more opportunities to apply their skills.”

Teachers were praised for having ‘secure subject knowledge’ and it was noted pupils ‘engage well in lessons, and questioning is used appropriately to deepen thinking’.

Mr Patel said: “Pupils produce high quality work across many subjects.

“For example, in science, pupils present their ideas clearly.

“In English, pupils demonstrate strong understanding of key texts through writing. In some subjects, written work is less well developed and does not always reflect the same high standards seen elsewhere.”

He also noted ‘pupils behave well and enjoy learning’.

The report stated: “Careers provision is well planned. Tutor time sessions help pupils explore future pathways. However, some aspects of the personal development provision are not as well embedded. For example, pupils’ understanding of different faiths does not always help them recognise common values and beliefs.”

Inspectors were particularly impressed with the school’s emphasis on its core values – ‘Think Big, Do the Right Thing, Team Spirit’ – which are embedded in students’ daily experiences.

Looking at how the school can improve Mr Patel said: “The school must ensure that teaching consistently checks pupils’ understanding and is then adapted to support all pupils to achieve well.”

Headteacher Heather Watts expressed her pride in the school community.

She said: “This report is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and ambition of our staff, students, and parents.

“We have made great strides in improving the quality of education, and this result reflects the collective commitment to making New Mills School a place where every child thrives.”

Chair of Governors Pete Inman echoed this sentiment, adding: “We are thrilled with this outcome, which recognises the incredible progress made by our school. The governing body has full confidence in the leadership team and the direction the school is taking. This is just the beginning – we will continue to build on these successes and strive for even greater achievements.”

With this positive momentum and renewed confidence, New Mills School says it is poised to ‘continue delivering high-quality education and opportunities for all its students’.