Ofsted Report "A school on the move"
(Ofsted April 2007)
Excellent leadership, rising standards and good behaviour at Heritage Mathematics and Computing Specialist School have been praised by government inspectors.
The Ofsted team of five inspectors that visited the school on 19 and 20 April, which has recently achieved specialist status, found a well-managed school where teaching is good and improving and where the students enjoy attending, are keen to learn, achieve and are successful and happy.
The 1066-student school, which is the fastest growing school in Derbyshire, was commended for improving results, teaching and a much improved curriculum since the school was inspected in 2003, when it was described by Ofsted as "…rapidly improving…".
Some of the things the Inspectors stated were that:
·The Headteacher's leadership is excellent and the school continues to improve significantly under his leadership.
·There is significant improvement in standards of achievement, lessons are well taught and in the Mathematics specialism achievement is "impressive".
·The quality of education has improved significantly since the last inspection and that the good rate of improvement reported at the last inspection has been accelerated with impetus added by the school's new status.
·Relationships are good and students are right to feel safe and well-cared for.
·The good curriculum and arrangements for care, guidance and support ensure a valuable and inclusive educational experience for every student.
·Morale is high among staff and students and there is a powerful sense of purpose that further improvement must and will be achieved.
·Governance is good and Governors support and challenge the work of the school very effectively.
To improve further Ofsted recommends that the school:
·Sustains and extends the improvements in GCSE examination results.
·Helps students to develop skills to learn more for themselves, and be less dependent on teachers.
·Ensures that best practice in monitoring and evaluating teachers and students' work is consistently developed across all subjects.
Headteacher Donovan Spencer said:
"This inspection confirms the progress that the school has made over the past five years. It recognises that we seek to meet the needs of every student and are good at what we do. It also acknowledges that standards are rising and students are achieving more and more, year-on-year. It is a testament to the hard work of the staff, students, parents, local authority and others who support the school within our community."
Chair of Governors Roger Jones said:
"I was delighted that the inspection team confirmed the governors' assessment that the school continues to improve the standards of education and care provided for our students which has resulted in the increasing popularity of the school. The team also recognised the excellent leadership of the Headteacher and the commitment made by all our staff.
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