Kennet School is 'outstanding'

Thatcham school regains highest Ofsted award

KENNET School is once again an outstanding academy following its latest Ofsted report.

The Stoney Lane school received Ofsted’s highest ranking across its leadership and management, quality of teaching, personal development, behaviour and welfare, and outcome for pupils, following a two-day inspection last month.

Many parents were shocked to find that the school had dropped two Ofsted grades, from outstanding to requires improvement, when it was last inspected in 2014.

At the time, headteacher Paul Dick said that staff had been “desperately disappointed” with much of the report.

In a letter to parents he said: “The school is clear that it is our responsibility to ensure that such disappointment never occurs again, and many significant changes have been made to secure rapid improvement.”

And this proved true last month, as inspectors said that Mr Dick had focused on rapid improvement in all aspects of the school.

Teachers were said to have exceptional subject knowledge and provided valuable feedback which “reinforces pupils’ understanding and leads to their outstanding progress”.

Inspectors said that the school’s house system was highly regarded and that the academic success and personal welfare of pupils were equal priorities for all staff.

Pupils were found to engage enthusiastically in lessons and respected and tolerated each other.

High standards and a stellar set of exam results saw Kennet shoot into the top 20 per cent in the country in terms of attainment and the top four per cent for progress at GCSE level.

Disadvantaged and special educational needs pupils were found to make significantly better progress than that of other pupils nationally.

Mr Dick said the latest report “properly displayed the school’s continuing upward journey.”

He said: “I am delighted that such an able group of inspectors were able to identify our school’s many, many strengths.

“I congratulate our pupils for their tremendous performances in public examinations and the way in which they are growing as young adults, all very evident to the inspectors.”

He congratulated staff and parents for the great support they provided to their children and school; and congratulated governors and staff for their drive and inspiration.

“We have invested in strength and it’s paying off.

“This gives us access to other opportunities, which we see enrich the lives of our pupils.

“We plan to develop further the opportunities for our pupils. Well done the whole Kennet team.”

The school’s 16-19 study programme was rated good.

To improve teaching at this level, inspectors said the school needed to take account of the ability and aptitude of pupils and to ensure that feedback focused on what pupils needed to do to improve.

They said it needed to ensure that all teaching, learning and assessment is as highly effective as that found in the best practice across the school.