Simply outstanding - St Bart's School in Newbury sweeps the board in Ofsted ratings

ST Bartholomew's School in Newbury is celebrating - after achieving Ofsted's 'outstanding' rating in all areas.

The education watchdog awarded the academy, affectionately known as St Bart's. the highest grading across the board.

The categories were: quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; leadership and management and sixth form.

Ofsted inspectors praised St Bart’s for the ambitious and carefully planned curriculum embedded across the school.

Inspectors lavished praise on both staff and pupils, stating: "Pupils achieve exceptionally well (and) staff are very knowledgeable about the subjects they teach".

They also highlighted the "kindness and respect" shown by pupils, as well as the school's overall "determination to help everyone achieve their best"

Headteacher Julia Mortimore said: “This is a result that reflects the very many strengths of our school, and one of which our school community and local area can be truly

proud.

"At St Bart’s we always aspire to achieve the best in everything we do, and it is fantastic to gain recognition of this.”

Within the Ofsted inspection framework, which was updated in September 2019, the benchmark to achieve outstanding was raised and, since this time, only eight non-selective secondary schools have achieved an outstanding judgement.

St Bart’s is understood to be only the second non-selective secondary school in the country to receive an outstanding Ofsted Section 5 inspection in all categories this academic year.