25th January 2010
Dear Parents/Carers
I am writing with regard to our Ofsted Inspection which took place on 4th/5th November 2009.
Firstly, I wish to apologise for the apparent delay in communication by explaining that schools are asked to maintain confidentiality until instructed to publish an Ofsted Report. The outcome of the Inspection is that the school has been placed in the category of Special Measures and I wish to take the opportunity to explain the outcomes more fully to you, and to give you the option to attend meetings arranged to provide you with further information. The full report is on St Peter’s website (www.stpetershighschool.co.uk) and the Ofsted website (www.ofsted.gov.uk ), but if you wish to receive a hard copy, you may collect one from Student Reception.
The inspection took place on my 100th day as Headteacher of St Peter’s and relates to the preceding three years and primarily to examination results of summer 2008 which, at the time of the inspection, was the most recent validated examination data. As a consequence, the outcomes are based on the historical performance of the school and not on the work that is currently being done and which is already having an impact on results. For instance, when I became Head, results in English at GCSE needed significant improvement. This has been a focus of considerable effort and I am pleased to let you know that a third of our Year 11 students were entered early for English this year and we have just received their results which show that nearly all students entered have gained a grade A*-C in the subject. This has given everybody a boost of confidence as it demonstrates our capacity to address issues. Results achieved in English in Year 11 are already higher than those achieved last year.
I became Head at St Peter’s because I believe that my prior experience as Deputy Head as one of the strongest comprehensive schools in the county, The King John School, in Benfleet, Essex gave me the wherewithal to lead St Peter’s into the future. Significant hard work has been done in recent times to improve the behaviour of students. This provides teachers with the ideal springboard to improve academic performance and I am very dedicated to this job and ensuring the future success of youngsters here.
You should be reassured to know that I will be supported to reach my goals by termly visits from Ofsted who will monitor progress at the School and provide guidance for further improvement. I welcome their input and will report to you each term on the outcomes of their visits. The school also welcomes the support provided by the Local Authority.
If you wish to attend a meeting to hear me speak further about the Ofsted report your opportunity is on:
Wednesday 3rd February at 7.00 p.m. in the Sports Hall for parents of Years 7, 8 or 9;
and
Thursday 4th February at 7.00 p.m. in the Sports Hall for parents of Year 10, 11 and Sixth Form
I look forward to talking with you then. In the meantime, the new school motto, is “Be Our Best”, and by working together, we will enable our students, your children to fulfil their potential.
Yours faithfully,
Ms. J. Costello
Headteacher
Letter to students from Ofsted Inspectors
Ofsted Report |
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