Eastbourne secondary school inspected by Ofsted

On July 28 Ofsted published its report of Willingdon Community School in Broad Road following an ungraded inspection in June. The school was found to still be ‘good’ after receiving the rating following a full inspection in 2012.

The inspectors said: “The school has high expectations of pupils and a strong focus on celebration and praise. Pupils say that bullying is uncommon and dealt with effectively. There is extensive provision for reporting bullying. Pupils say they feel happy and safe. They know that they can talk with a member of staff if they have any concerns. Pupils are kind and caring.”

Leaders have created a curriculum which is carefully planned and sequenced, according to the report.

It states: “Content is ambitious for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. These pupils are identified and suitably supported by teachers and learning support professionals.”

Within departments teachers collaborate well but links with other subjects are not always pursued to support pupils’ knowledge which leads to students missing out on opportunities to consolidate their understanding, according to the inspectors.

The report says: “External examination outcomes are extremely strong. Pupils’ progress is significantly above national averages in most subjects, and in the highest 20 per cent in English and mathematics. However, the take-up of modern foreign languages is not high enough, and this limits the number of pupils taking the full English Baccalaureate.”

Attendance is high and persistent absence is low as pupils want to attend school, according to the report.

The inspectors said suspensions are rare and considered a last resort with the last permanent exclusion being in 2019.

The report says parents and carers are generally very positive and supportive of the school with senior leaders using self-evaluation to identify the key drivers for further improvement.

The inspector said: “Staff say that they are proud to work at the school. They say that senior leaders ‘look after staff very well and manage well-being effectively’.”

On social media a spokesperson from the school said: “As a community we can only achieve excellence for our young people by working in partnership, so we want to thank you all for your contribution to this report.”