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Casterton College, in Rutland, receives ‘good’ ofsted rating




A secondary school has retained a ‘good’ rating following its latest inspection.

A team of five Ofsted inspectors visited Casterton College, in Rutland, on September 26 and 27, and rated it good in all four areas - quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

The mixed comprehensive has received the same rating in its last three inspections, dating back to 2016, since when its roll has grown from 620 pupils eight years ago to just under 970 today.

Casterton College's roll has grown by a third in the last decade
Casterton College's roll has grown by a third in the last decade

“I am so proud of this school and our students and staff,” said Casterton College principal, Carl Smith.

“The inspectors were very complimentary and praised our excellent academic outcomes, strong teaching and high expectations.

“We welcome all young people, and our ethos is that ‘ability is not fixed’ and in the circumstances they can achieve wonderful things.”

The report found ‘a school where all staff want pupils to be successful and happy’, while the ‘atmosphere in lessons is purposeful’ and ‘pupils respect each other and their teachers’.

Pupils had ‘high aspirations of themselves, the school and the community’ and ‘many parents believe the school has high expectations for their children’.

A wide range of subjects was offered and the reading curriculum was described as ‘ambitious’.

It also said extra support was given to pupils who entered the school with weaker reading skills, while the school ensured children with special educational needs and disabilities could access the full curriculum.

Pupils were also offered a ‘vast range of activities’ beyond and during the school day, while the school was ‘creative’ in supporting pupils’ mental health and well-being.

The report also said staff felt management considered their workload and well-being and responded well to feedback.

However, inspectors felt there was room for improvement.

While they found bullying was ‘not tolerated’ and ‘staff acted quickly’ to resolve issues, some pupils did not report bullying concerns because they felt it would ‘not always be dealt with effectively’.

It also called for school leaders to continue ‘ambitious plans’ to improve the attendance of disadvantaged pupils which was ‘not as strong’ as others, and to provide better guidance on careers and further education.

The report, published this week, is the latest piece of good news for the Great Casterton school after it was prioritised on the Government’s school rebuilding programme.

Construction on their projects is expected to get under way from April 2025.



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